Why knowing your learning style is helpful as an adult

I bloody love learning. I threw myself into school and uni back in the day, and now, as an adult, I’m always looking for new ways to challenge myself – whether that be a course, languages, reading, writing and so on. Saying that, I know I’m not the majority of people…

Even so, I really do believe it’s useful to know your learning style as an adult. Only the other day at work, I was confronted with a massive, technical report that I had to churn into a presentation in the span of a few days. I felt overwhelmed and panicked until I remembered the learning strategies I’d picked up at uni – and thank God I did, because it saved me enough time to hit the deadline and know (more or less) what I was talking about.

You never know when you’ll need to absorb a large amount of information in your life. Maybe you go back to uni - but more likely you’re researching a new project, setting up your own business, or dealing with a chunky task at work. Knowing your learning style gives you strategies for absorbing information quickly and effectively, making efficient use of your time. In this post, I talk about the main learning styles and practical strategies for each.

What are learning styles?

‍Learning styles (also called cognitive or thinking styles) is an approach your brain naturally has to learning information and developing skills. There isn’t really a consensus on how rigid these styles are, and it’s thought they can change over time and overlap, depending on how your brain is wired. 

‍However, it’s generally agreed that there are three main categories of learning styles: VISUAL, AUDITORY and KINAESTHETIC.

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1.         VISUAL

People with this style use visual cues and patterns to maximise their learning. When trying to understand something, they might ask you to ‘show them’ rather than explain it verbally.

This is 100% my learning style. I absorb information when I see it written down, when I rewrite it myself, colour code it, produce diagrams, etc. Often when I’m recalling information, the ‘image’ of the information will appear in my mind rather than the ‘knowledge’ itself. This is how I taught myself maths GCSE and miraculously got an A – still proud of that one.

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Strategies for visual learners:

• Reproduce the information in your own words – I’ve found this works better writing by hand rather than typing.

• Reproduce the information using images and diagrams. Show the information in sequential order, almost like a story.

• If you need to draw out information in a document, highlight/colour code it so that you can quickly refer to it later. You’ll also associate the information with a particular colour.

• If you’re studying for a test, consistently reproduce the information and commit it to memory.

2. AUDITORY

Auditory learners are great at understanding and memorising information they hear. They resonate more with spoken instructions than written ones and find presentations, lectures and audiobooks extremely helpful.

This isn’t my strongest style, as I find information slips through the cracks of my brain this way. But if it’s yours, here are some strategies:

Strategies for auditory learners:

• Read everything out loud.  

• Record yourself talking about the topic and listen to it back while doing something else.

• Listen to podcasts or an audiobook on the topic.

• Ask a friend if you can lecture them on the topic – this will help you consolidate learning.

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3. KINAESTHETIC

Kinaesthetic learners need practical experiences to understand and absorb new concepts. Physical movements help them consolidate what they hear or read and recall information better.

This is probably my weakest style. However, as a teacher, I found a lot of learners preferred this style over anything else, and we’d often turn learning into a game with great results.

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Strategies for kinaesthetic learners:

• Using flashcards or post it notes, scatter the information around the room and walk between each. When recalling the information, tap into the movement you were doing – almost like pairing your mind and body together

• If using flashcards, try connecting and physically grouping ideas on the table.

• Put a flashcard on the mirror, another on the fridge, etc. so that you’re prompted to recall the information while doing different actions. Again, strengthening the pattern of action and recall.

‍Why knowing your learning style is useful

‍Knowing your learning style is like having a shortcut to absorbing information. It can save you time and stress, and feels more productive. That said, these are just frameworks – humans don’t fit neatly into categories, after all. Most of us learn through a combination of strategies, and it’s about figuring out what works best for you. I’ve found learning styles a helpful tool for figuring this out.

I have a theory that the majority of people have a predominantly visual learning style. What’s yours?