What is your learning style?
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
February 25, 2011 1:21pm CST
When I have to learn something new I usually prefer to see a drawing and read the instructions at the same time. I am not good at learning things if I only get verbal instructions. I am a visual learner so I like to see things in order to understand them. I also like to learn things by experimenting. I love books and theoretical knowledge, but I also love to create crafts and other things with my hands.
What is your learning style? Do you prefer drawings or written instructions? Do you prefer verbal instructions? Is it easy for you to learn new practical skills? Or do you find it easier to learn theoretical things? Why?
1 person likes this
10 responses
@Lore2009 (7378)
• United States
26 Feb 11
I've been trying to learn a language by ear (CDs) and I realized how much I"m more comfortable by seeing the words. I end up wondering how they're spelled and I tend to forget if it's just by ear. I would need to write it myself and use it in a sentence or something to actually feel it with my whole body.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
26 Feb 11
I think that I would feel the same if I had to learn a language by ear. I like to listen to a new language while I follow the sentences in a book. It is easier for me to learn new words if I know how they are spelled. I am learning Russian at the moment and it is difficult, because I can't read the cyrillic alphabet yet, so it is not a lot of help to see how the words are written I use a picture dictionary and that a nice tool, but writing and reading are still difficult.
@Lore2009 (7378)
• United States
26 Feb 11
That's cool your learning Russian! I'm trying to learn Arabic... and same as you, I'd have to learn the whole alphabet too, compared to other languages that already use Roman script, which I'm used to.. we gotta learn a whole new script. I find it fascinating though. Picture dictionary would be great! Good luck!
1 person likes this
@sais06 (1284)
• Philippines
26 Feb 11
I usually need an example first and then try it myself before I was able to learn something. I don't what learning style it is, maybe visual with experimentation. Learning practical skills is also easier for me than theoretical ones because I am more on implementation than just knowing. Yes it's good to know the theories and concepts but I wasn't going to learn it if not applied in the actual scenario.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
26 Feb 11
I also like to get an example or a demonstration before I try it myself. Sometimes it is a help for me to get a second demonstration after I have tried it myself, because it is often a lot easier to understand the demonstration when I have tried it myself and have a little bit of experience. I like to learn both pratical skills and theoretical knowledge, but I often find theoretical knowledge easier.
@sender621 (14893)
• United States
26 Feb 11
I can usually pick up something just by listening to what i am told. then i can usually set out on my own and accomplish the task. My sister is totally different from me. she is more of a hands on learner. You could tell her again and again but she would not get it. she would get it more by doing it along with you until she finally catches on.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
28 Feb 11
Sometimes I wish that I were better at learning something the way that you do (verbal instructions) but I am not very good at that, maybe because I tend to forget some of the things. It is easier for me if I am able to go back to the written instructions and read them again or look at the drawings again.
@tessa9 (1085)
• Philippines
26 Feb 11
It really depends to what I'm learning. I tried learning origami for my art class last month from a book and I just could not do it. All there was were graphs and technical origami terms in the instructions so I just could not follow. In general, I find it easier to learn when I am being taught in person not through videos, books or other means. Human interaction is really helpful since yo can ask questions and have the answers in an instant. So yes, I'm more of a visual learner.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
26 Feb 11
I have experienced the same thing. I tried to learn origami from a book, but it was too hard. I tried many times, but I was never satisfied with the result and when I got to a certain point I couldn't get any futher. Fortuneately I have some Japanese friends and some of them are very good at origami. I asked one of them to teach how to do it, and it was a lot easier to learn it that way. She showed me in person and when I was stuck she told me how to continue. I use written instructions in many cases, but sometimes a personal teacher is much better.
@hlgmdt (300)
• Philippines
26 Feb 11
I'm a visual-tactile learner. It is very important for me to see the material in a visual form so that I could learn it better. As a result, I benefit a lot from notes, handouts, powerpoint presentations and the likes. When I read something from books or internet, I have to jot down keywords or highlight them so that I can better process the information. Giving me a copy of instructions would produce better result than merely telling me verbally. I am also a tactile learner in the sense that when I'm reading or listening to a lecture, my hands should be busy. I usually play with things such as pen or a small piece of paper.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
26 Feb 11
I also like to use written material when I have to learn something and I have always been a person who takes lots of notes. When I am listening to lecture I like to draw. It seems easier for me to concentrate on listening that way, and my notesbooks are usually full of both words and drawings...
@Soochow (40)
• China
26 Feb 11
That really depends. For me, I'm not quite interested in theoretical things and it is a killer to me more often than not, but we cannot afford to ignore their importances. The best way is to combine book knowledge with practical skills. Once I thought language learning is quite dull and boring, but when I come across something interesting about cultural phenomena and others, I begin to enjoy the process increasingly.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
26 Feb 11
Yes, a combination of book knowledge and practical skills is often the best. Sometimes theoretical knowledge seems boring at first, but when you discover how you can use the theoretical knowledge and combine it practical skills you get another perspective. I especially noticed that when I was a nursing student. Some of the theoritical things were hard to understand and not very interesting, but when I was able to use them in real situations it got a lot more interesting.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
25 Feb 11
Being shown what to do also helps me. I have to try it myself to really learn something, but being shown what to do is a good way for me to understand it.
@EnslinPorter (1718)
• Philippines
26 Feb 11
Depending on the lesson, I usually refer written instructions with visual aids if appropriate. It's quite annoying sometimes if something is presented in plain written form without drawings then it talks about for instance parts of a machine or how do to a procedure and the reader has absolutely no idea.
In contrast with verbal instructions, I would like written instructions instead because it's easier for me to read than to listen, and I could easily go back if I missed something.
As for learning practical versus theoretical things, I'm not sure yet which of the two I find easy to learn. I think theoretical things are easy for me because I'm more of a logical thinker and I like connecting things in my head, lol Whereas with practical skills, I still need to visualize how to do them and takes some practice too.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
26 Feb 11
I also find it annoying to read instructions without a drawing. Sometimes the drawing is pretty bad, but it is still better than no drawing at all, because it makes it a little easier to understand the instructions. I agree with you about written instructions. I think it is nice to be able to go back and read it again if I forget something. I am not good at remembering verbal instructions and I tend to forget some of the instructions after a while.
@dreamsharmin (2281)
• China
25 Feb 11
well usually i can read from the book with the help of picture. But sometime in some subject or topic i feel difficulty then i take the help of video.In video the things very easy and i can understand very easily. If you want you can try hope you will feel batter it. Good luck!
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
25 Feb 11
Using a video to learn new things is a good idea. Sometimes it is easier to understand things when you see them on video, I will keep that in mind for next time I haven't used video much in past, but I remember one time when I had to learn some nursing skills. I saw them on a video first and that made it easier to understand the things we had to do when had to try it ourselves.