In what ways do you learn the best?

Question

I am wondering how you, as a student, learn the most effectively? For example, some students are able to read and write down notes, while others need an audio aid (videos, music, etc.) to help them further integrate a lesson into memory. Some students thrive with extra homework and/or writing assignments, while others like to have tests and quizzes to assess what they have learned.

Everyone learns differently, and I want to be able to help you learn in the most efficient way possible that is challenging and engaging, but also enjoyable. Learning does not have to be a strict lesson!

Answer 1

Learning is a highly personal process. Teachers understand that some students are strong visual learners (read), some are strong audio learners (listen), and some understand a concept best thru action - solving a problem or writing about a topic. So the teacher assigns the student to read the chapter, listen to the lecture, do the homework and complete projects or term papers - and thus cover the three major avenues by which students learn. But the student should develop sufficient self-awareness to understand which aspect of this instruction works best for them.

Answer 2

I have found that I personally learn the best by integrating as many aspects into a lesson. For example, when I was first learning the German language, I thrived by having the typical vocabulary test that was also paired with songs, readings and audio lessons in the German language. From my experience learning a foreign language and teaching English abroad, I found that submerging yourself in the language is one of the most effective ways of learning.

Answer 3

This is a great question. To say that everyone learns differently is correct, but it's only part of the picture. Try to shift your perspective away from the individual and start from the perspective of the material itself. In my opinion, it has less to do with how you think you learn, and more to do with the best way to internalize a particular concept.

For instance, imagine you have to learn your multiplication tables. Person A may think she's a visual learner so she'll use flash cards. Person B may say he's an auditory learner so he'll make songs for the really tough ones. Person C may say she's a kinesthetic learner so she has to make a game that involves movement to help her memorize them.

But if you give them all of the tables (144 sets, 1x1 through 12x12), no one is going to learn a darn thing.

Sounds crazy, right? Who would do that? Well, most teachers. Most teachers teach the tables in order (1's, 2's and 3's... then a week later 4's, 5's, 6's...) and they do it relentlessly, one table after the next. Why? I don't know.

If you orient to the material, you'll see it makes more sense to teach the 1's and 10's together, then maybe 2's and 5's. (since kids learn skip counting prior to multiplication tables); and you save the hardest tables for last. And the hardest tables should be taught based on the way that makes the most sense for that table.

Person A was the visual learner... They'l be happy to see the patterns in even numbered tables or in the 5's.

Did you know that about half of the 6's rhyme? Person B would do well there. "Six times six is thirty-sex, six times eight is 48" and so on.

Many people know that the 9's have three tricks to help you solve them. I won't get into them here but the kinesthetic learner, person C would do well there.

But what about person D who just can't remember a darn thing no matter what method. Person D probably learns through stories (as we all do). It doesn't matter if it's been 20 years, you still remember that a T-rex's vision is based on movement because little Timmy almost became lunchmeat that one time. That's a story with cause and effect, and that's always easier to remember than decontextualized information.

Persons A through D would have no trouble remembering the Romanian word for horse ("cal") if they've ever seen Game of Thrones. Who could forget Khal Drogo. In Dothraki, khal means "leader" and Khal Drogo was a leader of nomadic people who were expert warriors on... horseback. (I'd bet the linguist who invented Dothraki probably knew what he was doing when he created the language)

As an educator, I've heard this argument for years... The idea that how a person learns is somehow unique and special. It is, but not as much as people think. I'd venture to say that it's more important to tailor the material to be taught in particular that matches the nature of the concepts while also playing to the strengths of the student, which can be more dynamic than you imagine.

I believe that the mode of learning can change depending on the degree that it's been learned. For example, when I'm teaching multiplication tables, I have them written on a white board -- maybe 6 sets total. We roll some dice and whatever numbers pop up, those are the ones we multiple (I usually have some foam dice that I've written the specific number on so that we're only practicing the numbers I want us to practice).

Each time the person gets the answer right, I take a whiteboard marker and make a slash through the answer. After six tries, the answer is completely covered. We've faded away the crutch. But it hasn't been so long that they've forgotten. Then, after they get the answer right 3 or 4 times, I add on some other times tables.

This is a great way to practice vocabulary. Start with a constrained set. Track how often you have to look to use it. Cross it out. If you mess up, start again. The most important part is, don't go too long without checking to see if you've forgotten. Maybe it needs to be 10 minutes later, an hour later, a day later. But always check.

And lastly, ask yourself how you want to study. Humans are creators by nature. You will remember the more creative you get to be in the learning process.