While listening to a lecture, do you ever find it mundane and feel that something is missing — perhaps a visual representation or an interactive element that could prompt you to provide feedback? Have you ever wished the key points were presented in a more visually appealing way, like in a presentation, rather than through the typical lecture format?

Maybe you wanted to see numbers and equations in diagrams and flowchart, which would help you understand them better. If so, it’s time to explore your learning style. Understanding your learning style is crucial, as many of you may not even realise the real issue you’ve been facing during your academic life. You might not fully grasp the problem, but discovering the learning style that suits you best can bring out the best in you. This allows you to learn more quickly and effectively, because it aligns with your mind’s needs.

Learning is a personalised journey, and understanding your unique learning style can significantly enhance your academic performance. You might be wondering, what exactly do I mean by ‘learning style’? Well, in 1987, Neil Fleming, a New Zealand educationist, introduced the VARK model of learning. The acronym VARK stands for the four sensory modalities: visual, aural, read/write and kinaesthetic. Fleming theorised that each of us falls into one of these four main types of learners, helping students better understand their learning preferences.

Honestly, kids, until now, I never considered why I always learnt history lectures more through visual representations of a topic than from written texts or notes. I used to think I wasn’t a good student, but after learning about these models, I realised they represent each individual’s learning style. If we don’t understand something using one style, it might be because our cognitive needs require a different approach to the topic.

So, let me introduce you to these four learning types. See which one you fall into and study accordingly.

Visual learners (V)

Visual learners learn best by seeing information presented to them visually. They find it easier to grasp concepts when presented to them in the form of diagrams, charts, images, graphs, flow charts and all the symbolic arrows and circles that people use to represent what could have been presented in words.

This is because their brains are wired to process information more effectively when it is presented in a visual format. If you fall into this category, adopt the following little habits to boost your skills.

Colourful highlighters and markers: Highlighting key points in different colours can help you visually organise information and make it more memorable; you can use colours as a code to trigger your memory.

Visual organisers: Mind maps and concept maps are excellent tools to memorise and remember. They allow you to represent relationships bet­ween different ideas and concepts visually.

Watch videos or presentations: If you get time during your study hours, opt for watching videos or presentations that provide visual explanations of complex topics, or topics that you have just read at school, this way it will stick to your mind and concepts will be are clearer.

Aural/Auditory learners (A)

Auditory learners prefer receiving information through ‘heard or spoken’. They benefit from hearing information spoken aloud or through lectures, group discussions, radio, mobile phones, speaking and talking things through. It also includes talking out loud as well as talking to oneself.

People with this preference often like to figure things out by speaking first, rather than organising their thoughts before talking. They might repeat what’s already been said or ask questions that have already been answered. They need to say things in their way to learn effectively. Their brains are wired to process information more effectively when they hear it.

Lectures and discussions: An auditory learner can benefit more from discussing topics with others as they help solidify their understanding through verbal explanations. If you can, record lectures; listen and review the material at your own pace and focus on key points.

Audiobooks or podcasts: For auditory learners, audiobooks and podcasts are treasure trove of knowledge, as they provide them with infinite opportunities to learn through listening.

Read/write (R):

Most of us are advised to use reading and writing as the primary learning technique. However, considering each individual’s different learning style, it seems unfortunate for those who learn better through other methods. While many may still prefer to learn and absorb knowledge through reading and writing, we should now recognise it as just one of many ways to process information and that not everyone fits into this category.

As the title suggests, ‘Read/Write’ learners are individuals who prefer to learn through reading, writing and taking notes. They find it easier to understand and remember information when it is presented in a written format such as PowerPoint, the internet, lists, diaries, dictionaries, thesauri, textbooks, articles, handouts, notes — in short words, words and only words are their basic learning tools.

Benefit from writing: You can write down key concepts and ideas as they solidify your understanding.

Enjoy reading: Because you find reading to be a stimulating and enjoyable way to learn, opt for more reading material.

Kinaesthetic learners (K)

Kinaesthetic learners learn best by doing and experiencing things firsthand. Their brains process information more effectively through physical interaction and they actively engage in their education, preferring hands-on activities, experiments and real-world examples.

As ‘tactile’ learners, they use movement, testing, trial and error and non-traditional learning environments to retain and recall information. These learners value their own experiences and may struggle with abstract concepts. For a kinaesthetic learner, the following tips work best.

Be practical: Find out ways to engage yourself more in interactive activities as they will allow you to physically engage with the material and absorb more information.

Physical activity: Focus and learn more from being physically active compared to those who want a static position while studying. Many of you in this category would find concentrating more while standing or walking.

Use role-playing or simulations: Equip yourself with resources that offer role-playing and simulations to help you practice your knowledge in real-world scenarios.

By figuring out your learning style and using study methods that work best for it, you can actually develop a personal learning plan that boosts your success and you no longer have to wonder why you don’t grasp a single concept!

Regardless of your learning style, some of the general study strategies can help you improve your academic performance:

Active recall: You must quiz yourself weekly to test your understanding and boost your memory through short and quick questions. This approach retrieves important information from memory, while strengthening your ability to recall it later and helps you assess how well you’ve grasped the material.

Spaced repetition: Don’t burden yourself every day, fix one day of your choice every week to review material to reinforce learning and improve long-term retention. This helps you gradually revisit information, making it easier to remember and understand over time.

Pomodoro technique: This technique allows you to study in focused 25-minute intervals, followed by a short break. The method is proved to helps maintain high levels of concentration and productivity while preventing burnout.

Teach someone else: If you haven’t tried it yet, do it once and you will notice that explaining a concept to another person (your friend or sibling) not only reinforces your understanding, but will also help you identify any gaps in your knowledge. It also encourages you to think critically and organise your thoughts more clearly.

Published in Dawn, Young World, September 7th, 2024