The IT Trench Warfare Blog ...Tips, Tricks, & References to Simplify your life in the IT Trenches

This is the first in a series of long posts from my recent project on Developing Effictive Study Plans. In this first part we will discuss different learning styles and how know a little about how you learn can help you learn better. Of course all content is the copyrighted and unauthorized use is strictly prohibited by law. And as always, I welcome your comments.

What kind of Learner am I?

Every individual learns most effectively in a slightly different way. Some learners prefer to read books, while other say “just show me” and many learners prefer to just dive in and get their hands dirty. There is no one right way to learn anything and most of us learn different types of skills in different ways as well as combining several learning methods together. The trick, then to effective learning is to figure out how you learn best, and then create a plan that plays to your strengths. So let’s examine the four different kinds of learners and keep in mind that though you may favor one learning method over another, we are all really combinations of all four.

The Academic Learner

Some people seem to be able to just read a book or two and instantly grasp whatever concepts and skills were covered. And they seem to just as easily turn around and then apply those same skills without having had much, if any actual experience or practice.
Those are the hallmarks of the Academic learner. Nearly all of us are Academic Learners when it comes to certain topics. Some subjects just seem much easier to learn academically. But other skills seem much more difficult to us when trying to learn them in this way. Think about some of the subjects that you may have mastered just by reading and studying books or attending classes or lectures. Some topics seem to lend themselves more easily to this learning method than others, but ultimately it really is very personal. You will find some things very easy for you to learn in this way and others will escape you almost completely. And yet someone else might be wired just a little differently.

The Intuitive Learner

Our second kind of learner is the Intuitive Learner and this person just seems to have all come entirely too easily. Weather they read a book, attend a class, watch a demonstration, or get the training in any other way, they just seem to get it. Almost as if they already knew it.
Natural ability, that’s what it is often called. And that’s not too far off. All of us have a natural predisposition to certain subjects, and those things just come to us very easily. So easily, in fact, that often we cannot even explain why. A Part of our predispositions have to do with our own interests and motivations. So take a minute to think about what types of skills have just come to you intuitively.

The Experiential Learner

The third kind of learner is the Experiential Learner, also sometimes referred to as Tactile, Kinesthetic, or just plain “Hands-on” learners. Many people identify with this type of learning and rightfully so as nearly all of us learn some skills best by just “diving-in” and doing it. And many dexterity based skills, and physical activities heavily favor this kind learning.
Experiential Learners prefer to just do it and want to jump right in and begin working as they learn. But just as some skills favor experiential learning, others would be very difficult to learn in this way (e.g. Physics, Math, etc.). Think about what kinds of skills you have learned experientially.

The Visual Learner

The last type of learner that we will discuss is the Visual Learner. Missouri is known as the “Show Me” state and visual learners subscribe to that same mantra. The visual learner wants to be shown how and then let alone to carry out the task. As with all of our previous learning styles, there are some skills that favor the visual method and some that do not. We tend to believe what we see and that makes visual learning very powerful. The visual learner in addition to preferring to be shown also likes to organize information visually using charts, graphics, and eye-catching colorizing schemes. Think about some skills that you have learned by being shown.

But what has all that got to do with me?

As we discussed the four different types of learners, hopefully you were able to think of some skills that you have learned in each way. And have begun to realize that you can and have learned in almost every way and that most of what you have learned was not through just one style or another, but really a combination of several if not all of them. Just imagine trying to become a world-class competitor in any sport by just reading a book about it, or how about learning accounting by just jumping in and doing it. The vast majority of us really aren’t one type of learner or another, but a composition of several types. We all favor certain styles and much of that has to with our prior successes and our level of interest. But you can and have learned different skills through most if not all of the styles and the most effective of all of the styles is a combination all of them.

The more technical a skill, typically the more background knowledge that is required and computer networking, programming, and administration bear this out. To learn this type of skill you need to use several of the learner types. To get the necessary background and theoretical knowledge, you learn academically. To tie all of the concepts together with their actual implementations, you learn visually. And lastly to turn all of that knowledge into something more than just trivia, you need to learn experientially to apply your knowledge to solving problems and carrying out tasks.

Until next time....Good Day, Good News and Goodnight!