Learning styles
Prepared by: Fleur Elaine Dayondon-Sumalpong, LPT,
MAED-Bio
What are learning styles?
 Information enters your brain through three
methods: sight, hearing, and touch. The one
which you use the most is called your learning
style.
 Visual Learners learn by sight
 Auditory Learners learn by hearing
 Tactile Learners (kinesthetic) learn by touch
Why it is important to understand your learning style?
 Better major selection.
 You want to choose a major that caters
to your dominant learning style.
 If you are a kinesthetic learner, a
Construction Management major is a
good fit.
 On the other hand, if you are an
auditory learner you will want to purse
a major that contains a majority of
lecture courses.
 Better strategy in choosing courses that are
aligned with how you learn.
 If you are undecided about your major,
knowing your learning style can help
you avoid courses in which you know
you will struggle.
 Lecture course versus a Lab course?
 Strategize ways to do better in your courses.
 Once you identify your learning
preference, you can focus better on
required program courses that you
know are going to be difficult.
 Your choice of study group partners or
tutoring formats can be informed by
your learning style preference.
Types of Learning Styles
 Auditory Learners
 Visual Learners
 Tactile Learners
Teaching Strategies
1. Visual Learners
a. Prefer to see information such as
pictures, diagrams, cartoons,
demonstrations
b. Picture words and concepts they hear
as images
c. Easily distracted in lecture with no
visual aids
d. Overwhelmed with intense visuals
accompanied by lecture
e. Benefit from using charts, maps, notes,
and flash cards when studying
f. Visual learning is a teaching and
learning style in which ideas, concepts,
data, and other information are
associated with images and techniques.
Learning Strengths:
 Remember what they see
 Enjoy visual projects and presentations
 Can remember diagrams, charts, maps
Teaching Strategies:
 Provide interesting visuals to look at
 Make sure visual presentations (notes, etc.) are
organized
 Make sure handouts are clearly readable
Teaching with Technology:
 Incorporate multimedia applications utilizing
 videos, images, or diagrams. Explain ideas discuss Research
 Have students take digital images or videos for Tell jokes, Interviews Projects
use on the computer. riddles, and Label Quizzes and
Draw pictures to Videos Pictures and limericks Give and follow tests
represent ideas, Create illustrations Trivia games directions Logs, journals,
paint Models Cartoons and Write Retell diaries
Games: Describe in caricatures Report - oral and Essays Questions and
matching, detail Color-coding written Audio recordings answers
puzzles Color, lines, and
Visual cues to shapes
remember Creative designs 3. Tactile or Kinesthetic Learners
Have a “being Sculptures a. Prefer touch as their primary mode for
there” Graphic taking in information
experience organizers b. In traditional lecture situations, they
Field trip Art media should write out important facts
Visualization and Displays
c. Create study sheets connected to vivid
imagine Posters
Graphics Charts examples
Flowcharts Brochures d. Role-playing can help them learn and
2. Auditory Learners remember important ideas
a. Prefer to hear information spoken e. May benefit by using manipulatives
b. Can absorb a lecture with little effort f. Kinesthetic Learning (also known as
c. May not need careful notes to learn. Tactile Learning) is a learning style in
d. Often avoid eye contact in order to which learning takes place by the
concentrate student carrying out a physical activity,
e. May read aloud to themselves rather than listening to a lecture or
f. Like background music when they study watching a demonstration.
g. Auditory learning is a learning style in
Learning Strengths:
which a person learns through listening.
 Remember what they experience with their
h. An auditory learner depends on hearing hands or bodies (movement)
and speaking as a main way of learning.  Enjoy using tools or active lessons
 Can remember procedures after having done
Learning Strengths: them
 Remember what they hear and say eaching Strategies:
 Enjoy class discussions  Incorporate creative or out-of-seat activities
 Can remember oral instructions into lessons
Teaching Strategies:  Encourage students to take their own notes
 Structure classroom to minimize  Incorporate computers into student lessons
noise/distractions Teaching with Technology:
 Repeat key points and summarize lessons  Incorporate interactive multimedia applications,
 Write down key words to avoid confusion due such as simulations.
to pronunciation  Have students create their own multimedia
Teaching with Technology: presentations.
 Incorporate multimedia applications utilizing
sounds, music, or speech.
 Have students use sound or voice recorders on Opportunities to Imagine Exercises
the computer. move and themselves in a Hands-on
handle materials situation experiences
Trace and Simulate Simulations /
Play word games Explain Speeches highlight Dance or mime Role-playing
for vocabulary Describe and Debates Act out concepts Perform Field trips
and stories role Create, Movement  Albert Einstein, intelligence:
playing construct, or routines physicist and  predict the ending
Models develop mathematician to movies/stories
Experiments Gestures or  John Maynard  play games
Write or draw actions to Keynes, economist involving patterns
while listening support learning  practice math
Walk while Manipulatives word problems
thinking Inventions
Use hands and Sports
arms for participation  Bodily-Kinesthetic Skills
expression Demonstrating
using physical  This intelligence relates to
movement knowledge and awareness of
the body and its movement and
abilities.
Your Intelligence Profile created by Howard Gardner
Suitable Careers: Behaviors:
 A theory of “multiple intelligences,” suggesting  Dancer  plays sports
abilities seem to cluster in eight different areas:  Actor  enjoys physical
 Sculptor games
 Verbal-Linguistic Skills  Athlete/Coach  uses hands or
body while talking
 This intelligence relates to
Famous Kinesthetists: Ways to improve this
language, spoken and written.
 Michael Jordan, intelligence:
Suitable Careers: Behaviors: professional  take a dance class
 Author  writes/tells stories basketball player  play a sport
 Journalist  enjoys word  Alvin Ailey,  exercise
 Lawyer games choreographer
 Public Speaker  effective speaker
Famous Linguists: Ways to improve this
 Visual-Spatial Skills
 Abraham Lincoln, intelligence:
5th U.S. President  read...a lot!  This intelligence relates to sight
 Tom Clancy,  practice speaking and visualization, and internal
novelist in public mental images.
 write a poem or
story Suitable Careers: Behaviors:
 Illustrator  draws or builds
 Artist models
 Logical-Mathematical Skills  Architect  enjoys picture
 Craftsman puzzles
 This intelligence relates to
 is able to visualize
numbers, patterns, and
things easily
inductive and deductive
Famous Visualists: Ways to improve this
thinking.
 Frank Lloyd intelligence:
Suitable Careers: Behaviors: Wright, architect  draw a picture of
 Accountant  often asks  Gary Larson, something from
 Computer questions cartoonist memory
Programmer  enjoys  illustrate a story
 Engineer number/logic  build a model of
 Scientist games someplace
 organizes
Famous Logicians: Ways to improve this
  Intrapersonal Abilities  Music Critic  appreciates
classical music and
 This intelligence relates to inner music of other
reflection and awareness, and cultures
metacognition. Famous Musicians: Ways to improve this
Suitable Careers: Behaviors:  Eric Clapton, intelligence:
 Counselor  follows hunches or
guitarist  listen for the
 Social Worker instincts  John Williams, rhythm of natural
orchestral sounds
 Religious Leader  enjoys individual
games composer and  practice playing an
director instrument
 expresses
confidence in self  sing along with the
radio
Famous Intrapersonalists: Ways to improve this
 Mother Teresa, intelligence:
missionary  start a diary  Naturalistic Abilities
 Martin Luther  concentrate on
King, Jr., minister your feelings  This intelligence relates to
and human rights during the day recognition of order and
activist patterns in nature, such as in
plants and animals.

 Interpersonal Abilities Suitable Careers: Behaviors:

 Zoologist  likes animals
 This intelligence relates to  Conservationist  enjoys outdoor
communication and relation to  Park Ranger games
other people.  likes being
Suitable Careers: Behaviors: outside
 Politician  makes friends Famous Naturalists: Ways to improve this
 Charles Darwin, intelligence:
 Teacher easily
 enjoys interaction biologist  start a collection
 Psychologist
 Diane Fossey, of bugs or leaves
 Evangelist games
 shows leadership primate researcher  go camping or
hiking for a
Famous Interpersonalists: Ways to improve this
weekend
 Sigmund Freud, intelligence:
 get a pet
psychologist  concentrate on
 John F. Kennedy, people's body
U.S. president language
 play role-playing
games

 Musical Abilities

 This intelligence relates to

recognizing sound and rhythm
patterns.

Suitable Careers: Behaviors:

 Composer  can sing or play an
 Orchestral instrument
Performer  enjoys musical or
 Singer rhythmic games
 1. Extraversion/Introversion (Social Orientation)
a. Extroverts
i. Like talking with others and
taking action.
ii. Prefer active learning and group
projects.
b. Introverts
i. Prefer to have others do the
talking.
ii. Prefer lectures and structured
tasks
2. Thinking/Feeling (Decision Making)
a. Thinkers
i. Like to take an objective
approach and emphasize logic
and analysis in their decisions.
ii. Prefer objective feedback, and
thrive when there is pressure to
succeed
b. Feelers
i. Prefer emotion to logic.
ii. Give greater weight to the
impact of relationships in their
decisions.
iii. Prefer positive feedback and
individual recognition.
3. Judging/Perceiving (Achieving Goals)
a. Judgers – “My mind is made up! Don’t
confuse me with facts!”
i. Prefer clearly defined strategies
to achieve goals.
ii. May jump to closure too
quickly.
iii. Prefer orderliness, structure,
and deadlines.
b. Perceivers – “Let’s think this through.”
i. Like to consider all sides to a
problem and may be at some
risk for not completing their
work.
ii. Prefer spontaneity and
flexibility.

Discovering Your Own Learning Style

 Take a Learning Styles test.

  Think about your favorite classes so far. What
do they have in common? Did you like…
 mastering facts?
 discussion? or working on your own?
 lecture? or pairing or grouping?
 hands-on activities?
 How do you think you learn?
Using Knowledge of Your Learning Style
Remember!
No matter what your Learning Style is it’s very
important to-
o Be involved in class – participate!
o Link classroom experience to the outside world
o Relate class concepts to your own life.
o Ask questions and offer criticism.
o Stimulate further relevant discussion.
o Don’t get distracted – stay “on-task”
o Keep an open mind: there are many ideas
beyond your own.

Knowing your learning style, both your strengths and

your weaknesses, can help you study more effectively.

Build Strengths across the Learning Styles

o Make the best use of your learning style.

o Work harder in skills that don’t come easily to
you.
o Be flexible and adaptable, try new things and
new ways.
o Keep growing! Don’t be easily satisfied!