Ecology of the Mississippi River Delta Region
LEARNING STYLES
Notes on Studying
compiled by Robert A. Thomas
Different people learn and reinforce information differently. The following are the five categories that, in the most simple terms, are considered styles of learning in humans.
Visual: Some people must see things, visualize them, before they can learn about them. In this class, this will be reinforced by seeing specimens, looking at figures and drawings, my drawing on the board, etc. Visual learners often sketch things they want to remember. Reading over the notes is important here, and reorganizing them by outlining, highlighting, etc., will help.
Verbal: Verbal learners perform better when they can verbalize information. They often like to ask questions using information, and they are the most likely people to automatically use new words and concepts in their normal discussion. The repeated use of scientific names is good for verbal learners.
Auditory: Auditory learners retain information that they hear. Some students get more out of a class when they can listen intently instead of constantly writing. Verbal learners will like having a complete set of notes - it plays to their strength.
Tactile: People who reinforce learning by touching and feeling things are tactile learners. Touching specimens in lab and examples of things we talk about in lecture will help these folks.
Kinesthetic: Moving things about is called kinesthetic learning. Kinesthetic and tactile combined are call haptic learning.
Most of us learn best when we use a combination of these areas. I recommend you think about your style and develop a study technique that will enhance your ability to remember information.