learning styles

Learning styles describe the way people process new incoming information. There are several schools of thought pertaining to learning styles. According to learning-styles-online.com, there are seven learning styles: visual, aural, verbal, physical, logical, social and solitary. While most people use a combination of learning styles, they generally have one or two styles that are dominant. By understanding his own unique combination of learning styles, a student will be better able to focus his studying on techniques that increase learning efficiency. Also, when a student has identified his weaknesses, he can create strategies to succeed in situations where the instructor’s teaching style doesn’t match his preferred learning style. My learning style is a combination of logical and visual which makes my Developmental Psychology instructor's completely verbal method of instruction very challenging, but I will overcome these challenges by pre-reading the textbook, watching the instructor’s body language and rewriting class notes into a logical outline format.

Since my preferred learning style is a combination of logical and visual, math and science classes are the easiest for me. I learn best when given logical lists to follow or when I have been shown how to solve a problem, one step at a time. It is very difficult for me to remember facts unless I understand the reasoning behind them, and I often use flash cards to remember vocabulary words and mathematical formulas. Visual representations are very easy for me to remember, and I sometimes create funny mind pictures to pair up words or ideas. My weakest method of learning is aural, where I am expected to learn by listening to a lecture or presentation. Without the help of an outline or visual aids, it is hard for me to identify the main points of the information presented, and it is nearly impossible for me to remember what was talked about. Multiple-choice tests have always been very easy for