Synthesis Paper: Learning Style

Jason Eric

Word count: 1598
Synthesis Paper: Learning Style
There are seven different types of learning styles, as discovered by Howard Gardener. They are listed in his Multiple Intelligence Theory, written in 1980. Two examples of this are verbal/linguistic and visual learning. The different learning styles help to compare the various kinds of human abilities and the relationships between them. There are many key differences between verbal/linguistic learning and visual learning.
According to Howard Gardner in his book “Intelligence reframed: multiple intelligences for the 21st century”, Verbal/linguistic is the first proposed learning style. This specific style is typically one that is valued in school. It involves sensitivity to spoken and written language. This also reflects the ability to learn and use new languages. Good speaking skills would be found in different public speakers. Examples of these speakers would be poets and politicians. Linguistic intelligence is activated when people encounter the sounds of a familiar language or when someone wishes to communicates something verbally. It can also be activated by visual information such as when an individual reads and interprets text (94-95).
According to Gardner, Attributes of this verbal/linguistic intelligence are a good memory. This means the person has a good linguistic memory and can remember names, dates, and definitions. This type of intelligence has sensitivity to the meaning of words in terms of the order they are arranged, the rhythm, inflections, and also the meter of language. Linguistic learners are good at using language to as a functional tool to convince, stimulate, convey information or accomplish goals. This would be the difference between heightened senses of phonology instead of syntax. Linguistic learning is not considered by Gardener to be an auditory or oral form of learning. This is because deaf people can assign meaning and importance to sets of pitches and tones that are rhythmically arranged (104-105).
According to Robert Mckim in his book “Thinking visually: a strategy manual for problem solving”, Visual is the third learning style that relates to spatial intelligence. This style has a heightened awareness to the use of patterns in big and small areas. Being able to perceive a form or an object is the most basic ability of this intelligence style. This type of thinking and intelligence is used for self orientation, recognizing objects or scenes, and to create visual imagery. For example, when working with maps, diagrams, or geometrical forms, this would be the used to project those images to more accurately understand the information. A game of chess is another example where spatial intelligence is used to anticipate opponent moves and the consequences. This ability relates to visual memory and imagination (7-10).
Mckim also indicates visual intelligence can occur by three types of imagery: seeing, imagining, and drawing. Heightened visual learners will use all three forms of imagery because seeing, imagining, and drawing are interactive. This allows the visual learner to see a problem from different angle, and potentially solve the problem from several angles. Once the problem is visually understood they can imagine alternative solutions. Being able to imagine other solutions gives a strong ability to sketch or draw solutions to compare and evaluate each option. Visual learning is one style that is shared among all of the different options. This is mainly because seeing and thinking are intimately related. Think of the phrase seeing is believing (14-17).
There are similarities between these two styles of learning. Visual intelligence is able to cross between many types of thinking because vision or sight is so linked to thinking. A good thinker or learner has insight, foresight, or oversight. Many types of different learners use visual intelligence to solve problems or paint an abstract thought or theory in their head. Visual thinking is not limited to artists. From Mckim’s book, Examples would be mathematicians thinking of space-time relationships, maps showing political control, or using body movement coupled with auditory rhythm or inflection to emphasize a point (36-37). There are examples of visual and verbal learners both being successful in retaining information presented the same way to them. When information is presented in written visual form, both learn well. Study habits of both learning types are similar in some ways. Both learners have been seen to study well by themselves in quiet setting. This has been attributed to visual learners seeing information in there mind, and verbal learners visualizing words and phrases.
Although visual learning can be observed in all intelligence types, there are differences between visual and verbal learners. According to Mckim, Visual learners will benefit more from different teaching aids to support multiple views of a topic or problem. Devices such as charts, videos, and diagrams tend to be a big benefit in a classroom (11-12). This is especially true when relaying graphical information. Visual learners tend to learn more by observation and can recall what they have seen. They usually have a higher desire to read and take more notes. Verbal learners benefit more from aurally presented information with discussion and participation used to emphasize topics. Instead of closing the eyes like a visual learner to remember something a verbal linguistic learner would be more likely to start repeating words or phrases to recall an idea, term, or definition. Using video, or audio incorporated into aurally presented material would best suit a linguistic learner. This helps them to listen for more patterns to help associate. Verbal learners will sometimes look to their peers to make sure that they have the correct details. They are better at recalling what they have heard and can follow oral directions well.
There are several things to agree and disagree with that were found in both of the sources. The first is the idea that people have one type of learning method or intelligence. This is something that I think is not true in most people. With so many learning aids and teaching devices available today I think peoples learning techniques are changing. There was a part in one source that suggested individual’s learning styles are shaped by the surroundings they learn in and how they are forced to retain information. If this is true than all of the learning and teaching styles are going to become more related as the teaching devices used for each start to overlap or are all encompassed in one form of media. I think people are more affected more by how they don’t learn than how they do learn. Our attention spans are getting worse and worse so we are more easily distracted by forms of teaching that are no totally designed for our learning types. Basically, it is extremely hard to keep our attention with something that is designed to do so for a specific individual, but very easy to distract us with a device that is not effective to keep our attention as a teaching aid.
After the research, it did help me to understand the many different ways people have to process and retain information. When doing this research, the thought of what category you as the reader fit in is impossible to ignore. It is hard to say that a person has only one type of learning style. This has helped me to understand what types of learning styles I posses and how I’ve been using them. This makes me wonder if everyone in the world has one of these learning styles, or if an infinite number of learning styles exist. Individuals use combinations of information processing methods depending on the solution they are trying to reach. This indicates the importance of identifying how people develop resolutions, retain information, and use the different learning styles so information can be more accurately and efficiently delivered to an individual or group of people. This can be done seeing as how many teaching aids and forms of media we posses to convey ideas, information and theories. Further research is important in this area of education. So far much of the emphasis of the research I encountered was based on identifying the different types and how they contrast. I would like to see more research done on the specific media types, delivery systems and teaching aids that cater to each style of learning. If the existing research is accurate in identifying an individual’s specific style of learning then we should be able to isolate what teaching model would work best for that person. This research has also made me think of how we are affecting the development of our intelligence. Does it make somebody smarter to teach them by delivering information in the most efficient way their mind operates, or is the biggest benefit the challenge of adapting to different ways of receiving information to arrive at a conclusion? It almost reminds me of being spoon fed a very healthy diet or having to farm, harvest and prepare the same healthy meal?
My research has illustrated the differences and similarities of verbal/linguistic versus visual learning styles specifically dealing with how individuals with heightened skills in these styles learn and retain information. It was important to realize that some styles are shared throughout the different intelligence types and people use a blend of some styles. Hopefully with further understanding of this field a deeper understanding of the intelligence types will be reached and allow teaching and retaining of knowledge to be done effectively based on an individuals needs.