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  As the saying goes, "there are many roads to Rome."
There are many ways to approach learning. Over time, individuals generally tend to develop certain learning style strengths or preferences with regard to how they receive and process information. Knowing those preferences can accelerate the rate and ease of learning. However, in today's world, information is delivered in multiple ways and in many different media forms. Learning styles can also be impacted by an individual's developmental environment, the organization they work in, and the national culture itself. For example, Western educational systems tend to predominately work in the Verbal/Linguisitic Intelligence style.
Why does it matter that you understand your learning style?
When faced with new situations, individuals that understand their learning style preferences can choose the style that creates the optimum opportunity for learning. For example, those that are visual learners can ask their teacher, boss, or peers to "draw them a picture" to accelerate their understanding of any situation or to simply follow instructions. Teachers that understand their students can deliver material in a way that touches each type of learning style. For example, a lecture style that is predominately auditory will fly right over a kinesthetic learner. With the advent and proliferation of virtual learning classrooms, some students may find themselves struggling to do as well as in a traditional classroom setting and vice versa. As you can see, there are many applications to identifying and understanding your personal learning style(s).
Traditional learning styles:
There are three traditional learning styles that have been identified for many years. They are:
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Visual - learn by seeing
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Auditory - learn by listening
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Tactile/Kinesthetic - learn by moving, doing, and touching
Advent of multiple intelligences:
Multiple Intelligence (MI) theory states that there are at least seven different ways of learning anything; and, therefore, "seven intelligences". The theory of these seven intelligences is based on the work by John Dewey, Kurt Lewin, Jean Piaget, and J. P. Guilford. They describe them as follows:
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Physical Movement / Body Wisdom - this intelligence is awakened through physical movement, such as sports, dance, and physical exercise, as well as by the expression of oneself through the body
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Interpersonal Intelligence - this intelligence is activated by person-to-person encounters such as working on a goal together, being in relationship with someone, or communcating with one or more individuals
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Intra-personal Intelligence - this intelligence is activated in situations that cause introspection and require knowledge of internal aspects of self such as self-awareness; concerns the inner state of being, self-reflection, meta-cognition (thinking about thinking), and awareness of spiritual realities
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Logical / Mathematical Intelligence- sometimes referred to as "scientific thinking"; activated in situations requiring problem-solving or pattern discernment and recognition; deals with inductive and deductive reasoning, numbers, and abstract thinking
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Music / Rhythmic Intelligence - turned on by resonance or vibrational effect of music and rhythm on the brain, including the human voice, nature, sounds, etc.
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Verbal / Linguistic Intelligence - awakened by the spoken word, by reading someone's ideas, thoughts, or by writing one's own thoughts and ideas; dominates most Western educational systems; relates to both the written and spoken word
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Visual / Spatial Intelligence - triggeredy by presenting the mind with and/or creating unusual patterns, shapes, and pictures; relies on sense of sight and being able to visualize an object including the ability to create internal mental images and pictures.
Learning Styles Inventory:
Bay Centre's comprehensive model for understanding our clients includes an understanding of their learning style. Whether the client is being coached, participating in an academic program, or being counseled, we believe that true assistance begins with self-awareness. Learning preferences can help us identify, target, and individualize action plans that work to accelerate successful outcomes.
Call today at (850) 438-4292
and schedule your learning styles inventory assessment. This can be a stand-alone assessment or done within the context of a more comprehensive assessment, depending on your needs.
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