I was a part of a club in college called Berkeley Engineers and Mentors (BEAM). We’d do a bunch of things, the main one being to go to elementary and middle schools in the area and discuss cool science topics with demonstrations and hands-on learning. As a part of this club, every week we’d have meetings where we’d discuss random topics related to pedagogy, learning, etc. One piece that I had never really heard of before was related to the 4 types of learners and how that impacts one’s abilities to grasp concepts.
Visual Learners
- Need some images/videos/graphic elements to process information. Words may not be effective enough.
Auditory Learners
- Need audio queues and may grasp info best if they’re able to listen and talk through concepts.
Read/Write Learners
- Need written words and to write or read in order to fully understand new concepts.
Kinesthetic Learners
- Need to get their hands dirty and really recreate and practice in order to get the full gist of things.
While the environment I learned about these in was more so for the “teacher” viewpoint (aka, how can you effectively teach a classroom of kids that are filled with all 4 types of learners), this particular discussion forced me to think about what kind of learner I was/am. I realize now that figuring out what kind of learner you are allows you to cater your learning towards that particular style, making it easier for you to learn more and effectively.
My mind always scatters when I read books. Unless I’m in some absolute flow state, I can’t focus on what I’m reading for more than a couple of pages. I’m usually skimming, skipping sentences and going back to re-read. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to learn something at a pace you set for yourself, only to feel like you’re not going fast enough. It forces you to speed up and pressures you into finishing, by any means necessary (even if that means you don’t really comprehend what you’re learning completely). I didn’t think much or understand why I didn’t like to read books for learning until I was exposed to these learner types.
I’m almost definitely a Visual Learner, with some Kinesthetic Learner sprinkled in. In particular, looking at graphs, videos, and structures rather than a block of text allows me to comprehend things in a much clearer manner. For example, one of my study tactics before finals/midterms was to watch all the lectures from the last exam until the current exam at a 2x - 3x speed. I’d be able to picture the graphics and diagrams I had seen while studying and during my exams, which helped a lot. It may not work for everyone, but it definitely worked for me. Projects were also where a lot more of my learning came from. Even now, when I work, making plans for things is great, but I don’t fully grok a codebase until I really start working in it, with tests, debugger, etc. (I’m sure this is a common sentiment, though. Just by the nature of the work.)
In any case, I think it’s important for me (and yourself!) to identify what kind of learner you are and cater your learnings to that type. If you’re a Kinesthetic Learner, sign up for some classes. If you’re a Read/Write Learner, find a nice library to sit down at and grind through some docs. If you’re an Auditory Learner, put your earbuds in and listen to an audio course when you’re on the bus or driving. If you’re a Visual Learner, like me, find some online courses in what you’re interested in and start going through them like they’re your favorite Netflix show.
This post in particular was inspired by a finding last night. SF Public Library offers free Udemy access for members! It made me realize that even though I’ve been trying to force myself to learn from books, I need to go back to my roots a bit and find a more efficient manner to educate myself without feeling like I’m making little to no progress.