Unit 1 - Task 6

How different learning styles can aid personal development

Visual Learning Style

Someone with a visual learning style prefers learning things by seeing or observing them. This can include all sorts of materials, from demonstrations and films to hand-out’s and diagrams. If they are physically shown something then they can relate that image or series of images to the task they are trying to learn, making it easier for them to learn it. They are likely to use phrases such as ‘show me’ or ‘let’s have a look at that’ during the learning process.

Auditory Learning Style

Someone who prefers learning by listening to them self or someone else speaking, has an auditory learning style. They will be able to perform a new task best when they have verbal aid from an expert. A prime example of this is someone who can listen to a song and then remember all of the lyrics to that song. Someone with an auditory learning style is likely to use phrases such as ‘tell me’ and ‘let’s talk it over’ during the learning process.

Kinaesthetic Learning Style

Someone with a kinaesthetic learning style prefers learning new tasks through physical and ‘hands-on’ experience. They prefer not to use a specific set of instructions, but rather learn as they go and just get stuck into it. An example of this would be someone who decides to go straight ahead and start putting a piece of flat-pack furniture together, without even taking the instructions out the box. They are likely to use phrases such as ‘let me try’ and ‘how do you feel?’ during the learning process.

People commonly use a mixture of all three main learning styles in order to learn how to complete new tasks and skills. However everyone will have their own preferred learning style.

In order to find out my preferred learning style, I completed the VAK learning style self-assessment questionnaire. In the questionnaire I answered 12 questions with A, 2 with B and 16 with C. This shows that I mostly prefer kinaesthetic learning as I prefer to just get stuck in and do things. The questionnaire also shows that I also use a lot of visual learning as well though. Overall I feel this shows that I would rather work things out for myself, by either getting stuck in with it or referring to an instruction manual, rather than being told how to do it.

In the first task I used mostly visual learning, as I read various websites and texts to learn about all the different attributes. The second task was a presentation on effective communication. I believe I used all three of the main learning styles in this task. I used kinaesthetic learning when I was running through public speaking in my head and thinking of anything you can do to overcome barriers. I used auditory learning when I planned what I was going to say when I was going to say when I was giving the presentation. I used visual learning when I was using pictures and text to explain effective communication. I used kinaesthetic learning styles whilst completing my personal development plan, as I taught myself the skills I wanted to learn by watching tutorial videos. The last task was the dummies guide. I used visual learning when I explained how to complete tasks using screenshots and auditory when I listened to feedback from Adrian and made the corrections that he suggested.