Friday, September 30, 2016

The Value Of Learning Styles Survey

By Carolyn King


Knowing your learning style helps you understand the content of different subjects better. You will also avoid wasting time in exercises that do not better your grades. For teachers, learning styles survey helps you identify the best way to handle different pupils and make the most of your contact hours. The concept of styles explains why pupils perform better in some subjects and not others.

There are three main types of learners based on their natural style. They are auditory, visual and tactile learners. Most people use a combination of styles but one style takes prominence over the others. There are professionals who can assist you to determine the style best suited for each child. This makes it easier to deliver content as well as solve problems.

Surveys on learning methods are designed to establish the character of a learner. Some of the questions asked revolve around books read, easy or quick solutions when in a fix, how one acts in public, etc. A question on reaction in case of an emergency like attack by an animal will also reveal the true character. The answers given indicate the perspective such a person has about life.

Visual learners use maps, diagrams and charts effectively to decipher information. The learner associates concepts with images or techniques. This association makes them memorable. For such a person, the use of long texts and narrations will be a waste of time. Such people find solutions by mentally manipulating the information or diagrams provided. Using any other method or approach on them will not deliver any results.

Auditory learners prefer the use of presentations or speech. They have an excellent spoken word memory. By speaking and listening, they can digest and easily internalize loads of details compared to the use of diagrams and charts. Sometimes, their eye contact and concentration appear off. They will surprise you when they ask about a subject that was mentioned in passing. Such a learner can recall your speech word for word.

Tactile learners are also referred to as kinesthetic learners. Their mode of acquiring knowledge is through active engagement. An idea becomes clearer to them when they perform or experiment it. They easily get bored watching presentations or listening to long speeches. Such people also use their bodies or activeness to covey ideas and feelings. A concept is never true until they can experiment and ascertain it.

It is impossible to have different classes for each style. As such, teachers and facilitators are encouraged to combine different methods to accommodate each type of learner. For different subjects, teachers are encouraged to identify the most effective way of delivering. For instance, demonstrations might not exist in history. However, a trip to a museum will make it easier for learners to understand historical facts.

To clearly understand the style of a student and thus handle him or her better, use a professionally designed test. You will get wrong and misleading results if you use amateurish tests. Use a combination of methods to ensure effectiveness in delivery of content. Different concepts or topics will be best understood when different methods are used.




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