Diversity in Learning Styles

Have you ever noticed that you learn more under certain circumstances than others? Maybe you learn more from watching a YouTube video than from reading a manual. Some others struggle to retain verbal directions and need time to sit and read them carefully. These people are generally good notetakers! This is what is meant by diversity in learning styles.

It can be incredibly beneficial to learn your own learning style to boost confidence as well as performance. If you don’t understand how you learn, you may struggle to grasp new concepts and be left feeling behind or ineffective. Although learning styles, methods, and tricks vary from person to person, there are 4 primary learning styles to explore:

• Visual
• Auditory
• Kinesthetic
• Written

According to the learning style theories, visual and auditory learners are most common while kinesthetic and written learners are rarer.

Visual Learners

These people typically learn best when provided with graphic aids such as charts, graphs, pictures, and videos. They may find it more difficult to understand written directions and need to have instructions demonstrated rather than explained to them.

Leaving them to rely solely on written directions may result in errors, delays, and frustration. Employers should keep this in mind when training employees on complex instructions or processes, as delivering instructions in a palpable manner can make or break performance down the line. By incorporating visual aids into training and communication materials, employers can better support this learning style and improve overall performance.

To help a visual learner at work, consider providing a link to a relevant video or even drawing a picture to communicate your message.

Auditory Learners

These learners prefer to receive information through listening over reading or seeing. Written or visual directions may prove difficult for auditory learners, as they may have difficulty translating visual information into auditory information, resulting in confusion. They might benefit from verbal instructions, lectures, and group discussions. Talking more about the topic at hand helps drive the point home for them. Auditory aids might include recorded lectures, audio recordings, and podcasts.

To help an auditory learner at work, consider having a group discussion where the person can listen to other people’s ideas and communicate their own.

Kinesthetic Learners

Kinesthetic learners prefer to learn through hands-on experiences and physical activities. They benefit from actively engaging with the material being taught. Employers should consider incorporating hands-on training materials and activities into their training programs. This could include simulations and other interactive exercises. Written, auditory, or visual directions may prove difficult for kinesthetic learners, as they may struggle to translate the information into a physical experience.

To help a kinesthetic learner, consider employing a role-playing scenario to help convey your ideas.

Written Learners

These people are typically confused by instructions given during activity or via verbal explanations and need time to sit, read, and think.

They require written instructions provided by textbooks, written notes, and manuals. In a work setting, these employees could benefit from using handouts, written notes, or workbooks to improve their performance. To help a written learner, consider writing out instructions via email instead of a verbal request.

Conclusion

Comprehension is the key factor in high work performance, so each person’s learning style should be considered when communicating expectations. Learning more about each other also improves morale amongst teams leading to higher retention and job satisfactionAll conflict starts with one issue: communication. Luckily, the issue can also be its own solution with a little effort. Conflict is not inherently negative. Conflict is actually a necessary part of growth and change. As individuals, we will naturally have thoughts, feelings, and values that differ from those around us. These differences can make it difficult to understand and relate to each other causing interpersonal conflict from the time we’re kids on the playground to adults in the office.