‘The value of understanding student’s learning styles for improving learning as well as scholastic achievement has been paid much attention by the educators, psychologists and researchers’ (Khan 2009: 236).
The way people’s brains work during learning and the nature of learning materials form the preferred learning style. To know their pros and cons means to know how to choose the most suitable learning style in every particular case.
I do find it important not to confuse learning styles with learning strategies. ‘Learning styles are innate preferences of individual of how they prefer to go about the process of learning’ (Wintergerst et al., 2001: 386).
According to Reid (1987), visual learning style presupposes learning with the help of various visual aids, for example, such as pictures, presentations, images, texts with illustration, etc. This approach is known to make the material recollection easier. Though it might be very effective in some cases, visual learners experience difficulty when there are no visual aids used.
The auditory learners have trouble when taught silently. These learners need to discuss the learning material or to read it out. Thus, when there are no audio recordings or no opportunity to hear what they need to learn, these people are not able to learn easily.
Kinaesthetic learners, in their turn, prefer to learn with the help of active and immediate involvement in the process of the learning. However, once they feel they cannot be the active participants of the process, they fail to spend long hours studying the material. The more involved they are, the faster and more effectively they learn.
References
Khan, Z.N. (2009). Differences between Learning Styles in Professional Courses at University Level. Journal of Social Sciences 5 (3): 236-238. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/25981979/Differences_between_Learning_Styles_in_Professional_Courses_at_University_Level
Reid, J. (1987). The learning style preferences of ESL students. TESOL Quarterly 21 (1), 87-111.
Wintergerst, A.C., DeCapua, A., Itzen, R.C. (2001). The construct validity of one learning styles instrument. System 29, 385-403. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/26883378/The_construct_validity_of_one_learning_styles_instrument
