Learning styles: 10 tips to optimize your teaching

People are gifted to learn in different ways. There are fast learners and slow learners. However, the bottom line of learning styles is to equip  the learner with an exceptional mastery content. Some students drop out of school since they do not understand the jargons involved in learning.

The struggle to understand the concepts may frustrate and depress students as they can get into class and walk out with nothing. They cannot recall any information when they get home.

So, there are various learning styles. Visual learning is one of the styles suitable for some students. Others have capitalized on a kinesthetic or audible style to comprehend the concepts. Meanwhile other learn simply through practice.

In regards to this, the article will explain what a learning style is, describe various learning styles and highlight tips on how to optimize teaching.

What is a learning style?

Learning style is an individual’s unique approach to understanding concepts based on strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. The success of any trainer or instructor is the ability to learn to assess the audiences and learn how best to communicate to them. Tutors should be able to communicate with the audience in different methods which can accommodate their needs and preferences as a group. Neil Fleming developed one of the most effective learning styles model known as VAK learning model. This idea was developed from Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic.

Various learning styles

Visual learning style is one of the most commonly used in classrooms. The style is attributed to those students who are quick to retain the information through seeing it and storing in mentally. According to Essay Zoo, students who learn through visual style enjoy reading and writing. This is the most conventional style of imparting knowledge to the large audience. During visual learning, the learners may get distracted by loud music or audible instructions.

Visual learning has the following important tips to remembers

• Writing concise and coherent instructions. Occasionally, graphics and visual aids may be used to complement and reinforce the information.
• Physical demonstration and exhibition of points through constructive and convincing arguments and facts.
• Highlighting information codes for organization especially where there could be confusing ideas.
• Provision of a quiet, conducive and neat environment with minimal disturbance and distraction.

Auditory learning is another significant learning style. This style entails verbal communication as a primary medium of exchanging information and imparting knowledge. The learners who gain information through this style must adapt exceptional well to hearing speeches.

The learning process relies on physical engagement through talking. Usually, an auditory learner suffers from the lack of reading skills. They have difficulty to comprehend any written instructions. They learn best through verbal communication.

The following tips are inevitable during the auditory learning process.

• Reading out loud and clear. Auditory learners are slow learners who gain by reading the instruction loud enough to gain and master the concepts.
• Reciting details and information learned also helps the auditory students to gain insight and knowledge.
• Auditory learning styles should also focus on the use of verbal analogies and storytelling techniques during lecture sessions.

Kinesthetic learning style primary aims at doing, participation and handling of surgical objects. Most kinesthetic students enjoy performing arts where they are given opportunities to exercise their skills and knowledge. The kinesthetic learners excel in sports science disciplines like athletics. In most cases, they don’t hide their feelings. They have challenges in pronunciation, spelling and even reading instruction.

The following are some of the important tips for kinesthetic learning tips

• The instructor or trainer should ensure that the learners are roles to play in physical learning.
• The learners should also have a concise outline of the materials before embarking on detailed reading.
• Most importantly, they should listen to soft music while studying.
• The other significant tips are using education concepts through games and projects for learning.
• Finally, the instructor should learn to give frequent breaks if possible to engage the kinesthetic learners.

Essentially, the instructors should always recognize and appreciate these learning styles. Sticking to one learning style may lock some students out of context. It is important to assess whether the class is gaining or just a few students who are a genius to any learning styles. The instructor should be cognitive to engage and disengage the audience to assess the feelings of the audience. Though it is a sole responsibility a student to learn, the instructors are obliged to teach and bring impact on the lives of the students. The trainers should, therefore, learn to shift to various learning styles to ensure that all students have a good run for their fees.

10 tips to optimize teaching

The following tips are fundamental to teaching.

• Matching to the content is a key tip to optimize teaching. The instructor should focus on ensuring that the instruction is relevant to the content being delivered.
• Matching of instructions to the students’ prior knowledge and information. The prerequisite information will enable the trainers to understand the students’ background information on a discipline.
• Using the learning styles theory as an inspiration, not a guide. The trainer should restrict focusing on the learning styles theory as a guide to deliver content
• Empathizing on the context and not on a specific individual. The professor should compete with the context of delivering information and ignore claims from the students.
• Having a long-term aim as opposed to short-term aim. The students need to learn the skills in various disciplines not the learning styles theory.
• Maintaining of variety to deliver information. It is important to keep combining the various learning styles.
• Asking for assessment feedback from the students. Ask the students about what they expect and what they have gained
• Focus on mutually reinforcing methods. The instructor should demonstrate to students how the same concepts can be expressed but within a different method.
• Concentrate on whatever works best for you. It is important to consider focusing on whatever could produce the best results.
• Finally, sharing the experience with other stakeholders in education is important in optimizing teaching.

In conclusion, learning is a process that involves cooperation among all the stakeholders involved. Learners should play their responsibility for learning while the instructors should also ensure that they optimize their teaching.