Learning Styles

Want the change to stick? It’s time to explore learning styles.

Why is it that sometimes when we take on a piece of learning, we’re just not feeling it? We understand the change we’re trying to make is important, but the learning itself is like pulling teeth. We don’t engage with it and as a result, find it hard to retain any information and move forwards. Ugh! I’m getting frustrated just thinking about it.

The problem, or rather the solution, depending on how you look at it, could be your learning style. Different people relate to different styles and one size does not fit all. If you’re struggling with a piece of learning and you’re second-guessing yourself, it could be because of the way the learning is being delivered. If it’s out of synch with your personal learning style, it won’t appeal to you and you might not be able to take it on board.

There are 4 obvious learning styles. If inclined, we can move between them effectively but some people have a clear preference.

1. Visual – Use of pictures and images. Learning depends on being able to see things. Visual learners respond best to mind maps, diagrams, pictures etc.

2. Aural – Learning depends on the ability to hear it. Aural learners prefer sound/ music.

3. Verbal – Linguistic learning depends on words in speech and in writing.

4. Kinaesthetic – Learning is very physical and depends on touch and feel.

Sometimes when organisations embark on learning interventions, they aren’t aware of how much of an impact different styles can have on learning. Sometimes even the company delivering the training isn’t aware. This lack of awareness stops them from tailoring the intervention accordingly. The facilitators simply pull something together in the style of their choice. It stands to reason. I learn best this way, so you will too. As a result, the learning may not appeal to all delegates, doesn’t stick and the change is unlikely to happen.

We’re change experts here at Bolt and we believe that understanding learning styles is as important as understanding intellectual ability. If real change is to happen, the learning must be effective. And if we want the learning to be effective, we must address the issue of learning styles and their impact on progress.

What we do is mix it up a bit. Of course we can’t please all of the people all of the time, but we can make sure that we provide a variety of opportunities into the learning, so that hopefully we hit delegates with at least one exercise or piece of content that appeals to them.

It isn’t just our learning style that impacts the way we learn. Whether we’re an introvert or extrovert also needs to be taken into consideration.

An extrovert will ‘speak to think’. They will sound out exactly what is going on in their head. They will draw others into discussion, share views and opinions and verbalise solutions as they arise.

Introverts have to ‘think to speak’. They need time reflect and mull things over. If I was to begin a session with some quick-fire questions and answers, I might not get anything out of a reflector. It doesn’t mean that they don’t have anything to offer. It just means that they haven’t had time to think or prepare properly. Most learning in the training room isn’t geared up for reflectors. This is why at Bolt, we do a lot of what we call ‘pre-thinking’. We give delegates the opportunity to think through questions and consider different approaches. We get some great feedback from reflectors this way, which not only helps them move through the learning effectively, but it helps us deliver the best learning we possibly can.

We also need to consider emotional connection. We can get the learning style right, make allowances for the introverts and extroverts, even understand that the learning makes complete sense logically. But neuroscience tells us that if we don’t connect emotionally with either the subject matter or the teacher (ideally both), it just won’t land. Emotional connection is the true starting point.

It’s worth noting that there are a lot of grey areas. We aren’t completely introverted or extroverted. Verbal or visual. We can have a real mix and different learning may tap into different learning styles. As a natural extrovert, I love being in a room and talking to people, bashing it out and getting to the nitty gritty. However, I do like time for reflection. If I have a lot of work to do, I rarely pick up the phone or speak to anybody until it’s done. I’m also a very kinaesthetic learner. I fiddle and fidget and I move around a lot. A teacher’s worst nightmare. Ask me to read anything for any length of time and I’ll disengage, even if the learning itself appeals to me. I have to be completely in love with a subject and connect emotionally if I’m to read about it and it has to hook me in straight away.

It’s crucial that a learning intervention has mass appeal. It must address, wherever possible, all options, connect emotionally and avoid a one-dimensional approach. The only way to achieve this is through awareness. Not only from the company about to embark on the intervention, but also the organisation actually delivering the learning. Point them in the direction of this blog if you have to. Varied and wide-reaching interventions will give you way more bang for your buck.

As individuals, being effective and making change depends on how well we tap into what works for us. Is there a true emotional connection? Get to grips with the learning style that speaks to you the most and utilise it wherever possible. You can find lots of quizzes online that can help you figure it out. Undertaking a new piece of learning is hard enough as it is, without being on the back foot as soon as you begin. A little self-awareness will set you on the road to success.

Lou Banks.

Do you know your primary learning style? Where are you on the introvert/extrovert spectrum? Let us know in our quick poll. And don’t forget to log on, for our Friday Facebook Live at 9.15am.