Tuesday 24 July 2012

“Understand Your Learning Style” - Professor M.S.Rao


"Learning is a willingness to let one's ability and attitude to change in response to new ideas, information and experiences." - Peter Vaill


Every person has their own unique learning styles.  If people recognize their learning styles they will be able to absorb the material easily and apply it effectively to reap rewards in their professional lives.   In this context, we shall look at Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences which helps you understand various types of intelligences.

Howard Gardner is a Harvard University professor who developed a theory called Multiple Intelligences in 1983.  In his book, Frames of Mind he stated seven intelligences and subsequently in 1996, he included the eighth intelligence.  The eight intelligences are briefly mentioned as follows: Those who are good at visual/spatial intelligence are smart in pictures; those who are good at verbal/linguistic are smart in words; those who are good at musical/rhythm are smart in music; those who are good at logic/maths are smart in numbers; those who are good at body/kinesthetic are smart in body movements; those who are interpersonal are smart in people relations; those who are intrapersonal are self-smart; and those who are naturalistic are smart in environment.  He reveals that people possess all these intelligences but predominantly they possess specific intelligences based on heredity.  But these intelligences change with age, experience and environmental factors. If students are aware of these multiple intelligences they will be able to assess themselves the area in which they are strong so as to capitalize it effectively to enhance their learning capacities.

If you are a visual or spatial learner you must use visuals in your notes such as timelines, charts, graphs, and geometric shapes.  If you are a verbal or linguistic learner you must establish study groups so that you will have the opportunity to talk about the information.  If you are a musical or rhythm learner you must listen to music while studying, if it doesn’t distract you. If you are a logic or math learner you must strive to make connections between subjects. If you are a body or kinesthetic learner you must act out the information and avoid confining your study area to a desk or chair. If you are an interpersonal learner you must study in groups; share the information with other people; and teach the information to others. If you are an intrapersonal learner you must study in a quiet area or study by yourself.  Finally, if you are a naturalistic learner you must study outside whenever possible and relate the information to the effect on the environment whenever possible.

There are online tests that help you find out your predominant intelligence levels to study and learn quickly. In addition, there are people who are visual learners, auditory learners, and tactile learners where visual learners learn by seeing, auditory learners learn by hearing, and tactile learners learn by touching and doing.   Hence, find out which style is comfortable to you to acquire knowledge quickly and apply it effectively to achieve success in your life.


“Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know.”  - Daniel Boorstin



Reference
Cornerstone Developing Soft Skills by Robert M. Sherfield, Rhonda J. Montgomery and Patricia G. Moody Pearson Edition 2010



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