When it comes to learning, we all absorb new knowledge in different ways. It stands to reason when you really think about it - we’re all individual in every aspect of our personalities, so of course we’re going to learn in different ways too.
As a Manager, in order to get the most out of your employees, it’s important to be able to identify the different learning types amongst your staff, and this will help you tailor any educational requirements to their strengths. For instance, we all have a different personality type, and knowing about the various types, and identifying your staff into each category; can help you manage them effectively, in the best way they will respond to. Learning is exactly the same.
Of course, learning is also the responsibility of the employee, but if you can tailor the type of learning opportunities to their strengths, they are much more likely to not only absorb the information, but also be engaged by it, and use it in their day-to-day work. Encouraging your staff to continue learning and developing their knowledge and skills base is not only beneficial for them, but for your business too.
Let’s check out the various different types of learners, and see if you can automatically put a face to a title.
Visual Learners
Visual learners learn best by what they see. For instance, they associate a new initiative or a new piece of knowledge with a picture, a diagram, or a demonstration of that particular piece of information. Most people are visual learners, either to some degree or completely, so when you are designing educational sessions, it’s a great idea to incorporate pictures, demonstrations, videos, diagrams, charts, graphs, etc, to show how the information you’re passing on actually fits and works in real life. Having a picture in the mind to pull to the fore when using the knowledge is also a great help for a visual learner in general.
On a psychological level, a visual learner unwittingly colour codes information they learn, and they remember it in the future much easier by recalling an image.
So, if you’re giving a talk on a new work initiative on breakout furniture, having some images and videos of how it all works in practice will help a visual learner understand much better.
Auditory Learners
An auditory learner likes to listen to new information, and isn’t the greatest fan of reading or looking at images or demonstrations. This type of person is often a very deep thinker, introverted, quiet, and usually very intelligent as a result. They like to listen carefully, really absorb the words, and they use the memory of those words when putting the information or knowledge into practice in their work.
When giving a training session to auditory learners, it’s a good idea to pick your words very carefully and to recap on various points several times throughout the talk. Repetition is key when it comes to remembering anything, whether we’re talking about visual or auditory means, so the more you repeat, the more it is going to sink in and be remembered.
An auditory learner also needs to be engaged, e.g. they need to enjoy what they are hearing about and be able to understand it through your words. You need to give examples of how the initiative works in practice, but rather than with charts and videos, you need to give statistics, and talk it through. Sit your employees somewhere comfortable, e.g. an office sofa, and talk away!
Kinesthetic Learners
A kinesthetic learner is a do-er, a tactile learner, someone who wants to get in there and try it for themselves. This is the best way for them to absorb the information, because they have practiced with their own hands, and they have seen it with their own eyes too. They like to touch, smell, feel, and understand via doing, rather than being told or shown.
If you’re presenting a learning session to kinesthetic learners, it’s a good idea to incorporate lots of hands on, interactive exercises, to keep them engaged and to help general understanding. It’s not good enough to just show them a video, or to demonstrate it in front of them, they want to do it for themselves.
If you’re explaining a new software-training package, it would be a great idea to sit your employees down at a computer, on some comfortable, funky office chairs, and run a demo version of the software. This means they can explore with their own hands and eyes, and they can absorb the feel of it for themselves. In this case, when they come to use it for the first time in their working day, they will already have a head start, and will automatically be able to use it!
If it’s more of a talking session, use practical problem solving exercises, or building exercises, to engage a kinesthetic learner.
Intrapersonal (solitary) Learner
An intrapersonal learner, sometimes referred to as a solitary learner, is someone who prefers to learn alone, by reading, writing, and concentrating on materials, which are theirs and theirs alone. For instance, plenty of course materials, such as a handbook with writing and reading exercises, is the way to engage this type of learner.
This type of learner is likely to be a very organised and serious learner, and this will also show in the work they do. They will love to make lists and probably highlight everything in their manual to cross-reference. If you have this type of learner in your workforce, you’re lucky, because they’re likely to be very conscientious. Remember to give them plenty of handouts, and printouts of any of the presentations you show. This type of learner is less likely to respond well to exercises and group work.
Educational Sessions Tailored to Your Employees’ Needs
It’s important to think about the learning type majority you have within your group, and tailor everything mainly towards that. If you have other types in your group, you should also add hints to their particular learning types too, so you’re not leaving anyone out, and everyone should be able to respond in the correct way to the learning materials and the knowledge they are attempting to soak up.
If the training session is held in your workspace, remember that comfort is vital. Your regular office furniture solutions might not fit the bill here, e.g. separate tables don’t pull everyone together, and in that case, a conference table might be a better option. If you are looking at individual work however, think about acoustic office screens too, which allow individual learners to study, without distractions. It’s all about tailoring your session to your specific needs.
Also make sure that you have enough of the types of materials you’re using, and that you have extra handouts for employees to take home with them.
The Importance of Life-Long Learning
You’re likely to implement a training session when there is a change in your organisation, e.g. a new software package or a new way of working. For example, in our case, we might want our staff to sell white office furniture to clients in a different way, but learning opportunities shouldn’t stop there. It’s a great idea to give your employees constant opportunities to expand their skills and knowledge, because it will benefit the business as a result. Refreshing current skills is also something to bear in mind, as there are always new innovations coming to the fore, which are linked to something your employee might think they already know.
Giving your staff learning opportunities also improves morale. This shows that you care about their personal and educational development, and their future overall. By giving your staff such learning chances, you are encouraging them to bring new knowledge and skills to their daily work, but you’re also showing them that you’re investing in them. When an employee feels valued, they’re more likely to work harder and go a step further for you.
Which type of learner are you? Do you see yourself in those descriptions, or do you think you’re somewhere in the middle. Not everyone is completely in one camp, and some people might be half-and-half. In that case, combining different learning approaches is a great idea, to be able to maximise learning results. For instance, you might be a visual learner, but you might also like to be more hands on too. In that case, a session, which encompasses demonstrations and a chance to have a go yourself, is ideal.
Share your learning type thoughts on our Twitter page or in the commentary box below. Let’s encourage more people to identify their particular learning style. Once you know which type you are, you can really access the type of learning that will benefit you more in the future, and of course, you can do this for your employees too.
Learning should never stop, but we need to be sure we’re learning in the right way, to really maximise potential.