Many people have heard that some learn best visually, others by listening and others by doing – the so-called learning styles. The idea is intuitive, and it is often used as an argument for adapting teaching to each individual’s style. But what does the research actually say – and what does it mean when you develop e-learning?
What are learning styles?
The best-known division is:
- Visual: learns best through images, diagrams and illustrations.
- Auditory: learns best by listening, for example to explanations and voice-over.
- Kinaesthetic: learns best by doing things and trying them out.
It is true that many people have preferences for how they like to receive information. The question is whether matching the teaching to that preference makes a difference to how much they learn.
What does the research say?
A widely cited review from 2008 (Pashler et al., Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence) found no convincing evidence that people learn more when teaching is adapted to their preferred learning style. Later studies point in the same direction.
This does not mean that images, sound and activity are unimportant – quite the opposite. It just means that it is the content and the goal that should decide the format, not the participant’s label. An electrical circuit is best explained with a drawing, whether or not the participant considers themselves visual. And a work procedure is best learned by practising it – for everyone.
What works for everyone
Research on learning points to a number of principles that benefit all participants:
- Words and pictures together: Combine explanations with a relevant illustration or animation. It makes content easier to understand and remember than text alone.
- Voice-over instead of long on-screen text: When an animation is explained with voice-over, the eyes can follow the picture while the ears take in the explanation.
- Activity: Let participants answer, sort, choose and try – and give feedback straight away.
- Repetition and small quizzes along the way: Having to retrieve knowledge strengthens memory.
- Short sections: Less at a time gives a better overview and less fatigue.
- Choice: Subtitles, the option to read instead of listen, and being able to go back make the course accessible to more people.
How we use it in our courses
When we develop e-learning, we start with what participants need to be able to do afterwards. From there we choose the format that best suits the content: illustrations and animations for what needs to be understood, cases and scenarios for what needs to be assessed, and exercises for what needs to be done. The result is courses that work for everyone – including those who do not like being put in a box.
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