There is More than One Way

I would assume that everyone who reads this has long ago heard that there are different learning styles: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing and Kinesthetic.  There are others who say that there are even more styles to add to this list: Logical/Analytical, Social/Linguistic, Solitary and Nature. (There are even more besides these) I would bet that by this point in your education, you have already been pigeon-holed as one of these types.

            Although this information on learning styles has been around for a long time, more recently this information has come under scrutiny.  While some may still believe that these styles are significant and may still feel it is important for all learners to understand their dominant style, many others feel that labeling someone as a particular style is a limiting concept that may have ill effects to the person’s ability to learn.  While I do not necessarily agree that labeling someone with a particular style of learning will have ill effects on their ability to learn, I do agree that these labels are not the complete picture when it comes to how a person learns.  I also think that the more (and better) information that a person has on the process of learning the better that person can learn and more importantly, retain information that they are learning.

            I do think that all of us have preferences in the way in which we learn, however, when it comes to learning information, our brains love variety.  Using multiple learning methods helps create a deeper comprehension of the information we are trying to learn.  One example that I strongly feel assists the student in their comprehension of anatomy is to utilize their own bodies in learning muscles, bones and organs.  By this I mean through touch.  By locating, touching and speaking out loud the names of the various bones and muscles the student will create a deeper understanding of this anatomy.  In this method, the student is using reading/visual when they are looking up the information in their textbook or Trail Guide, kinesthetic when they are touching their bodies and auditory as they speak the information out loud.

            With other information such as pathology and physiology, the student can use a combination of reading, writing and watching videos on the information.  Again, the student is combining various styles to input the information.  All students will learn in subtly different ways, so experimentation is important to their success.  Watching videos, reading from text books or websites, writing notes and flashcards, listening to audio, anatomy coloring materials, drawing flow charts or illustrations and touching the body all are tools the student can use to enhance their learning experience and help with retention of the material.