Learning occurs when we are able to:

• Gain a mental or physical grasp of the subject.
• Make sense of a subject, event or feeling by interpreting it into our own words or actions.
• Use our newly acquired ability or knowledge in conjunction with skills and understanding we already possess.
• Do something with the new knowledge or skill and take ownership of it.

Learning focused primarily on early-years learning through childhood and adolescence. However, it is now recognised that learning is a continuous process that commences at birth and continues until death; it is the process through which we use our experience to deal with new situations and to develop relationships. 

Almost every action we take is the result of past learning yet, for some people, learning still remains an activity undertaken in, or associated with, an educational context. 

As babies we learn to eat, to gain attention, to crawl, to walk, etc. and as we develop into children, and our bodies become more functional, we learn an inordinate range of skills. A lot of our learning occurs randomly throughout life, from new experiences, gaining information and from our perceptions, for example: reading a newspaper or watching a news broadcast, talking with a friend or colleague, chance meetings and unexpected experiences. 

Many experiences in life provide us with learning opportunities from which we can choose whether or not to learn.  This type of experiential learning is in contrast to more formal approaches to learning such as training, mentoring, coaching and teaching, all of which have some type of structure in that they are planned learning involving a facilitator.

Teaching, training and other structured learning opportunities are activities that one person does to another, while learning is something we can only do for ourselves.

Learning involves far more than thinking: it involves the whole personality - senses, feelings, intuition, beliefs, values and will. If we do not have the will to learn, we will not learn and if we have learned, we are actually changed in some way. If the learning makes no difference it can have very little significance beyond being random ideas that float through our consciousness. 

Learning needs to meet some personal need and recognizing and identifying such needs enables us to evaluate whether the learning has been worthwhile and successful.

The idea of a learning style is that we all have a way in which we prefer to learn. For example, some people like to sit down and read about a subject while others prefer to get on and have a go at it. However, it’s not usually quite as clear-cut as this since preferences can change over time and as you are required to do different things at work and in life more generally.

However, an understanding of your preferred learning style may help you to find new ways of studying that better work for you.

Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle

Kolb’s learning cycle proposes that we all learn from our experience in a cyclical way. People observe something happening and reflect on their observations. This experience and reflection is then incorporated into the theoretical knowledge that the person already possesses, or is supported by reading and training, building up a framework into which to fit their experience. To complete the cycle, people then need to be able to practice the new skills they have learned.

Four Different Learning Styles

Kolb proposed this as a cycle. But there’s no question that while we all go through the cycle when we learn something, we also all prefer to start in different places and to spend more time on some aspects than others.

Two men called Peter Honey and Alan Mumford noticed this and built on Kolb’s work to propose the theory of learning styles.

Honey and Mumford identified four separate learning styles:

• Activist
• Pragmatist
• Reflector
• Theorist

Activists learn by doing.

They don’t want to hear what they should be doing, they want to dive in head-first and have a go.

Activists are likely to say:

“ Let’s just give it a go and see what happens”

“ Can I try it out?”

Pragmatists care about what works in the real world.

They aren’t interested in abstract concepts, they just want to know if it works.

Pragmatists are likely to say:

“How will it work in practice?”

“I just don’t see how this is relevant”

Reflectors like to think about what they’re learning.

They want to understand things thoroughly before they try them out.

Reflectors are likely to say:

“Let me just think about this for a moment”

“Don’t let’s rush into anything”

Theorists like to understand how the new learning fits into their ‘framework’ and into previous theories.

They’re likely to be uncomfortable with things that don’t fit with what they already know.

Theorists are likely to say:

“But how does this fit in with [x]?”

“I’d just like to understand the principles behind this a bit more”

In order to learn effectively, it’s important to be able to use all four styles, but most people have a preference for one or two. Particularly common mixtures seem to include Activist/Pragmatist and Reflector/Theorist.

As it’s possible to learn and develop other styles, learning style preferences change over time - unlike other psychological assessments, such as Myers-Briggs Type Indicators, which tend to stay remarkably consistent over time.

People often notice that their learning style has changed in response to different job demands or changes in their life.

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Practical Implications of Learning Styles

There is no question that each of us has particular preferences for how we learn. There is equally little doubt that we all have slightly different things that we are good at, which may or may not be related to our learning style.

The original theory suggests that we should tailor learning experiences to fit our preferred learning style.

Unfortunately, there are a huge number of theories of learning styles out there, and very little evidence that teaching in a particular style is beneficial for a particular type of learner.

A major review study looked at the VAK model of learning styles, and suggested that in order to prove that it was useful in teaching, you would need to have studies that grouped students by learning style, and then taught part of each group in different ways. There would need to be teaching methods that worked best for each type of learner and did not work for the others. The review authors concluded that there had been almost no studies that did this.

The jury, therefore, is still out on whether teaching should be tailored to learning styles.

However, just because there is no evidence from a formal study does not mean that considering your learning style is not worthwhile.

• A knowledge of learning styles may help you to identify different ways of learning that might be enjoyable or better for you. For example:
• Activist ways of learning include brain-storming, practical experimentation, role plays, group discussion and problem-solving.
• Pragmatist study styles include case studies and time to think about the practical applications of what you are learning.
• Reflector-style learning includes spending time reading around a subject, and watching others try things out.
• Theorist learning involves models and theories, with plenty of background information.
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Understanding that there are different ways of learning, and that learning ideally happens in a cycle, helps you to vary your learning experience, and that is likely to improve your ability to learn and to retain information.

If you find that there are particular types of teaching or learning that really do not suit you, do not be afraid to tailor your experience a bit. If you are considering a course, whether for long-term study or shorter-term learning, you may want to phone the person organising it and discuss the type of learning. It may be that you could avoid certain aspects of it, or the tutor may be able to suggest a more appropriate course for you.

If you are unable to choose your experiences, you can always try to adapt them

• For example, even if you struggle with sitting in a lecture, listening to someone talk, do not be tempted to abandon the experience! Instead, try making it into something different. Take notes, or draw a picture such as a mind-map to help you remember it more visually, or organise a discussion session afterwards over coffee with others to consider the learning in a different way.
• If your course is examination-based, you also need to think about how you are going to revise the subject matter. For example, you may like lectures, but will you want to revise by reading over your notes? Maybe you should ask your lecturers if you can record the lecture, or perhaps record your notes onto a digital voice recorder? Then you can play back your ‘notes’ afterwards and listen again to revise them.

The SHAPE of Your Learning

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The elements that affect your study and learning can be described via an acronym, SHAPE.

This stands for:

Styles – Learning Styles and approaches

Habits – we all develop habits over time, which may be more or less helpful. To improve your habits, you need to identify the bad ones, and retrain yourself.

Attitude – your learning is affected by your beliefs and your mindset. For more about this, see my article on Positive Thinking and the Importance of Mindset.

Preferences – as well as habits, we all have preferences for our learning and the environment: hot, cold, the lighting, company and so on. These will affect how we learn, and are the focus of this page.

Experience – previous experience also influences preferences: a good or bad experience under particular circumstances may affect how you approach similar circumstances later. It is worth considering this when thinking about why you might prefer particular learning options.

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Identifying your Preferences

Identifying your preferences for learning and studying is relatively straightforward, but it can make a huge difference to the effectiveness with which you learn.

There are four main areas to consider:

1. Structure

Structure refers to how organised you like your work and your work space to be.

People who prefer a relatively structured approach tend to make lists, keep their work space very tidy, and use bookmarks and tags to ensure that they can find the information they want. They also tend to work within a routine.

People who prefer a relative lack of structure tend to remember things in their heads, leave their papers out on their desks or work spaces, and study what interests them that day.

It is important to stress that both approaches are valid. Myers-Briggs Type Indicators, as the level of structure is similar to the Judging-Perceiving (J-P) spectrum in MBTI.

However, both approaches also have their advantages and disadvantages.

For example:

• Those who prefer an unstructured approach have a very flexible approach to learning, and are likely to be able to stay interested. They may, however, tend to miss deadlines, especially in areas in which they are less interested.
• Those who prefer a structured approach are likely to be very productive and get things done. They may, however, find that they struggle with tasks that call for creativity, and might benefit from introducing more flexibility to their thinking.

Anyone who tends towards one or other extreme needs to consider how to adopt elements of the other approach. This will broaden their skills and thinking, and make them more rounded and capable.

2. Direction and Drive

This element describes whether you like external direction, or prefer to drive and develop your projects in your own way.

People who prefer external direction will tend to like clear assignments. They will appreciate being given a structure around their learning (for example, teachers, tutors or lecturers providing an overview of the course content early on). They may prefer clear guidance about how to approach problems, and ideas for how to start.

People who prefer less external direction like to develop their own ideas. They will prefer to find their own sources of information, and not need a clear structure to lectures or courses. They will prefer to try things out for themselves, and not be told what to do.

This matters because it affects your attitude to your work and study, and whether you find it worthwhile and satisfying. It is worth taking time to consider your preference in this area, and seeing if you can tailor your learning or work to fit it better.

Case study: A Question of Approach

Melanie’s boss, Richard, was always keen to tell her how to do things. Every task that he set her was carefully outlined, so she knew exactly what to do.

It was driving her mad. She hated being told what to do and just wanted a chance to show that she could think things through for herself. Even when she asked him not to tell her what to do, but let her try her ideas first, he still couldn’t stop himself.

Fast forward a month or so: Richard left his post. In his absence, Melanie was free to work as she wanted. She loved being able to do her own thinking, and ask for advice when necessary from Richard’s boss. When her new manager arrived, she was careful to explain her working preferences. Her new boss was happy to respect these, especially since Melanie had demonstrated her capability in Richard’s absence.

Fast forward a few years, and Melanie was a team manager herself. Remembering her early experiences, she was always careful to ask team members whether they preferred guidance from her before they started, or to do some thinking first, and then to respect these preferences in how she delegated work.

3. Working with Other People

This element is closely related to the Introvert-Extrovert (E-I) domain of Myers-Briggs Type Indicators. Some people prefer to work with other people, and others prefer to work alone, and do their own thinking first.

Again, both approaches are equally valid, and it is important to respect others’ preferences.

WARNING!

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It is possible for this preference to lead to some serious misunderstandings.

For example, if you prefer to work with others, but you work or study with an introvert, who prefers to work alone, you may need to give them time to do their own studying before you start discussing things together. They will probably come to your shared time/discussion fully prepared, with their ideas in order and a clear view.

You will therefore need to be prepared for them to be irritated that you have done no preparation for your shared study time because, to you, it is important to discuss things together first!

4. Environment

Finally, your study environment can very much influence the effectiveness of your learning. This can be divided into issues of high and low stimulus.

• People who prefer high levels of stimulus will probably prefer bright lights and background music. They may be able to work in places where there is a lot going on: a café, for example. They may prefer to move around when working, and also work on several things at once.
• People who prefer low levels of stimulus will tend to be easily distracted by noise or lights. They may prefer to work in a quiet room with lower light levels, and reduce the temperature of the room.

It is important, however, to remember that all stimuli are not the same. Some people work well with one stimulus, but not another (for example, they may want bright light, but no noise, or a cool temperature, but background music). Preferences may also change for different types of work.

• The crucial issue is therefore to understand your own environmental preferences, and the circumstances under which you work most effectively for particular types of work.

The 8 Types of Learning Styles

You might think that there’s only one way to learn something - and you would be wrong.

You may not have known that you can boil down the various ways of learning into 8 different styles, and new research shows that these different learning styles may even be deduced from fingerprints, of all things!

Human behavior specialist Scott Black took Harvard professor Howard Gardner’s research and put it into practical use, creating one of the first measurable and predictable ways of determining a person’s overall learning style.

The process starts with your fingerprints, amazingly enough. Within 24 to 48 hours, Black can produce a 36-page report that identifies eight different intellects and how you personally process visual, auditory and kinesthetic information.

Why Does This Work?

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There are five different things that are unique to each person on Earth - the cornea of the eye, a person’s DNA, a “brain map,” a person’s own life experiences, and their fingerprints.

Fingerprints are easier to see than a brain map or DNA though and yet they are intimately connected to specific lobes of the brain, determining how people learn and process information.

The 8 Learning Styles:

1. The Linguistic Learner
2. The Naturalist
3. The Musical or Rhythmic Learner
4. The Kinesthetic Learner
5. The Visual or Spatial Learner
6. The Logical or Mathematical Learner
7. The Interpersonal Learner
8. The Intrapersonal Learner

The Linguistic Learner

The linguistic learner is one who learns best through linguistic skills including reading, writing, listening, or speaking.

Sometimes, it’s a combination of these methods. So, for example, if a linguistic learner wanted to tackle a new skill, their best method of learning would be to read about it, then listen to an audio recording and take notes on it. Finally, concretizing it would require speaking about it and, possibly, writing about it extensively.

Not surprisingly, some of the best teachers and professors are linguistic learners. It’s in the nature of the profession.

The Naturalist

The naturalist learns by working with, and experiencing, nature.

If this sounds a lot like a scientist, it’s because that’s how scientists learn. The naturalist loves experiences, loves observing the world around them, and captures the best information or knowledge through experimentation.

The Musical or Rhythmic Learner

The musical or rhythmic learner is one who learns using melody or rhythm.

This would be like a musician learning how to play by listening to a piece of music or a drummer who hears beats in his head and on the street from arbitrary sources before putting it together in the studio. But it can also be a person who learns best while humming, whistling, toe-tapping, tapping their pencil on the desk, wiggling, or listening to music in the background. For this person, music isn’t a distraction but instead actually helps the learning process.

Some people also think better with background noise, so you may often notice that some people think best when they hum, whistle, bounce a ball off the wall, or make some other noise or move (pace) while thinking.

The Kinesthetic Learner

The Kinesthetic learner is a person that learns best by actually doing something.

These people are also scientific in nature and must interact with objects in order to learn about them (or learn about them in the best way possible).

According to FamilyEducation.com, some of the most common kinesthetic-based jobs are those in the arts, manufacturing or creative fields like physical therapy, dancing, acting, farming, carpentry, surgery, and jewelry-making.

None of these careers could be done without “hands-on experience.” Many of these jobs, with rare exception, are also trade professions that require an apprenticeship or shadowing.

The Visual or Spatial Learner

A visual or spatial learner is a person who learns best if there are visual aids around to guide the learning process.

For example, someone who can learn best from diagrams, pictures, graphs would be a visual or spatial learner. These people tend to be technically-oriented and enter engineering fields.

An example of this type of learner would be a person who becomes a computer engineer or programmer. In fact, according to the educational organization Simplilearn, there are over 20,000 professionals who have been trained in programs like the CompTIA Strata training program.

But, the best students are those that are visual or spatial learners. Why? Because being proficient in programming and IT requires that you be a strong visual or spatial learner.

Almost everything having to do with computers is conceptual and so it relies on graphical or visual representations of components that can’t actually be seen (e.g. bytes).

The Logical or Mathematical Learner

The logical or mathematical learner must classify or categorize things.

They also tend to understand relationships or patterns, numbers and equations, better than others. These are obviously engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and other technical professions.

The Interpersonal Learner

The interpersonal learner is someone who learns by relating to others.

Often, these people share stories, work best in teams, and compare their ideas to the ideas of others. In a sense, others help them think of new ideas of their own. They are often naturally good leaders as well as team players. You often see these people in various fields of psychology or social sciences.

The Intrapersonal Learner

The intrapersonal, as opposed to interpersonal, learner is someone who works and learns best when they are alone.

They set individual goals that are challenging, but not impossible. They are also motivated by internal forces, rather than external ones. They are often introverted individuals, but not always. These people often enter creative fields, become entrepreneurs, and sometimes small business owners. But, they are usually in fields or industries that allow them to work without direct supervision.

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How to Determine Your Own Learning Style

You can, of course, learn about your own learning style through Black’s Like It Matters.net website, but you don’t have to get a fingerprint analysis to become the best version of yourself.

Most people associate learning with formal education at school, college, university etc. We are all told, from an early age, that we should ‘get a good education’.

Generally speaking it is true that a formal education and the resulting qualifications are important. Education may maximise our potential to find better, more satisfying jobs, earn more and, perhaps, become more successful in our chosen career.

However, ‘schooling’ is only one type of learning. There are many other opportunities to further your knowledge and develop the skills you need throughout life.

Knowledge can be acquired and skill-sets developed anywhere – learning is unavoidable and happens all the time. However, lifelong learning is about creating and maintaining a positive attitude to learning both for personal and professional development.

Lifelong learners are motivated to learn and develop because they want to: it is a deliberate and voluntary act.

Lifelong learning can enhance our understanding of the world around us, provide us with more and better opportunities and improve our quality of life.

There are two main reasons for learning throughout life: for personal development and for professional development. These reasons may not necessarily be distinct as personal development can improve your employment opportunities and professional development can enable personal growth.

Learning for its own sake brings its own advantages. For example, learning in whatever context:

• Boosts our confidence and self-esteem
• Makes us less risk averse and more adaptable to change when it happens
• Helps us achieve a more satisfying personal life
• Challenges our ideas and beliefs
• Can be fun

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Learning for Personal Development

There does not need to be a specific reason for learning since learning for the sake of learning can in itself be a rewarding experience.

There is a common view that continuous learning and having an active mind throughout life may delay or halt the progress of some forms of dementia, although there is actually very little scientific evidence to support these claims. However, keeping the brain active does have advantages since learning can prevent you from becoming bored and thus enable a more fulfilling life at any age.

There are, of course, many reasons why people learn for personal development.

• You may want to increase your knowledge or skills around a particular hobby or pastime that you enjoy.
• Perhaps you want to develop some entirely new skill that will in some way enhance your life – take a pottery or car mechanic course for example.
• Perhaps you want to research a medical condition or your ancestry.
• Perhaps you’re planning a trip and want to learn more about the history and culture of your destination.
• Maybe you will decide to take a degree course later in life simply because you enjoy your chosen subject and the challenges of academic study.

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Learning for Professional Development

 Our capacity to earn is directly related to our willingness to learn.

Being well-educated is not necessarily the key to employment.

Although qualifications may get you an interview, actually getting the job can take a lot more. 

Employers are looking for well-balanced people with transferable skills. This includes the ability to be able to demonstrate that you are keen to learn and develop.

If you do find yourself unemployed then use the time wisely. Learning something new can pay-off with new opportunities which might not otherwise have arisen.

While you are employed, take advantage of training, coaching or mentoring opportunities and work on your continuous professional development as you will likely become better at what you do and more indispensable to your current or future employer.

Putting the time in for extra learning brings its own rewards.

It means we can get more personal satisfaction from our lives and jobs as we understand more about who we are and what we do. This can lead to better results and a more rewarding working day in turn. If you choose to learn about another complementary sector, this enables opportunities to specialise and potentially earn more or move to a connected industry. In turn this gives us wider experience on which to build our knowledge and more transferable skills in readiness for your next move. 

From a financial point of view, a more highly skilled and knowledgeable worker is an asset to any company and can lead to faster promotion with associated salary increases. 

Someone who can offer more expertise will be of more value not just to employers but also to customers. Expertise is also, often, a key quality of an effective leader.

If you are frustrated with your job, continuing to hone your skills will make it easier to find new ways out of a potentially stressful work situation. Keeping an open mind to learning and giving yourself room for flexibility is key to job satisfaction. Furthermore, potentially staying ahead of competitors for jobs by being more experienced or knowledgeable can give you an edge.

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MASTER your Learning

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In his book, Master it Faster, Colin Rose uses the mnemonic MASTER to describe the six stages he believes are key to becoming an effective learner. These stages can be applied to any type of learning, either formal or informal.

• Motivation
• Acquire
• Search
• Trigger
• Examine
• Reflect

Motivation

Lifelong learning requires self-motivation. You need to feel positive about learning and about your ability to learn. If you struggle to see the point of learning what you are learning, you are unlikely to do well.

Acquire

Effective learning requires that you acquire information through reading, listening, observing, practising, experimenting and experience. Information is all around you: the trick is to acquire relevant and meaningful information and develop this into knowledge and skills.

Search

Learning is successful when we can search for a personal meaning in the information we’re acquiring. We find it hard to remember facts without understanding them or being able to put them into context.

Learning is about applying what you acquire and asking yourself questions such as: ‘How does this idea help in my life?’ or ‘What has this experience taught me about myself?’

Trigger

Human beings are notoriously bad at retaining information. You cannot and will not remember all that you read, hear and experience. You can help to trigger recollection in a variety of ways. For example, you can take notes, practice, discuss and experiment with new ideas and skills to help you learn and develop.

Examine

You should regularly examine your knowledge to help reinforce in your mind what you have learned. You should always try to keep an open-mind, question your understanding and be open to new information.

Talking to others and seeing their point of view can be a powerful way of examining your own perception and understanding of a subject.

Reflect

Finally, you should reflect on your learning. Think about how and why you learned, including how you felt about a particular topic or situation, before and after you developed your knowledge.

Learn from your mistakes as well as from your successes and always try to remain positive.