What is your learning style?

As we all know there are three distinct learning types- auditory, visual and kineasthetic. Finding out our learning style will help us to realise our weaknesses and strengths and where we can improve.

I found an interesting online test you can take to find out which style you fall into entitled: What Learning Style are you?

Not to much surprise I came out as a Kinestheic Learner. My results came out as the following:

* Need to be active and take frequent breaks

I know this to be true in my current job as a toy demonstrator. I always find the transition from being in a dance contract to standing around in the same place all day very challenging! To make up for this fact I find myself moving at every chance possible and always trying to find something new to do to keep myself entertained. I find having well spaced breaks throughout the day gives me the chance to gain a new gust of energy to carry on.

* Speak with their hand and with gestures

Again another point that sums me up. I think this is why I make a good promotional seller as I express or reiterate what I am saying often with hand gestures.

* Remember what was done, but have difficulty recording what was said or seen

My fiance often says I have a terrible memory of things he tells me. I feel that I only often remember things people say  if I have had a feeling to go with it. For example

* Finds reason to tinker or move when bored

Again this goes back to the first point of needing to move around when standing in the same place at work. In the Debenhams store where I cam currently doing a promotion they play music all day and it is very hard not to let my mind wander into feeling the music. I often tap with my feet to keep moving as well!

* Rely on what they can directly experience or perform

My take on this is that I tend to remember things that have personally affected me in some way. If I have had strong feelings of a situation or performance then they stick in my memory. As a kinesthetic learner I am more in touch with my feeling and emotions.

* Activities such as cooking, construction, engineering and art help them perceive and learn

At school the way I would study would be to highlight important information in pretty colors or color code certain things. This shows that the reason it helped me was because visual art is my key way to learning. Also my main way to revise was to write out main points. This visual aspect of looking at the words helped me to remember them.

* Enjoy field trips and tasks that involve manipulating materials

I definitely enjoy travelling and experiencing new places and cultures, which I have been lucky to do in my career. I am also very creative. Currently in the midst planning my wedding for next year I am making my own lavender and almond bag favors. I have enjoyed starting this task even though i have come across some challenges (i.e. cutting out the organza material which is slippery and not easy to cut rectangles out of).

* Sit near the door or someplace else where they can easily get up and move around

I wouldn't necessarily say I would choose to sit near a door but I do like to get up and move around. An example of this was my cousins wedding I went to a couple of weeks ago. Sat on a table of 7 was fine, but as soon as dessert was over I walked around to sit and talk to guests on other tables.

* Are uncomfortable in classrooms where they lack opportunities for hands-on experience

When I first started this course and saw there were campus sessions to go to my initial thought was we were going to have to sit and listen to a lecture for 2 or 3 hours as my sister often does in her maths masters degree. This made me very nervous about whether I could do that and how bored i would be. I was relieved however at my first session to find it was interactive and I took charge in creating our slide show to be presented. My current job I had to learn how to demonstrate a mystery UFO toy. The way I did this was by getting stuck in and trying it, reflecting the hands-on approach to learning.

* Communicate by touching and appreciate physically expressed encouragement, such as a pat on the back

On my last contract with Belinda King productions a particular point in time I recall was during the long and hard rehearsal period. After working all day everyday for two months trying to learn nine different shows we finally finished being taught everything on New Years Day (just a few days before boarding the ship).Our choreographer was so happy to have finished her last piece that she gave us all a huge hug at the end of the day which I definitely appreciated as her way of expressing her thanks.  

Taking this test has taught me a lot about myself.  Something that really stuck out was point three "remember what was done, but have difficulty recording what was said or seen". This shows me that just because someone had told me something I can have problems remembering it unless I have felt or been in that situation. It as shown me that I am a very hands-on learner, probably why I became so good at dancing due to learning from movement. The fact that I have trouble sitting for long periods of time (even when writing this blog I had to get up 5 times!) and the need for frequent breaks also shows a key characteristic of my learning style.

Knowing all this has shown me how I am best at learning and the reason why growing up I did certain things (highlighting and drawing to help memory).  It has also shown me my weaknesses such as lack of concentration in certain situations, the need to keep moving around and only relying on doing something rather than it simply being explained.

It has also led me to think how schools do not cater enough to kinesthetic learner, which I feel is what Ken Robbinson was talking about. He talked about how dance and drama are at the bottom of the school system and that we educate from the waist up. Schools and teachers need to recognise the different intelligences (Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences theory) and different learning styles.