#kinesthetic learner

Abstract Many teachers and researchers, among others, continue to believe, despite the lack of evidence, that learning will be more effective if educators match their teaching approaches to students’ alleged learning styles. Scholars have called for more research on why the belief in learning styles is so appealing. This conceptual paper suggests four moral intuitions or sensibilities that underlie the appeal: (1) the desire for rational control, (2) our sense of justice, (3) the feeling that everyone is unique, and (4) reverence for the natural. Speaking to these intuitions could strengthen efforts to debunk the myth of learning styles in teacher education.

[..] Experts aren’t sure how the concept spread, but it might have had something to do with the self-esteem movement of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Everyone was special—so everyone must have a special learning style, too. Teachers told students about it in grade school. “Teachers like to think that they can reach every student, even struggling students, just by tailoring their instruction to match each student’s preferred learning format,” said Central Michigan University’s Abby Knoll, a PhD student who has studied learning styles. (Students, meanwhile, like to blame their scholastic failures on their teacher’s failure to align their teaching style with their learning style.)

Either way, “by the time we get students at college,” said the Indiana University professor Polly Husmann, “they’ve already been told ‘You’re a visual learner.’” Or aural, or what have you.

The thing is, they’re not. Or at least, a lot of evidence suggests that people aren’t really one certain kind of learner or another. In a study published last month in the journal Anatomical Sciences Education, Husmann and her colleagues had hundreds of students take the Vark questionnaire to determine what kind of learner they supposedly were. The survey then gave them some study strategies that seem like they would correlate with that learning style. Husmann found that not only did students not study in ways that seemed to reflect their learning style, those who did tailor their studying to suit their style didn’t do any better on their tests.

Husmann thinks the students had fallen into certain study habits, which, once formed, were too hard to break. Students seemed to be interested in their learning styles, but not enough to actually change their studying behavior based on them. And even if they had, it wouldn’t have mattered.

“I think as a purely reflective exercise, just to get you thinking about your study habits, [Vark] might have a benefit,” Husmann said. “But the way we’ve been categorizing these learning styles doesn’t seem to hold up.”

Another study published last year in the British Journal of Psychology found that students who preferred learning visually thought they would remember pictures better, and those who preferred learning verbally thought they’d remember words better. But those preferences had no correlation to which they actually remembered better later on—words or pictures. Essentially, all the “learning style” meant, in this case, was that the subjects liked words or pictures better, not that words or pictures worked better for their memories.

In other words, “there’s evidence that people do try to treat tasks in accordance with what they believe to be their learning style, but it doesn’t help them,” says Daniel Willingham, a psychologist at the University of Virginia. In 2015, he reviewed the literature on learning styles and concluded that “learning styles theories have not panned out.”

That same year, a Journal of Educational Psychology paper found no relationship between the study subjects’ learning-style preference (visual or auditory) and their performance on reading- or listening-comprehension tests. Instead, the visual learners performed best on all kinds of tests. Therefore, the authors concluded, teachers should stop trying to gear some lessons toward “auditory learners.” “Educators may actually be doing a disservice to auditory learners by continually accommodating their auditory learning style,” they wrote, “rather than focusing on strengthening their visual word skills.”

In our conversation, Willingham brought up another study, published in 2009, in which people who said they liked to think visually or verbally really did try to think that way: Self-proclaimed visualizers tried to create an image, and self-proclaimed verbalizers tried to form words. But, there was a rub, he said: “If you’re a visualizer and I give you pictures, you don’t remember pictures any better than anyone who says they’re verbalizer.”

This doesn’t mean everyone is equally good at every skill, of course. Really, Willingham says, people have different abilities, not styles. Some people read better than others; some people hear worse than others. But most of the tasks we encounter are only really suited to one type of learning. You can’t visualize a perfect French accent, for example.

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Considering the sources of teacher training, Ed Schools, are extremely highly ideological, the perpetuation of this "neuromyth" is probably not an accident or misunderstanding.

all you fellow kinesthetic learners out there- if you’re trying to learn a language, learn as.

it is literally hand motions associated with words

Learning Styles and My Personal Connection

Each person has a unique way of learning that suits them best. For me, I strongly relate to both the visual and kinesthetic learning styles. As a visual learner, I find it easier to understand concepts when they are presented through images, charts, graphs, and other visual aids rather than just reading or listening. Seeing information structured in an organized and colorful way helps me retain details more effectively. For example, when studying for exams, I use highlighters, create mind maps, and watch educational videos to reinforce my understanding.

At the same time, I also have characteristics of a kinesthetic learner, meaning I learn best through movement and hands-on activities. I grasp concepts more effectively when I can physically engage with the material, whether through experiments, role-playing, or interactive learning. For instance, when learning a new skill, such as playing a sport or conducting a science experiment, I retain information better by actually doing the task rather than just reading about it.

For kinesthetic learners, traditional study methods like reading textbooks or listening to lectures might not always be the most effective way to absorb information. Instead, kinesthetic learners thrive on hands-on activities and physical engagement with the material. If you're a kinesthetic learner, here are some strategies tailored to your learning style:

Interactive Study Tools: Look for interactive study tools and resources that allow you to engage with the material in a tactile way. This could include physical models, manipulatives, or educational apps that offer interactive simulations or games related to the subject you're studying.

Hands-On Projects: Incorporate hands-on projects into your study routine. Whether it's building a model, conducting experiments, or creating something related to the topic, actively engaging with the material through practical applications can deepen your understanding and retention.

Role-Playing and Simulations: Role-playing scenarios or participating in simulations can help kinesthetic learners grasp complex concepts by immersing themselves in real-world situations. This could involve acting out historical events, simulating scientific experiments, or engaging in mock debates or discussions.

Physical Movement: Kinesthetic learners often benefit from incorporating physical movement into their study sessions. Consider pacing while reciting information, using a standing desk or exercise ball, or taking short breaks to stretch or engage in light exercise to keep your body and mind active.

Study Groups and Peer Teaching: Joining study groups or finding a study buddy can provide opportunities for hands-on learning experiences. Work together to solve problems, conduct experiments, or teach each other concepts through demonstrations and collaborative activities.

Field Trips and Experiential Learning: Whenever possible, take advantage of field trips or experiential learning opportunities that allow you to explore concepts in real-world settings. Visiting museums, nature reserves, or relevant industry sites can provide valuable hands-on experiences and deepen your understanding of the subject matter.

Use of Gestures and Visualization: Incorporate gestures and visualization techniques into your study process. Use hand movements to represent concepts or draw diagrams and charts to visually represent information. Engaging multiple senses can reinforce learning for kinesthetic learners.

Practice-Based Learning: Focus on practicing and applying what you've learned through hands-on activities and real-world problem-solving. Whether it's solving equations, conducting experiments, or practicing skills in a simulated environment, active participation is key for kinesthetic learners to solidify their understanding.

A new way of intellectual thinking that I think should be promoted is to have more hands on activities in learning environments. I know personally for me just listening to lectures and taking notes doesn’t always allow me to remember the information being provided, but if I am doing something hands on where I can learn how to do something I have a lot easier of a time knowing and remembering the information. I am more of a kinesthetic learner where I prefer using my body, hands and touch to learn, and there are a lot of other students who are like that so it will give them an easier way to learn.

Everyone has a different way of learning, one that works best for them. If you know what yours is then you can make sure to use it to your advantage, making studying a quicker and easier process. There will probably be elements of every style that work for you so mix and match between elements of each to find what works for you.

The different styles of learning are:

Kinesthetic: These people learn best by doing things like experiments where they can get involved. They like to use their sense and see examples, they prefer to learn by trial and error than just being told something. If you are a kinesthetic learner making the information you are learning real by using case studies will be helpful for you. These people are also the ones who find chewing a certain flavour of gum or smelling a certain scent when studying then again before the exam especially helpful. These people can be restless and are often found moving some part of their body like their leg without realizing they are doing so.

Visual: These people learn best by looking at pictures, graphs diagrams or mindmaps. They are much more likely to understand information by looking at a picture than reading about it. Often visual learners find underlining or using highlighers and different colours very helpful. Using white space, drawings or other visual elements such as headings and banners can help them to make the best notes. Often visual learners remember faces and places, they recall information by picturing it in their minds.

Auditory: These people are best with sounds and music. They often find listening to people tell them something helps them remember information better than reading it. Often auditory people find it easier to remember information when they have told someone about it, they are the people who find recording and listening to their notes helpful. They need to make sure they listen in class and discuss topics with others. They often find recalling conversations easy.

Linguistic: These people are good with words so reading and writing helps them to learn. They find lists, headings, glossaries, definitions and textbooks very easy to learn from. Often these people study by reading over their notes or rewriting them. They often take word for word notes from their teachers or the textbook. These people often enjoy writing and find language and words interesting and easy to understand.

Two other styles of learning that compliment the others are:

Social: These people learn best from discussing ideas with others or being taught by others. They find participating in group discussions in class or with friends deepens their understanding of a topic. These people often join study groups.