Visual or Verbal Learner?

We have all heard the theory that some students are visual learners, and some are auditory learners. You go through school telling yourself you are visual or auditory, and that is what you stick with because that is what comes easiest to you. You tend to tell yourself that you are one or the other, and refuse to acknowledge the other. You spend your whole time through school focusing just on that one specific need, and everything else is tailored around that. But is this really true? Are we just one or the other?

By now we all sure know the answer to this one, or for the most part know which one has worked for us in the past. However, are we really one or the other? The answer is no. Experts say that there are little to no evidence, to support that someone is a visual or verbal learner. When you look at evidence for different types of learning styles, most to that which would be convincing would tell you that "people of one preferred learning style learned better when taught material in their favored way, whereas a different group with a different preference learned the same material better when taught in their favorite fashion." However when we look at this, we often see that both groups perform better when they are taught by one style. Even though each and every one of us is unique, the most effective way that we can learn is not by our individual preferences, but by the nature of the material that we are being taught. (Christian Jarrett)

For example: A 2012 survey of teachers in the UK and the Netherlands revealed that the learning styles meshing hypothesis was the #1 neuromyth, believed by 93 percent and 96 percent. (L&D Neuromyth) When you look at a questions such as this one, it is so hard to put people into one group or the other. Most of the time ironically you wouldn't even know if you were learning visually or verbally. David J.M. Kraemer is a Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, and has made a valid point regarding this myth.


"An important feature of processing in a specific cognitive style is that when one encounters a stimulus that is presented in a non-preferred modality, one mentally converts that information into his or her preferred modality."

We tend to think that we are one or the other, when in reality our brains can just process the information the same way, no matter what learning style you prefer! Isn't that awesome?  So everything that we perceive we can take in one way or the other.

Since our whole industry has been sprouted based on learning styles, there are different products, that are targeted to tailor to different learning styles. However, time and time again, researchers are still finding NO evidence, that backs up the idea. "We have not found evidence from a randomized control trial supporting any of these, and until such evidence exists, we don't recommend that they be used." (Willingham)

When teaching, it is important to tailor to your students needs in the classroom. You know them the best! But when you are looking at comparing the visual to auditory myth, don't consider it into any of your teaching strategies. Willingham suggests it might be more useful for teachers to figure out similarities in our our brains learn, rather than differences. There is more common ground there, and by mixing things up in the classroom is something that is scientifically supported that boosts attention.

Sources: 

http://www.edutopia.org/article/learning-styles-real-and-useful-todd-finley

https://www.td.org/Publications/Blogs/Science-of-Learning-Blog/2015/07/LD-Neuromyth-Learning-Styles

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2011/08/29/139973743/think-youre-an-auditory-or-visual-learner-scientists-say-its-unlikely

https://www.wired.com/2015/01/need-know-learning-styles-myth-two-minutes/ (Christian Jarrett)