You are already a good learner. Think about things that you do well, things that you learned outside of school. Perhaps you are good at singing, basketball, repairing things, playing a certain computer game, working with others, or driving a car. You can learn to use the same qualities that helped you become skilled outside of school to make you more successful in school.
   People learn in many different ways, and each person has ways that he or she learns best. You have a way that you learn best and most easily. There is no single approach that works equally well for everyone.
   Think about how you learn school material. In your opinion, what would be the best possible situation for you when you study or do homework? Think about this, and then write a brief paragraph or draw a sketch of yourself in this ideal situation. You don't have to be an artist to do a drawing or a sketch. Simple figures and stick figures are fine. you write or draw, feel free to use color. Here's how you can tell if your paragraph or drawing is complete: anyone who reads your description or sees your sketch should be able to tell

• Where you prefer to study (in your room, somewhere on campus, at a desk, on the couch, sitting on the floor, etc.)
• What time of the day or night you prefer (if you create a sketch, you can include an indication of the time of day or night, such as a clock)
• If you are working alone or with other people
• If you prefer quiet or if you like some sound (such as background music, or talking to someone you are studying with)
• If your surroundings are neat and orderly, or disorganized or even messy
• Whether the light is bright or less bright
• Whether you are reading, listening (to the material on tape or talking with someone), writing, using the computer, or doing something with your hands (such as creating a model)

You may print this out and use the space below or write your responses on your own paper.

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Now find out more about your learning style. Print out the learning style inventory below. Then mark the items on this scale. These are all strengths that describe ways people prefer to learn. No style is better than the other. Each style works, and each one will work especially well under certain circumstances.
   For each item, make a mark on the line beneath the best description of you. If both describe you equally well, make a mark in the middle, on or around the 3. If you have a slight preference, make your mark a bit closer to the description that fits you. You can circle a number or mark between two numbers. You can mark your answer on the dotted line by circling a number, by making an X, a vertical line, a dot or a star—whatever you like. Remember that there are no right or wrong answers.

What's your learning style?
If you marked mostly in the range of 4's and 5's, you are probably a strong visual learner: you learn well by seeing things. You may also be a spatial learner who is very good at seeing in your mind how things fit together or imagining what an object looks like from another perspective.
   If you marked mostly in the area of 1's and 2's, you are probably a strong auditory learner: you learn well by hearing information. You may also prefer to learn thing s in an orderly manner, step-by-step. People who prefer to learn step-by-step are sequential learners
   Visual and auditory learning styles are thought to be hardwired in the brain. In other words, people are born with one of those preferences.
   If you marked most of the items around 3 (that is, between the two columns), you are probably able to learn well either way. However, you may have a slight preference for one or the other.
   Besides being a visual or auditory learner, you might also be a hands-on or tactile/kinesthetic learner. Touch helps tactile learners; movement helps kinesthetic learners. You are atactile/kinesthetic learnerif touching or manipulating objects, as well as movement—going through the motions—helps you learn. To some extent, all people are tactile/kinesthetic learners because at some point, they must actually try to do the new things they are learning. Some people, however, have a strong preference for learning this way.
   Or, you may be some combination of these. For example, visual learners may prefer to have someone show them how to do something (rather than just hearing about it or reading about it) before trying it themselves. In addition to the above learning styles, you may also be a global learner who likes to get the "big picture" first and/or an intuitive learner who is often spontaneous in decision-making and likes to go with what "feels right."

Are you a visual-spatial learner?
   Dr. Linda Silverman is a psychologist, educator, researcher, and writer who is also an internationally known expert on giftedness. Her research indicated that a third of the students were strong visual-spatial learners. Another third showed a slight preference for the visual-spatial learning. This suggests that two-thirds of students would benefit from textbooks and instruction that take into account the strengths of visual-spatial learners. That's what this book is designed to do. (It doesn't ignore those who learn other ways, however!) Although Dr. Silverman's research was conducted with middle-school students, the study was a large one. Moreover, a person's learning style tends to stay the same throughout life.
   What exactly does "visual-spatial" mean? You already know that "visual" means pertaining to vision. "Spatial" refers to space. Visual-spatial learner is a term that describes people who think in pictures rather than words. Many can visualize objects in three dimensions in their mind. They can usually remember the route to get somewhere, even if they have been there only once before. They learn better by seeing.
   Visual-spatial learners possess many other traits as well. They often learn something all at once: they suddenly "get it"; moreover, they remember it. They can't, however, always show their work or explain how they got an answer. They like seeing the big picture first. Interestingly, they often do better on hard tasks than on simpler ones. You probably like to discover things for yourself. They are often imaginative and creative. They tend to be excellent puzzle-solvers and are often good at completing mazes, building things, playing Tetris on the computer, playing chess, and doing computer programming. They like to take things apart to see how they work. They also like to synthesize, that is, to put information together. They are often sensitive to other people's feeling and sensitive to teachers' attitudes. They often have wonderful imaginations, and may be talented musically, artistically, or mechanically.
   They may do well in some school subjects, but poorly in others. Many have terrible handwriting and are bad spellers. They may find it hard to express themselves in words, and they usually hate to speak in front of a group. They can be disorganized and lose track of time.
   Do these descriptions fit you? If you're still not sure, go to www.visualspatial.org. Click on "VSL Quiz-Adult." It will take you only a few minutes to complete the short quiz. You may learn some very interesting things!

Are you an auditory-sequential learner?
Dr. Silverman's research also revealed that about one-fourth of the population consists of strongly auditory-sequential learners. Auditory-sequential learners learn well by hearing and from step-by-step instruction. They think mainly in words. They pay attention to time and to details. Because they are step-by-step learners, they generally learn well from traditional classroom instruction. ("Sequential" comes from the word "sequence," a set of things in a specific order.) They can show the steps of their work. They like to analyze things, to break them into parts. They can usually write quickly and neatly. They are able to memorize information even if they don't understand it completely. They prefer to work on one job at a time until it is done, and they often sit still, usually at a desk, for long periods of time when they work or study. Most prefer to read and study where the light is bright. Does this sound like you?

Which combination describes you best?
Based on what you have already done and read in this chapter, circle the best description of your learning style from the list below. Most people do not fit entirely in one category, but they usually have a primary style that they use whenever they can. Circle more than one category only if you use both styles fairly equally. If you like, you can rank them 1, 2, and 3 to show which is your primary (most preferred style), your secondary style, and your least preferred style.

Visual learner:		I learn best by seeing
Auditory learner:		I learn best by hearing
Tactile/Kinesthetic learner:		I learn best by doing; I’m a hands-on learner

Now circle the one of these that describes the way you learn best:

   You may also find it helpful to go to www.vark-learn.com and take their learning style inventory. They use these categories of learning styles: visual (like the "whole picture" and like pictures and other visuals), aural (learn by hearing), read/write (prefer the combination), kinesthetic (like hands-on and experiencing the learning), and multimodal (use two or more styles). Once you’ve identified your style, read the learning style tips in Appendix 5.

What difference does it make for you to know your learning style?
There are two very good reasons:

• First, it will enable you, whenever possible, to choose situations that make learning easiest for you. In other words, you can choose courses and teachers who teach to your strengths.
• Second, you can develop strategies to help you succeed when you have to take courses that do not match your learning style. For example, if you are a person who thinks in images or pictures rather than words, you would find it helpful to take notes on information you read (or hear) by drawing a picture or a diagram or a map. If you learn well by hearing and from working with others, you might want to form a study group with students who have the same learning style.

         Colleges are beginning to provide students with greater choices in the way they learn. In addition to traditional lecture courses, there are online courses, ones with computer-assisted instruction, and ones that include cooperative learning opportunities, in which students work together. Still, most colleges are geared toward students who can learn by reading textbooks, who can listen to lectures and take notes in words, and who can memorize information for tests. Most professors and textbooks present information step-by-step, and they move from simpler concepts to more complex ones. College is usually easier for students whose style is suited to this type of instruction. But don't feel discouraged if this is not the way you learn best. Not only are there ways to work around this, there are lots of ways you can take advantage of your own learning strengths.

Source : Adapted from Silverman, L. (2002). Upside-down brilliance: The visual-spatial learner. Denver : DeLeon Publishing, Inc.