How do you learn?  What impact does how you learn affect your performance on the job? How does your learning style affect how you approach learning? 

Over the past several years, I have required students in an introductory hospitality management course to take an assessment to determine their learning preferences. I did this so I could analyze the classroom environment and therefore determine the best way to lead the class.  Without providing the numerical raw data, it was clear that the preference of most students entering the hospitality management program were visual and kinesthetic learners – that is, they learned best by seeing and doing. Every person was different.  Every person was unique.

What are learning styles and why are they important?
Learning styles are different ways people learn.  Learning styles classify ways people learn and how they approach and process information.

Marcia Conner, learning expert and author of Learn More Now, states, "You learn and process information in your own special way, though we all share some learning patterns, preferences, and approaches." ¹

What are the types of learning styles are there?
Many studies and assessments have been conducted on how people learn.  However, in its simplest form, people learn in one of the following ways:

People learn through seeing –  visual learners
Visual learners think in pictures and learn best from visual displays including diagrams, charts, illustrations, overheads, Powerpoint presentations, videos, flipcharts, and hand-outs.  During a lecture or classroom discussion, visual learners often prefer to take detailed notes to absorb the information.  

Marcia Conner describes visual learners as people who "prefer seeing what they are learning. Pictures and images help them understand ideas and information better than explanations. A drawing may help more than a discussion about the same. When someone explains something to a visual learner, he or she may create a mental picture of what the person talking describes. If you are a visual learner, you may find it helpful to see the person speaking. You may watch a speaker talk, as well as listen to what he or she says.²

People learn through hearing and listening – auditory learners
They learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through and listening to what others have to say. Auditory learners interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed and other nuances. Written information may have little meaning until it is heard. These learners often benefit from reading text aloud and using a tape recorder.

Marcia Conner characterizes these learners falling into two categories. Auditory learners prefer spoken messages. The less understood auditory learners need to hear their own voice to process the information. The more prevalent type, 'Listeners,' most likely did well in school. Out of school too, they remember things said to them and make the information their own. They may even carry on mental dialogues and determine how to continue by thinking back on the words of others. Conversely, those who need to 'talk it out' often find themselves talking to those around them. In a class setting when the instructor is not asking questions, auditory-verbal processors (talkers) tend to mutter comments to themselves. They are not trying to be disruptive and may not even realize they need to talk. Some researchers go so far as to call these learners 'Interactives.'³

People learn through doing – tactile/kinesthetic learners
Tactile/kinesthetic persons learn best through a hands-on approach, actively exploring the physical world around them. They may find it hard to sit still for long periods and may become distracted by their need for activity and exploration.

Marcia Conner describes tactile and kinesthetic learners different, but very similar. "Kinesthetic learners want to sense the position and movement of what they are working on. Tactile learners want to touch. ‘Enough talking and looking,' they may say. ‘Let's work with this stuff. Let's get our hands dirty already.' Even if kinesthetic or tactile learners don't get much from the discussion or the written materials, they may catch up and exceed the lesson plan by working through scenarios and labs. Often, they don't thrive in traditional schools because most classrooms don't offer enough opportunity to move or touch. Most assessments group kinesthetic and tactile styles together, though they mean different things. Their similarity is that both types perceive information through nerve ends in the skin, as well as organs through muscles, tendons, and joints.⁴

(There are many other classifications of learning styles. Refer to the notes at the end of the article to discover other resources which outline these subjects.)

Why is understanding learning styles important? How will it help me?
"Learning style assessments," states Marcia Conner, "provide you an opportunity to learn how you are likely to respond under different circumstances and how to approach information in a way that best addresses your own particular needs. Knowing your own style can also help you realize that other people may approach the same situation in a way that's different from your own."⁵

Understanding learning styles allows professionals the opportunity to seek out educational experiences that maximize time and effort. Going to a lecture might not be appropriate to learn how to use a new computer system. In this case a workshop might be more appropriate. When looking for professional development opportunities, matching a program or learning experience with the learning preference or style will maximize time and effort and provides assurance that learning will occur.

From a training perspective, understanding the learning styles of your employees will have a positive impact on your training. Knowing the learning preferences of an employee may help you determine whether an employee should watch a video, read a manual, or be trained by another individual.

How do I discover my learning style and the learning styles of my employees?
Here is a list of learning style assessments that can be taken free on-line:

Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire (ILS)

http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html

The VARK Questionnaire

http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire

"What's Your Learning Style" by Marcia Conner

http://agelesslearner.com/assess/learningstyle.html

LdPride.Net Learning Style Assessment

http://www.ldpride.net/learning_style.html

Consider having your employees take one of these assessments. Learning how you learn and how your employees learn will allow you to use this information to make your training more effective. Match your learning style to the programs you participate in and maximize the effectiveness of your learning.

Notes:
¹  Conner, M. L. "Introduction to Learning Styles." Ageless Learner, 1997-2004.  http://agelesslearner.com/intros/lstyleintro.html
²  Conner, M. L. "Learning Styles," Learnativity, 1997-2002. http://www.learnativity.com/learningstyles.html
³  Conner, M. L. "Learning Styles," Learnativity, 1997-2002. http://www.learnativity.com/learningstyles.html
⁴  Conner, M. L. "Learning Styles," Learnativity, 1997-2002. http://www.learnativity.com/learningstyles.html
⁵  Conner, M. L. "Introduction to Learning Styles." Ageless Learner, 1997-2004.  http://agelesslearner.com/intros/lstyleintro.html

Chris Longstreet is President & CEO of the Society for Hospitality Management.  He also serves as a visiting instructor for the Hospitality & Tourism Management Program at Grand Valley State University.  For more information, visit the SHM website at www.hospitalitysociety.org or contact Chris at clongstreet@hospitalitysociety.org.

For a free subscription to the SHM Training Bulletin, visit www.hospitalitysociety.org or email info@hospitalitysociety.org.

© Society for Hospitality Management, July 2005