Soaking up new information, otherwise called learning, is something unique to every student. Learning techniques can be quite complex and if you don’t know how you learn new material, you could be hurting your studies.
Learning techniques are often divided into three categories by educators: visual, auditory and tactile. The visual learners are those who have the greatest learning experience by using visual aides they can see. An auditory learner is a person who processes information most effectively by hearing the instruction, most often through lectures. Tactile learners are the hands-on folks; they learn most effectively through physical touch and demonstrations.
Home-study courses are a great way to expand your knowledge and help grow your business. But before taking one, determine what learning technique best works for you. By doing so, it can help you pick which course is best for you, since the techniques vary.
Remember, your ultimate goal is to learn how to best serve your clients.
This article focuses on the styles of the auditory learner, so listen up. For details on visual learners, read Part 1 of this series.
Auditory learners
Auditory learners get the most of their educational experience from lectures, discussion groups, books on tape, DVDs and online audio and video presentations.
Remember, in a home-study course, your home or office is your classroom and you have the ability to adjust your surroundings as you see fit to maximize your learning experience.
For studying purposes, here are a few tips you might want to follow:
- Find home-study courses that use audio-visual presentations as the primary mode of teaching, like in DVDs and taped lectures.
- If you know other therapists wanting to take the same courses, form a group or get a study partner to discuss class material together.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Engage the teacher or other online discussion groups in active conversation for course explanations. Then, collect your favorite postings and read them aloud when studying.
- To get a better understanding of the material, read aloud from textbooks after each chapter or section.
- If you take written notes during any presentation, lecture or discussion, read them back aloud and tape yourself.
- Have a study partner or family member quiz you orally on material you’re studying.
- Rhymes and word association can help with memorization of course materials.
As always, make sure to check with your national and state licensing bodies to make sure the courses you select are acceptable for continuing education credits.