How do you learn? Have you ever given it much thought?
It might seem like a simple question, but actually it’s quite complex. And if you don’t know, you could be severely shortchanging yourself and your clients.
Learning techniques are often divided into three categories by educators: visual, auditory and tactile. Visual learners are those who have the greatest learning experience by using visual aides that they can see. An auditory learner is a person who processes information most effectively by hearing the instruction, most often through lectures. The tactile learner is a hands-on learner, learning most effectively through physical touch and demonstrations.
Before embarking on a home-study course journey, do yourself a favor and get a basic understanding of how you learn information most efficiently and effectively. Remember, your ultimate goal is to learn how to best serve your clients.
When you understand your learning personality, you can use your learning techniques to choose what home-study course works best for you.
This article focuses on the styles of the auditory learner, so listen up. If you’re a visual learner, click here. If you’re a tactile learner, click here.
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 text books 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.
—Jeremy Maready