Visual Learning Style, Essay Example

Visual learning is a teaching and learning style in which data, concepts, ideas and other information is associated with images and techniques (Slack, 2007). Therefore, Visual learners are those who learn things through seeing them. Often, students who are visual learners find that information “clicks” well in their mind when it is explained with the aid of a picture, chart or a table. A visual learner has got the following characteristics; is good at spelling but forgets names, likes charts, likes colors and fashions, needs quiet study time, is good at sign language, dreams in colors, and has to think awhile before understanding a speech (Slack, 2007).

Visual learners encounter difficulties while attempting essay exams but, there learning can be improved magnificently if visual learning styles are employed. Pictures, colors, images and other visual media will help visual learners to visualize their learning. Gravenhorst (2007) provides that, Students who are visual learners can best learn using the following styles;

• Drawing a map of events in history or drawing a scientific process. This helps the student to represent historical information in pictorial form for easy visualization hence understanding;
• Making an outline of everything;
• Watching videos;
• Color coding words;
• Using flash cards;
• Using highlighters, circling words, underlining;
• Using the visual story t help memorize content that is not easy to see;
• Using images, pictures, and maps to organize information and communicate with others. By representing information spatially and with images, enables the students to focus on meaning, group and reorganize similar ideas easily hence making better use of their visual memory;
• Systems diagrams help the student to visualize the links between parts of a system, for instance main engine parts. Replacing words with pictures and using colors to highlight major and minor links;

Conclusion

Visual learning styles are very significant for visual learners for they help them improve the ability of remembering information more completely. This saves them the problem of struggling during essay exams since they don’t easily recall the test material they heard in a lecture (Gravenhorst, 2007).

References

Gravenhorst, R. M., (2007). “Student Learning Styles & Academic Performance in a Non- traditional Anatomy Course”. Journal of Dance Education, 7(2), 38-46.

Slack. (2007). “Evaluating the reliability & validity of a learning styles inventory: a classroom based study”. Educational Research, 49(1), 51-63.