Lean Quote: Learning Styles

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"I hear, I know. I see, I remember. I do, I understand." — Confucius

Scientists and psychologists have developed a number of different models to understand the different ways that people learn best. And this quote says different methods of learning have different effectivenesses.

“I hear and I know" - something you just hear someone say is informing but unlikely to stick in your brain.

“I see and I remember" - if you see something explained visually, in a chart or diagram for example, it will stick a bit better.

"I do and I understand" - if you actually go through something yourself and write it out again, or do the experiment, or use the equipment, you will not only remember it, but you will understand the theory behind it too.

Studies show that varying your learning methods will improve your retention and recall of information and enhance your learning experience.

If you are an auditory learner, you learn by hearing and listening. You understand and remember things you have heard. You store information by the way it sounds, and you have an easier time understanding spoken instructions than written ones. You often learn by reading out loud because you have to hear it or speak it in order to know it.

If you are a visual learner, you learn by reading or seeing pictures. You understand and remember things by sight. You can picture what you are learning in your head, and you learn best by using methods that are primarily visual. You like to see what you are learning.

If you are a tactile learner, you learn by touching and doing. You understand and remember things through physical movement. You are a "hands-on" learner who prefers to touch, move, build, or draw what you learn, and you tend to learn better when some type of physical activity is involved. You need to be active and take frequent breaks, you often speak with your hands and with gestures, and you may have difficulty sitting still.

The key to subject mastery is teaching it to others. If you're able to accurately and correctly teach a subject to others, you'll have a very good mastery of the concepts, and superior retention and recall.

The effectiveness of any learning method will also be influenced by your own unique learning style. Some retain and recall information best through visual learning, while others are auditory  learners. To maximize the effectiveness of your understanding discover your learning style.