What type of leaner I am, to help me learn more effectively....

Learning Styles - Tactile Learners

Everyone learns in a different way, so the specific methods that an individual should use to study a particular subject can vary from person to person. However, there are three primary ways that an individual may learn information, which include hearing the information, learning about something by touching or using it, or by actually seeing the information or seeing the information applied. These three methods, also known as learning styles, are the three main ways that people learn information, but most people will usually learn more effectively using one method than they would using either of the other two methods. Individuals that learn more effectively by touching or using the subject they are trying to learn are referred to as tactile learners. Tactile learners are individuals that learn effectively by actually using things such as a new tool or a new technique, by actually holding an object related to what the individual is studying, or by physically applying the information that the individual is studying in a lab or other setting. Tactile learners often have difficulty learning by simply reading about a particular subject, sitting through a lecture about a particular subject, or receiving a verbal explanation on how to perform a particular task without actually performing that task or experiencing that subject. As a result, individuals that learn more effectively by touching or using a particular piece of information may find that using practice exams, practicing techniques in a lab or other setting, or simply playing around with the various functions of a particular tool or other object related to the subject can all be extremely useful if they need to study for an exam or interview.
The best way to determine whether or not you or another individual is a tactile learner is to ask yourself or the other individual some simple questions. First, when you are checking over an essay that you have written, do you take a pen or pencil and actually rewrite words several times to see if the words feel right? Secondly, when you have to learn to use something new, do you just want everyone to get out of the way and let you use it? Finally, do you find yourself using movements and hand gestures when you are attempting to explain something? If the answer to all three of these questions is "yes," or if you find that you perform other activities in similar ways, there is a very good chance that you are a tactile learner.

Activists:

Activists like to be involved in new experiences and are enthusiastic about new ideas. They enjoy doing things and tend to act first and consider the implications afterwards. They are unlikely to prepare for the learning experience or review their learning afterwards.

Activists learn best when:

• involved in new experiences
• problems and opportunities
• working with others in team tasks or role-playing
• being thrown in the deep end with a difficult task
• chairing meetings, leading discussions

Activists learn less when:

• listening to lectures or long explanations
• reading, writing or thinking on their own
• absorbing and understanding data
• following precise instruction to the letter

Pragmatists

Pragmatists are eager to try things out. They like concepts that can be applied to their job. They tend to be impatient with lengthy discussions and are practical and down to earth.

Pragmatists learn best when:

• there is a link between the topic and job
• they have the chance to try out techniques
• they are shown techniques with obvious advantages such as saving time
• they are shown a model they can copy

Pragmatists learn less when:

• there is no obvious or immediate benefit that they can recognise
• there is no practice or guidelines on how to do it
• there is no apparent benefit to the learning
• the event or learning is 'all theory'