E-course
Developing meta-learning awareness
Module 1 | Unit 7
Introduction
The goal of meta-learning awareness is to learn how to learn more effectively. To reach your full learning potential, you need to understand the way in which you learn, and, most importantly, what techniques, methods and principles work for you. This way, you will understand yourself and see what needs to be changed or improved in your learning process. This awareness leads to enhanced learning skills and more effective use of your time spent on acquiring new knowledge. This said, not everyone has the same learning needs, so learners are usually divided into different types -the best known are visual (learning by seeing, auditory (learning by listening), kinaesthetic (learning by moving), and logical/mathematical learners. Even though this is not a strict division, the easiest starting point for developing your meta-learning awareness is finding out which type you can associate with most, in other words, what your dominant learning style is. If you’d like to find out what type of learner you are, you can take a free test on this website and determine what type of learning might be best for you.
Getting started
Tips
Visual learning style
Visual learners tend to learn better when they are presented with a visual representation of the information. They prefer to use maps, graphs, diagrams and charts when they learn, which helps them memorize better. Using different colour markers also helps, as every colour can become associated with different type of information.
One of the best visual learning methods is a mind map, which can help you visually organize the newly acquired knowledge like a puzzle piece. When creating a mind map, you start with one general topic and then you branch it into smaller subtopics that can be organized and represented using visual items, like colours or images.
You can find a printable mind map template at the end of the article. Feel free to add more branches and adjust it according to your needs.
Auditory learning style
Auditory learners prefer learning by hearing or speaking, which means they memorize information better through sound, music or even rhythms. They also sort out and understand information better when they say them out loud. These types of learners can benefit from any activity that include talking, like lectures, interactive discussions, or podcasts. Some auditory learners listen to music to help them concentrate, while others even form rhymes to remember certain information.
If you consider yourself to be an auditory learner, you can try one of the techniques mentioned above, or find a study buddy online. Through communities like HelloTalk or Chatterbug try to find someone who is studying approximately the same thing as you are and teach each other what you know. Repeating information out loud and explaining to someone what you have just learned are one of the most useful learning techniques for auditory learning style.
The person should be learning the same language as you are and be at the same language level, if possible. Meet on video call and teach each other the last lesson you learned. Teaching others is one of the best ways to learn!
Kinaesthetic learning style
Kinaesthetic learners use hands, body, and sense of touch to help them learn. They prefer learning through movement, which is why they tend to memorize better when they are provided with a practical experience or a simulation. Kinaesthetic learners enjoy a hands-on approach to learning, meaning they like doing fun project activities and physically recreate what they have learned.
While learning a new lesson, try to memorize new information by moving around your room, speaking out loud and using hand gestures, if you feel like doing that. Or use small movement and actions, like bouncing a ball against the wall. Movement can increase your energy, boost your memory, and help you stay focused.
Logical (mathematical) learning style
For logical learners, learning is easier with logic, reasoning and systematic organization of knowledge. They like to organize study materials in sections and introduce them in a certain order and tend to learn through structured, goal-oriented activities. Logical learners can understand certain patterns of information and they also prefer to use visual grids, maps and charts.
Organizing your information into smaller, logical sections are great if you are a logical learner. Another useful technique is setting up a list of daily learning goals that can help you keep track of your progress and systematize your knowledge.
However, keep in mind that this distinction of learning styles is not a strict one – a person can have more than one learning styles. The only important thing is that you find what learning methods suit you best and implement them into your learning process to make the most out of your self-learning journey.
Combining learning styles
Most people learn while combining different styles. Therefore, if you like to learn while listening to the music, reading a book and at the same time using colours and making notes, you are combining different styles of learning. Some people like to hold a book and walk around the room, while others like to rock in their chairs while listening to teachers. All of this means that we are combining different ways to learn, and this method has also proven to be most effective.
Rarely anyone learns just by looking at information unless they have a photographic memory. Some people need to move to think. So next time someone tells you not to rock in your chair while absorbing new information, let them know that this is your way of focusing best. It all comes down to making yourself aware of what works best for you and adjusting your learning style to your own individual needs. But every change comes with awareness, so take notice of the ways you learn, explore them a bit further, and find what suits you best.
Click here to download PRINTABLE MINDMAP TEMPLATE
More resources
Practical tasks
To enhance your visual learning style, it is always good to present any material you are learning through mind maps (examples below). Especially if they are colourful. Any material can be connected through mind maps into categories that are much easier to remember since they are presented visually.
To boost your learning as an auditory learner, a great way to learn would be to write a summary of your lesson and then record yourself reading it. Record 5 lessons. Listen to the recording for better memorization while riding a bus, driving your car, or just walking to the supermarket.
Kinaesthetic learners will enjoy a “hands-on” approach which involves them directly in the learning process by actively participating in it. Therefore, you can take a text, cut it in smaller pieces, mix them and then paste them on walls around the room. After that you can walk around the room, read the text, and decide what the exact order of the text is. After that, copy the whole text, writing it down by walking to the wall and back. Check the whole text by pasting it back together. Check the order, check the spelling. Correct any mistakes you have made.
To drive your “logical learner” side, divide your learning in sections, use grids and charts. Number the lessons and decide on the goal of each lesson. Create such a learning material for 10 lessons.
Drama is one of the best ways to engage all learning styles. So, bring some drama into your life! Pick your favourite character or a scene from your favourite book or a movie and act it out. This way you will be implementing visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning styles.
Unit test
