Analysing the Difference in Adult Learning Styles

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Analyzing the Difference in Adult Learning Styles

When attending school as an adult, an individual may have questioned whether they still have the ability to learn new things. Adults have the tendency to question themselves, even though experience has made them great learners. How can a child, adolescent or teen have the level of expertise an adult has obtained through years of experience? Androgogy is a term used to recognize the maturity of the learner. The adult learner is different because they participate actively, utilize past experiences and collaborate between instructor and student.

Knowing how each individual learns is the key to success when returning to school. There are three basic types of learning styles, visual learners, tactile learners, and auditory learners.

According to ICS Cleaning Specialist, Nov 2002 v40 i11 p14 (2), 55% of the population are visual learners. Visual learners learn most effectively when charts, graphs, maps, etc.,

are available. Visual learners should look at the instructor when they are speaking, participate in classroom discussion, and take notes during lectures.

Tactile learners are people who learn best by doing. These learners rely on touch, taste, smell, and feelings to learn well. Tactile learners often take notes during a lecture, but never look at them again. ICS Cleaning Specialist, Nov 2002 v40 i11 p14 (2), states that tactile learners make up 24% of the population.

Auditory learners learn by listening. ICS Cleaning Specialist, Nov 2002 v40 i11 p14 (2), has 21% of the population as auditory learners. Auditors learn best from sounds of voice tone, as well as volume. Auditory learners should read aloud, go over notes they have taken and talk to themselves about key points.

No one learner is locked into a specific category of how to learn. Learning is based on how the individual brain processes...