diverse learning:

I wouldn't describe myself as a visual, hands-on or auditory learner, in fact, I tend to learn more as a result of reading and writing than anything else. But will acknowledge that I also do have some areas of learning from tactile cues. I can get the plot of movies much more easily if there are subtitles, and often found videos and "how to's" more useless than manuals. However, the three learning styles of visual, hands-on, and auditory are not all there is. The more I learn about education, the more I realize this. What I like most about the internet is the wide variety of content available to all learners. Take the following examples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbXzI-IAdSc http://www.wikihow.com/Tie-a-Tie While most might say that they are "visual" learners because the tie video is easier to process, it is clear that some tasks are much simpler when we have a visual aid. Obviously, the visual aspect of the video might be easier than an auditory one, but it really does depend on the task. There are musicians who, I am sure, "play by ear" (and have fine-tuned auditory skills), who also would see the visual tie reference as much easier than to read or listen to a tape about tying a tie. What if the video were a 2 hour dialogue of how to build a house? Wouldn't they rather follow a written or tactile guide? And are visual learners able to memorize, based on visual aids, something that is more intensive? Some people learn more quickly from a GPS voice navigator than a visual interactive map, those people might also appreciate the tie video over the written content. And in general, a lecturer with slides on an overhead projector can cause even the most visual of learners to lose focus, though they stay focused and intrigued when reading entertaining books. Because the visual, listening, and tactile learning styles are dependent on the task, they really tell us nothing about how people learn in a variety of contexts--which is why I tend to value assessments (including personality assessments) that measure learning styles in a more concrete and researched way.