People learn throughout their lives, and in a thousand ways. We can learn through words, images, experiences, people… Thus, there are many types and styles of learning, depending on their characteristics and the stimuli that make this process possible.

Generally, each person has a learning style that makes learning easier. Today we are going to talk about a very specific type of learning: visual learning . But, how do we know that "our" learning style is the visual one? What exactly does it consist of, and what are some of its examples? What are its characteristics and advantages? We will answer all these questions in this article, and we will also find out what two other learning styles exist.

The process of learning

Although most people can learn in different ways depending on the context, we do not all learn the same, and many people learn better in one way or another .

If we also extrapolate this issue to the field of intellectual disability, for example, even more specifications arise, since many of these children learn better in a particular way (for example, through sight, touch…), showing difficulties in learning through other areas (although this should be analyzed on a case-by-case basis).

What happens when we learn better through one sense than another? In these cases, it would be ideal to maximize this type of learning in particular, without forgetting, of course, the other senses. Being able to identify our best way of learning will allow us to maximize our learning.

There are people who learn best through the sense of hearing (for example, by listening to the teacher’s explanations, others through words (reading), others through experience… what about people who learn best through sight?

First of all, it is good to know, to take advantage of it; once we know, our task as teachers, psycho-pedagogues or other professionals in the sector, and even as parents, is to prepare and/or adapt material to enhance visual learning . But what exactly does this consist of? Let’s look at it.

Visual learning: what is it?

Visual learning is a type of learning that is done from visual stimuli ; this includes, from images, to pictograms, graphic organizers, concept maps, colors… The aim of this type of learning, which is also a teaching method, is to help students or pupils consolidate a series of ideas through the sense of sight.

It is therefore a method that focuses on vision (and at the same time, visual memory).

Advantages and characteristics

The advantages of visual learning is that many students who have this more developed sense in their way of processing concepts , or simply, that they are better at studying by diagrams/images, or that they have a good visual memory, can benefit more from this type of learning.

1. Global information

On the other hand, it is a teaching method that allows the information to be identified much more quickly and comprehensively. The use of colours, for example, can increase its effectiveness.

2. Relations between concepts

Another advantage of visual learning is that allows you to visualize patterns and relationships between concepts and/or ideas more quickly , through diagrams or organizers, for example. All this facilitates a greater internalization of information.

3. Visual memory

Visual learning, as we have seen, is ideal for working with children or adults with a good visual memory. It is a type of learning that enhances this type of memory, and also, allows working with children with difficulties in other areas but with a good visual memory (for example children with certain intellectual disabilities).

Examples

Let’s look at some examples of the elements or strategies most commonly used to enhance a type of visual learning (although there are more).

1. Concept maps

Concept maps imply a very visual organization of information ; they allow, in relation to some subject, to compare ideas, to organize concepts…

To be understood a little better; these are schemes where information is grouped by concepts or categories in “boxes”, and where these “boxes” are related to each other through arrows, for example.

2. Time lines

Timelines are another example of a technique used in visual learning; they are linear patterns that allow different facts or elements to be placed along a chain or timeline , as their name suggests. They are ideal for working with historical periods, for example.

3. Cause and effect diagrams

Cause-effect diagrams, also a visual learning technique, are representations of different elements that explain the origin of some situation or effect .

4. Idea maps

The idea maps allow to relate different concepts through arrows, drawings, “drawers”… they offer a very global information in relation to some subject.

How do we know that we learn best visually?

As we saw at the beginning of the article, each person learns best through a certain sense (although there will also be people who learn the same way with one sense or another).

But how do we know if our learning style is visual? Here you will find a series of guidelines that will allow you to determine, if it is, that your learning style is visual :

  • You’re a very observant person.
  • You have a special facility for remembering pictures (and videos).
  • You have a lot of imagination and you generate vivid images in your mind.
  • You have a good visual memory.
  • Pictures and diagrams are good for you to study and memorize.
  • You have difficulty remembering or explaining verbal information.
  • You think more of pictures than words.

Other learning styles: auditory and kinesthetic

Beyond the visual learning style, there are other learning styles. Broadly speaking, there are two more: auditory learning and kinesthetic learning.

1. Auditory learning

People with an auditory learning style are characterised by a better memory of the information offered in an oral/auditory way (for example through the explanations of the teacher).

In other words, they rely, above all, on the sense of hearing, to learn. This is an ideal style for learning languages and music.

2. Kinesthetic learning

The kinesthetic learning style, on the other hand, is characterized by being based on sensations and movements . People with this style learn better through the body, through movement, caresses, touch… it is a more experiential and “practical” type of learning, if we compare it to visual or auditory learning.

It is a “slower” style, in comparison to the latter two, but it generates deeper learning, as emotions are often involved in it.

Bibliographic references:

  • Cid, F.M., Suazo, A.G., Ferro, E.G. and González, J.A. (2012). Visual, auditory or kinesthetic learning styles of physical education students at UISEK in Chile. Revista Electrónica de Psicología Iztacala, 15(2): 405-415.
  • Ojeda Cabrera, A., Cuéllar, D., González, L. et al. (2007). Concept maps: a powerful tool for meaningful learning. Acimed, 15(5): 1-12.