The term "learning styles" speaks to the understanding that every person learns differently. Technically, an individual’s learning style refers to the preferential way in which a person absorbs, processes, comprehends and retains information. For example, when learning how to build something, some people understand the process by seeing a demonstration first, others by following verbal instructions, others by reading the instructions, and others have to physically manipulate the clock themselves.
One of the most accepted understandings of learning styles is that student learning styles fall into three "categories:" Visual Learners, Auditory Learners and Kinesthetic Learners. These learning styles are found within educational theorist Neil Fleming’s VARK model of Student Learning. VARK is an acronym that refers to the four types of learning styles: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing Preference, and Kinesthetic.
Identifying your learning style as visual, auditory, reading/writing or kinesthetic, and aligning your study strategies with these learning styles, will prove to be beneficial for your learning experience.
Visual (V): This preference includes the depiction of information in maps, spider diagrams, charts, graphs, flow charts, labelled diagrams, and all the symbolic arrows, circles, hierarchies and other devices, that people use to represent what could have been presented in words. This mode could have been called Graphic (G) as that better explains what it covers. It does NOT include still pictures or photographs of reality, movies, videos or PowerPoint. It does include designs, whitespace, patterns, shapes and the different formats that are used to highlight and convey information. When a whiteboard is used to draw a diagram with meaningful symbols for the relationship between different things that will be helpful for those with a Visual preference. It must be more than mere words in boxes that would be helpful to those who have a Read/write preference.
Aural / Auditory (A): This perceptual mode describes a preference for information that is "heard or spoken." Learners who have this as their main preference report that they learn best from lectures, group discussion, radio, email, using mobile phones, speaking, web-chat and talking things through. Email is included here because; although it is text and could be included in the Read/write category (below), it is often written in chat-style with abbreviations, colloquial terms, slang and non-formal language. The Aural preference includes talking out loud as well as talking to oneself. Often people with this preference want to sort things out by speaking first, rather than sorting out their ideas and then speaking. They may say again what has already been said, or ask an obvious and previously answered question. They have need to say it themselves and they learn through saying it – their way.
Read/write (R): This preference is for information displayed as words. Not surprisingly, many teachers and students have a strong preference for this mode. Being able to write well and read widely are attributes sought by employers of graduates. This preference emphasizes text-based input and output – reading and writing in all its forms but especially manuals, reports, essays and assignments. People who prefer this modality are often addicted to PowerPoint, the Internet, lists, diaries, dictionaries, thesauri, quotations and words, words, words… Note that most PowerPoint presentations and the Internet, GOOGLE and Wikipedia are essentially suited to those with this preference as there is seldom an auditory channel or a presentation that uses Visual symbols.
Kinesthetic (K): By definition, this modality refers to the "perceptual preference related to the use of experience and practice (simulated or real)." Although such an experience may invoke other modalities, the key is that people who prefer this mode are connected to reality, "either through concrete personal experiences, examples, practice or simulation" [See Fleming & Mills, 1992, pp. 140-141]. It includes demonstrations, simulations, videos and movies of "real" things, as well as case studies, practice and applications. The key is the reality or concrete nature of the example. If it can be grasped, held, tasted, or felt it will probably be included. People with this as a strong preference learn from the experience of doing something and they value their own background of experiences and less so, the experiences of others. It is possible to write or speak Kinesthetically if the topic is strongly based in reality. An assignment that requires the details of who will do what and when, is suited to those with this preference, as is a case study or a working example of what is intended or proposed.
Source: http://vark-learn.com/introduction-to-vark/the-vark-modalities/
Flemings provides advice on how students can use their learning modalities and skills to their advantage when studying new material.
Visual Study Strategies
- Utilize graphic organizers such as charts, graphs and diagrams.
- Redraw your pages from memory.
- Replace important words with symbols or initials.
- Highlight important key terms in corresponding colors.
Aural Study Strategies
- Record your summarized notes and listen to them on tape.
- Talk it out. Have a discussion with others to expand upon your understanding of a topic.
- Reread your notes and/or assignment out loud.
- Explain your notes to your peers/fellow "aural" learners.
Read/Write Study Strategies
- Write, write and rewrite your words and notes.
- Reword main ideas and principles to gain a deeper understanding.
- Organize diagrams, charts, and graphic organizers into statements.
Kinesthetic Study Strategies
- Use real life examples, applications and case studies in your summary to help with abstract concepts.
- Redo lab experiments or projects.
- Utilize pictures and photographs that illustrate your idea.
Source: http://teach.com/what/teachers-teach/learning-styles
As you learn how to program, remember that you are learning a new language. There will be lots of new vocabulary in addition to the new concepts. The breadth and depth of the Computer Science field means that you should be learning every day that you are in the field. Learning how to learn is therefore one of the fundamental secrets to becoming a successful software developer. You need to understand how you process information best and how to tackle big (and small) problems.
For people that have been away from the classroom or learning for awhile, this can be a daunting task. As you work through this curriculum, you should try different strategies for absorbing the material and figure out what ways work best for you.
- Pre-Read the notes (if present) before you listen to or watch the lecture (if present). Optionally, highlight the pieces that you anticipate will be most challenging for you to absorb.
- Post-Read the notes (if present) after you listen to or watch the lecture (if present). Optionally, highlight the parts that were challenging to understand and make yourself notes with further explanations or examples.
- Before the lesson, write or review the learning goal for the lesson.
- After the lecture/notes, write down the main points of the lesson.
- After the lecture/notes, explain in layman terms the main points of the lesson to someone else.
- After the lecture/notes, try to write out a simple example code of your own using the same concepts.
- After the lecture/notes, find other example code online and comment it with your own explanation of what is happening.
- After the lecture/notes, try small exercise drills that reinforce the concept is a small bite-size way.
- While learning, keep a vocabulary sheet where you write down relevant new vocabulary and definitions in your own words.
- After you've moved forward in your learning, go back and redo an old assignment from scratch or refactor old code.
- Start by typing in code that you already know works. Make small, incremental changes to the code, predicting the output/change and then verifying if that assumption was correct.
- Ask someone else to walk you through their code without your computer in front of you. Listen attentively and ask questions. Only after you are finished listening and understanding, go back to your computer and utilize what you learned from them.
- Become a questioner. Engage yourself in lectures and discussions by asking questions. If you don’t ask questions, you will probably not discover what you do and do not know. Utilize online discussion forums and your peers as necessary.
- Look for interconnections. The content in every lesson is part of a SYSTEM of interconnected ideas, not a random list of things to memorize. Always relating new learning to previous learning.