The visual learning it is one of the three learning styles described by Neil D. Fleming, a psychologist who created what is known as the "VAK model of knowledge acquisition." It is the most common form of learning among the general population, and therefore it is one of the most encouraged both at school and in other educational settings..
People who use visual learning need to see information in order to understand and memorize it. However, they can do this in many ways and using several different skills, including some such as spatial perception, photographic memory, or the distinction between tones and contrasts..
At an educational level, visual learning is fostered through the use of objects such as slides, blackboards, charts, and maps. The student himself can use techniques such as diagramming or colored underlining to memorize information, which will give him much better results than simply repeating what he wants to learn.
According to some theories and versions of the VAK model, visual learning also involves a series of characteristics related to personality and way of thinking. However, the lack of scientific evidence regarding these statements means that not all professionals in the field of psychology agree with them..
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Visual learning is the most common of the three possible styles, the other two being auditory and kinesthetic. Due to this, people who mainly use this method to acquire new information tend to have more facilities than the rest to learn and function in a normal educational context..
People who use visual learning as their main way of acquiring knowledge share a series of cognitive and personality characteristics that make them easily distinguishable from individuals belonging to other groups. Next we will see some of the most important.
Spatial intelligence is one of the nine cognitive abilities described in Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. It is about the ability to mentally manipulate images, to orient oneself in space and to visualize elements using the imagination..
Thus, for example, individuals with a visual learning style have a great facility to find their way in an unfamiliar environment and to follow directions. In addition, they can usually visualize objects without difficulties, so they are good in professions such as architecture and design.
They generally have a great capacity for organization, and are able to notice details that go unnoticed by other people. Normally, they also have a highly developed sense of aesthetics and color, so they tend to choose professions related to visual creativity, fashion or design.
One of the main problems of people with a visual learning style is that they have a hard time retaining the information that has come to them through the ear. In this way, certain educational formats such as master classes (where a teacher dictates notes or gives a talk on a specific topic) are not very helpful to these individuals..
On the contrary, when classes are supported by visual materials, people with this learning style are usually able to retain information much more effectively. Thus, the use of slides, diagrams, diagrams, images, videos and photographs increase the ease with which these individuals can learn what they need..
According to some of the VAK model theorists, core learning style affects not only the way we retain information, but many more areas of our lives. In the case of visual people, possibly their most remarkable characteristic is the greater speed with which they act when compared with those belonging to other groups.
This feature can be seen in many different settings. For example, visual people tend to move faster than everyone else, and their movements are also faster. On a cognitive level, your thoughts are usually much faster than normal, which sometimes results in vocalization or speech problems.
Finally, some proponents of the VAK model claim that people with a visual learning style can be recognized because they have a higher tone of voice and tend to speak more quickly and by gesturing a lot with their hands. However, this theory is not accepted by all students of this theory..
If you are a person who primarily uses visual learning, many of the study strategies that are recommended may not be effective for you. For example, making summaries or simply reading the syllabus will not be very useful, since these are strategies designed especially for hearing individuals..
However, simply by using a series of simple strategies you can make it much easier to retain information. Some of the most effective are the following:
- Use colors to highlight the most important information.
- Create visual aids in which you capture the relationship between concepts. Some of the most useful techniques in this regard are diagrams, schematics, and concept maps..
- Use an agenda and write in it the tasks you have to do, in a short and visual way.
- Study alone. Because you are guided primarily by sight, noises can easily distract you and cause you to lose concentration..
- Look for videos or slides that explain what you are trying to learn. In this sense, the Internet can be very useful to improve your academic results..
Next we will see some activities that people with a visual learning system can do to improve their results in the academic field.
If you are primarily a visual person, some subjects can be very complicated because they are based mainly on hearing. This is especially noticeable in language learning, since to acquire another language it is necessary to memorize sounds and relate the words of your mother tongue with those of the new one simply using this sense..
To help you learn a new language more easily, one of the most useful tools if you are a visual person is to use flashcards. These are small cardboard boxes in which on one side you write the word you want to learn in the new language, and on the other you make a small visual representation of its meaning.
For example, if you wanted to learn vocabulary about animals in a new language, you would have to create several cards with pictures of each of them on one side, and their name in the new language on the other. Then, your mission would be to take one of these cards at random and be able to remember the word in the new language just by looking at the picture.
Concept maps are one of the least used tools by most students in formal education. However, they can become one of your most powerful tools if you are a visual person and have difficulty memorizing pure information..
What is a concept map? It is a schematic representation in which the information that needs to be learned is reduced to a few words or phrases, which are then related to each other with lines, colors, and other visual aids. In this way, it is possible to get the basic information on a topic at a glance..
For example, if you have to memorize a topic about World War II, a good concept map would include only the most important data, such as dates and the events that occurred on each of them. Then, using lines and arrows, you could relate them all together to get a rough idea of what happened during this conflict..
This video explains in a practical way how to make a concept map:
One of the biggest problems that people with a visual learning style often have is that they have trouble staying focused and motivated when faced with tasks that require the use of other senses. Thus, for example, studying for an exam can be really tedious for these individuals, who tend to be distracted and dedicate themselves to something more stimulating..
To avoid this difficulty, one of the best possible strategies is to use visual reminders of both the tasks you have to complete and why you have decided to do them. Thus, for example, you can use an agenda to write in a list everything you have to complete, or use a board with notes to have it even more visible.
On the other hand, thinking of a reward for when you complete your tasks and giving yourself a visual reminder of it can be very useful to motivate you when you are about to get distracted. For example, a photograph of your favorite dessert can be used to encourage you to finish what you are doing and thus be able to enjoy it..
Although visual learning is not useful for all tasks or subjects, the truth is that it can be used successfully in a large number of different areas. Some of the most important are the following:
- Graphic design.
- plastic arts.
- Architectures and engineering.
- Sports (especially those related to hitting moving objects).
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