7 Adult Learning Styles: Getting the Most Out of Your Continuing Education Experience

If going back to school sounds like a daunting task, and you're worried that you may not be able to retain all of the information that you need to pass your classes, then you just need to remember that adults learn differently than children. Those who've been out of school for years and are heading back to college after time in the workforce need to understand the different ways in which adults learn, so they can be successful. It's important to find out how you learn best so that you can use the related methods to get as much out of your coursework as possible.

1) Kinesthetic Learners

Do you learn better by doing something than by reading about it? If so, then you're a kinesthetic learner. You'll need do a task hands-on, rather than just listen to a lecture, in order to learn how to do it. A kinesthetic learner might find that they need to participate in activities and use movement and a trial and error process to actively learn, rather than just passively receiving information.

2) Intrapersonal Learners

As the title implies, an intrapersonal learner needs to process the information taught by themselves, rather than in a group. If you find that going over your notes and re-reading chapters of the textbook when you're all alone and it's quiet helps you retain the material, then you're an intrapersonal learner.

3) Interpersonal Learners

On the opposite end of the spectrum are interpersonal learners. These students learn best in a group setting, as they use things like social cues and conversation in order to remember what they're being taught. They benefit more from participating in study groups or talking things out than by taking notes to study by themselves.

4) Linguistic Learners

Words have power and meaning to you. You love to read and remember a good portion of what's in your textbooks. If you want to remember what was taught in class, you take comprehensive notes and then go over them later on.

5) Auditory Learners

Similar to interpersonal learners, auditory learners pick up on information by hearing it spoken aloud. Lectures, videos and even recorded books help them learn. Like the interpersonal learners, auditory learners benefit more from listening and speaking than from taking written notes.

6) Visual Learners

A visual learner needs to have a picture of something that they're learning about. For example, if they're learning about history, then maps and illustrations will help. While taking notes can help, especially if the learner can connect the words with images, in most cases, they learn by seeing what they’re learning about.

7) Logical Learners

If you find that you need to break certain things down into steps in order to learn them properly, you're likely a logical learner. Rather than looking at the entire picture as a whole, these learners know how to break things down and use related methods in order to remember the information that they've been taught.

Once you identify how you learn best, you will be more successful in the classroom with all your academic efforts. Ready to take your education and your career to the next level? Learn more about our School of Continuing Studies, which was designed specifically for a