Understanding Learning Styles for Corporate Trainers

Learning Styles and Preferences Introduction:

As a new corporate trainer 👩‍🏫, one of the biggest challenges you’ll face is delivering training that resonates with diverse learners 🌍. People absorb and process information in different ways 🧠. Understanding these different ways and being able to adapt to your learners’ needs can help you deliver engaging, effective training sessions 🎯. In this blog post, we will dissect two widely recognized models of adult learning styles and preferences and explore some tips and tricks 🧰for leveraging them to enhance your training sessions.

The VARK Model: Four Learning Preferences 🔄

If you weren’t familiar with the name, you’re most likely familiar with the model 📘. Developed by Neil Fleming, the VARK model categorizes learners into four primary styles: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic, or VARK for short.

1. Visual Learners 👁️‍🗨️

• Prefer images, diagrams, charts, and infographics 🖼️.
• Benefit from slide decks with clear visuals, mind maps 🧭, and process flows.
• Video content 📹 is an additional helpful medium.

2. Auditory Learners 🎧

• Learn best through listening and discussions 🗣️.
• Benefit from storytelling 📖, verbal explanations, and group discussions 👥.
• Podcasts, lectures 🎤, and Q&A sessions are helpful mediums.

3. Reading/Writing Learners ✍️📖

• Prefer reading text and writing notes.
• Benefit from detailed handouts 📄, written instructions 📝, and reports.
• E-books, manuals 📚, and reflective writing exercises are all helpful mediums.

4. Kinesthetic Learners 🛠️

• Learn best through hands-on experiences and real-world applications 🚗.
• Benefit from role-playing 🎭, case studies, and interactive activities 🎲.
• Simulations, live demonstrations 👀, and job shadowing are all helpful mediums.

While this model has been touted as being a categorization for the type of learner that individuals fall into, this isn’t actually what the model is suggesting. The model suggests that learners have preferences for certain styles of learning delivery methods that resonate with them the most 💬. These preferences are typically consistent with what comes easiest to them from a learning standpoint. This means visual learners aren’t strictly limited to learning in a visual format, just as kinesthetic learners aren’t limited to learning only from hands-on lessons 🧩.

It’s also important to recognize that a learning preference may not always align with the most effective method of driving home a key learning objective 🛣️. For instance, consider training someone to back a car into the first position on a nine-car hauler semi-truck 🚛 (which I happen to have some experience with). For those unfamiliar, a nine-car hauler is a semi-truck with a trailer designed to transport up to nine cars 🚙🚗🚙. Position one is the car that sits atop the semi’s cabin 🛻. Backing a car onto it, with just one-and-a-half foot (45 cm) wide ramps on each side for the tires, can be challenging ⚠️. Suffice it to say that even if your learning preference is reading/writing, the most effective way to learn this skill is kinesthetic—actually getting into a car and backing it up 🔁.

Even better, combine multiple approaches:

• Discuss it in a lecture-style format 🗣️
• Share handouts 🧾
• Show videos 🎞️
• Have a trainer demonstrate 👨‍🏫
• Then get trainees into the driver’s seat 🚘

Honey & Mumford’s Learning Styles 🎓

Peter Honey and Alan Mumford expanded on Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle 🔄 to define four learning styles based on how individuals process experiences 💡. They are the following:

1. Activists 🚀

• Learn by doing; they thrive on new experiences and challenges 💥.
• Prefer group work, brainstorming sessions 💭, and problem-solving tasks 🧩.
• Training Application: Workshops, role-playing 🎭, hands-on tasks 🛠️.

2. Reflectors 🪞

• Learn by observing 👀 and thinking before acting.
• Prefer watching demonstrations and analyzing case studies 📊.
• Training Application: Self-paced learning ⏳, recorded sessions 📹, feedback discussions 🗣️.

3. Theorists 🧠

• Learn by understanding the underlying concepts and frameworks.
• Prefer structured learning, models 📐, and logical explanations 🧾.
• Training Application: Data-driven presentations 📈, models, and structured discussions 🗂️.

4. Pragmatists 🛠️

• Learn by applying knowledge in practical situations 🧪.
• Prefer real-world examples 🌍 and trial-and-error learning 🔁.
• Training Application: Job simulations 🖥️, mentoring 🤝, applied learning projects 📁.

Just like with the VARK model, the best way to drive home a key learning objective may not always be a learner’s preferred learning style ⚠️. In fact, some approaches that activists really enjoy and take a lot from may be very uncomfortable for others, like reflectors 😬.

It’s best to deliver training that uses a variety of methods that cater to a variety of learning styles 🎯. It’s also important to remember that one touch with one method on a key learning objective often won’t transfer the knowledge or skills your learners need 📚.

For example, imagine you delivered a twenty-minute live-instructor-led lecture 🧑‍🏫 on how to build a feedback form in Google Forms. After you complete the lecture, can you really expect your learners to walk out of the room knowing exactly how to build a form with no further instructions? Probably not ❌.

On the other hand, what if you deliver a quick five-minute deck 📊 on what Microsoft Forms is, why, and how the participants should be using it? Then, you do a demonstration 🖱️ of building a form highlighting some basic features. After that, you break the group up into teams 👥 and have them research 🔍 where they can find resources on how to use the tool. Then, finally, have them build a sample form to present back to the group 📤.

After all of that, can you expect learners to walk out of the room able to build a Microsoft form? I think so ✅. If done properly, you can also expect them to know when and why to use it!

This is exactly what you should consider when delivering training using various methods that cater to different learning styles 🧭.

Learning Styles and Preferences Conclusion:

As a corporate trainer 👔, your goal is not just to dump information on your groups 📢 but to ensure that your learners truly absorb and apply what they’ve learned 💪. While understanding learning styles can help tailor your approach, the most effective training programs use a mix of methods 🔀.

By incorporating multiple learning styles into your sessions, you create a more inclusive and engaging experience 🌈 that enhances retention and practical application 🚀.

1. Mix It Up: Incorporate elements that cater to all learning styles in your sessions 🔄.
2. Use Assessments: Ask learners about their preferences before or after training to help you tailor your approach 📋.
3. Encourage Flexibility: Provide multiple ways for learners to engage with content 📚.
4. Leverage Technology: Use simulations, multimedia, and interactive platforms 💻 to support different styles.

Stay away from rigidly categorizing learners 🚫. Instead, think of these models as tools 🧰 to guide your delivery. Be flexible, experiment with different approaches 🧪, and, most importantly, observe how your learners respond 👂.

The best training sessions are the ones that meet learners where they are 📍 and empower them to grow beyond their preferences 🌱. So, as you plan your next training, challenge yourself: How can you blend different methods to maximize impact? 🎯

Want to know more about adult learning? Check out Malcolm Knowles’s work here.

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