Perceptual Learning Styles: Examples and Insights

Our senses allow us to perceive the world around us. This process can be thought of as perceptual learning, or the taking in of information from the environment through the body's senses. There are seven specific methods through which people learn, with each relying on one sense more than the others. We all know that we have five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell.

Perceptual learners learn through their senses. It is important to remember that these are continua, not either-or choices. How we perceive information and experiences (how we take information and experiences in) varies along a continuum from “direct experience” to “abstract conceptualization.” We perceive something new through our senses-direct experience, and then we use our cognitive abilities to identify the new thing-abstract conceptualization.

How we process information and experiences (what we do with new information and experiences) varies along a continuum from “reflective observation” to “active experimentation.” We process our experiences by reflecting about them, filtering new learning through our experiences. The combination of how you perceive and process information and experiences forms your unique learning style.

Let's imagine a teacher, Mrs. Hesher, is considering using perceptual learning methods in her history class. If Mrs. Hesher wants to accommodate all perceptual learning modes in her unit on the Roman Empire, how could she do it? Let's investigate each one.

Debunking the Myth of Learning Styles: Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Learners

Types of Perceptual Learners

McCarthy (2000, 1980) describes the interplay between the two continua by referring to a clock. The learning process flows around the learning cycle just as hands move around a clock. She refers to 12 o’clock as the sensory or “me” place. Learning begins at “me” where we sense our world (direct experience) and moves to 3 o’clock where we reflect about it and assimilate it. This enables us to examine our experience and conceptualize it. After we experience and conceptualize it, we try it out to see if we can make some personal meaning out of this experience.

We move to 9 o’clock where we transform the idea or concept through active experimentation. Finally, we return to the “me” place with our new direct experience. We integrate our experience, reflections, conceptualizations and actions together, shaping them into something new. We internalize it and adapt it. We are transformed. We have learned. And it is 11:59! This flow from experience to reflection, conceptualization and experimentation forms a spiraling learning cycle that begins and ends with “me”. The complete cycle is more important than any one part of it. Within the cycle, there is no hierarchy. Each completed cycle leads to more learning and the cycle continues in a spiral mode. We make meaning, form concepts, take actions, and adapt new behaviors. However, we tend to be more comfortable with some parts of the cycle than others.

Here are the main types of perceptual learners:

• Visual Learners
• Aural Learners
• Kinesthetic Learners
• Haptic Learners
• Interactive Learners
• Olfactory Learners
• Print-Oriented Learners

Visual Learners

About 65% of the entire population learn best through perceiving information through their eyes. There are actually two types of perceptual learners that depend on their eyes: visual learners and print-oriented learners. Visual learners are those that need to see something to learn it. Basically, visual learners need to see and observe in order to learn. In math, for instance, they might need to watch an example be worked for them before they're able to comprehend a math problem.

Mrs. Hesher should consider playing a movie depicting Ancient Rome and the Roman Empire, or showing lots of pictures of the Roman Empire to her class to accommodate the visual learners.

Different types of learning styles

Aural Learners

Even though this scenario seems to be a standard form of educating, only about 30% of the population actually learn best through listening. The bulk of education is presented verbally with an instructor at the front of the classroom and students sitting in chairs listening to the information. Aural learners take in information best when they hear it.

To support aural learners, Mrs. Heshner could give a traditional lecture on the Roman Empire.

Kinesthetic and Haptic Learners

Once again, there are two distinct learning styles that rely on our body's sense of touch. Approximately 5% of the population can be considered to be either kinesthetic or haptic learners. While this doesn't seem like a large number, remember that in a school with 1,000 students, 50 will fit into this category. Those 50 students deserve to have their specific means of learning accommodated just like the rest of students.

Haptic learners are experiential learners; they need to experience something to really learn it. They need to be able to hold, touch, and manipulate it to incorporate the information into their long-term memory. They might need to use blocks to experience math concepts before understanding how to add and subtract, or use sand writing techniques to begin the writing process.

Interactive Learners

While taste isn't specific to our forms of learning, using the mouth by way of talking is specific to a form of perceptual learning. Interactive learners need to be able to talk about what they're learning. They need to be able to express ideas or predictions, hear and respond to other's ideas, and share feelings about what they're learning. Without this time of reflection on the concepts, interactive learners have a difficult time retaining information.

Small-group discussions are a great way for Mrs. Hesher to support her interactive learners while offering all students another avenue to investigate and explore the concepts of the Roman Empire.

Olfactory Learners

Olfactory learners are those that associate learned information with smells present at the time of learning. Research shows that the sense of smell and memory are strongly tied together, so being able to connect a smell with learned information can be a key to learning for some people.

To support olfactory learners, Mrs. Hesher might use an oil diffuser to add a specific Italian-themed scent to the room during information presentation and during any testing; the smell will trigger the information.

The Myth of Learning Styles

The truth is, while people may have a preference for how they learn, learning things with their preferred method of learning does not help them learn more effectively than other methods of learning. Visual learners claim to be people who learn more effectively through pictures, charts, graphs, and videos. Auditory learners claim to be people who learn more effectively through lectures, audio books, and podcasts. Kinesthetic learners claim to be people who learn more effectively through moving around, working with their hands, or acting things out.

There is overwhelming research evidence showing that when instructors adjust their teaching to account for learners’ preferred learning styles, it does not impact learning. This means that there is no such thing as a visual learner. While some people might have a preference to learn visually, anyone* can learn visually, just like anyone* can learn auditorily or kinesthetically.

Learning Style	Description	Examples
Visual	Learns best by seeing and observing.	Watching videos, looking at pictures, using charts and graphs.
Aural	Learns best by hearing information.	Listening to lectures, audio books, participating in discussions.
Kinesthetic	Learns best by moving and doing.	Hands-on activities, experiments, physical movement.
Haptic	Learns best by touching and manipulating objects.	Using blocks, tactile materials, building models.
Interactive	Learns best by discussing and interacting with others.	Group discussions, debates, collaborative projects.
Olfactory	Learns best by associating information with smells.	Using specific scents during learning sessions.
Print-Oriented	Learns best through reading and writing.	Reading textbooks, taking notes, writing essays.