The purpose of this paper is to identify and compare the meaning as well as the differences of two learning styles as they relate to both the academic and professional realm. I have chosen these two styles because I believe the majority of people are either visual or auditory learners. Each person has his or her own way of converting, processing, storing, and retrieving information (McWhorter 104). The way we connect the information is an important part of the learning process. .
Although we each have our own learning style, there is a common factor that exists in each one, stimulus (Learning 1419). Stimulus is something that incites, or quickens action, feeling or thought (Webster 1314). The stimulus acts as a signal that alerts one or more of our senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell). While all of the senses in any combination may be used in the learning process, each of us has a dominant method of learning (Wood 19). .
If we look at how visual learners gather and process information, we will likely see how much more they benefit from activities that require them to use their sight. In an academic setting, a visual learner may retain and understand more from reading a book or seeing a movie on a subject than they would from just listening to a lecture. If the instructor uses visual aids along with his or her lecture, the retention rate for the visual learner tends to be much higher (Miller 67). When a visual is given the opportunity to see the information being given they are able to process it in a way that works for them (Wood 41). If a visual learner is met with a instructor that uses a verbal teaching style, the student must find ways to connect the information. Some of those ways may be to draw pictures, excessive note taking, or by recording the lecture and listening to it a few times. While it is not impossible for a visual learner to learn from a teacher with different teaching styles, it can be a challenge.