It’s true… People learn in different ways. Of course, when I was growing up, the education system was built on the principle that everyone learns by reading books (textbooks) and listening to lectures. (From what I understand, this position is slowing changing, at least in the US education system.)
But, while it’s one thing to recognize that people learn in different ways, not everyone understands how he/she learns. I found a very helpful infographic in the article “You Learn One of These Five Ways“. Now, to be fair, I don’t think it’s true that you learn in just one way. I think there may be a preferred method of learning for each person, but it’s possible for someone to learn something in each of the five ways… in spite of the fidgeting and eyerolling and everything else that happens during your “non-preferred” method of teaching/learning. On the other hand, it’s also possible that people learn different subject matters in different ways.
Having said all that, I still think this is a very good infographic, and a great place to start:
Based on the infographic (the first time through, anyway), I’m a kinesthetic learner… although I think I lean heavily toward the multimodal learner.
What do you think? Does the infographic disclose your preferred method of learning? Do you agree with what that learning style means for you?
Beyond understanding the favorite way to learn by the learner, another mix in all this is that different concepts are better received in different ways. Not all information is equally simple or complex. When you go beyond the purely cerebral kinds of learning which include the spiritual you are into even another arena of receiving truth. God has not left us to figure out what we think might be the best way to bring spiritual transformation. He certainly did not tell us to lecture the Word in season and out of season, nor lecture the saints to do the work of the ministry, nor lecture my sheep. The “wisdom of this age” has certainly shoved that one into the dominant practice of hired Bible experts. God knows how we learn best to know and do what He has asked. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.when we all prepare to be part of the teaching dynamic.” Col. 3:16 We learn and practice the truth best when:
1. We are ALL part of the teaching team so that we prepare personally with God’s word to teach.
2. We deliver what we learned in full mutual and intimacy dynamic.
3. We expect to respond to what others say and respond to what others respond to what we teach
3. We sing what we learn in a variety of singing dynamics.
4. We teach, respond, and sing with thankfulness to God.
Who could guess that the preferred dynamic for spiritual truth distribution by the greatest Bible scholars of the day and the last 4 centuries would be the pulpit and pew orientation, which is the exact opposite of these instructions?
Well, when people who learn primarily in one way build the structures to educating others, it’s not surprise that they choose to teach in that one method. I think that’s true in business, education, the church, etc.