Understanding learning styles is important. This applies for presenters in education and business settings.
It can make the difference between an impactful presentation and one that fails to land.
In this article, you will learn the different types of learning styles. You’ll also gain strategies on how to create presentations that address diverse learning styles.
What is a Learning Style?
First things first. Let’s begin by defining what is a learning style.
Learning styles are personal preferences for absorbing, retaining, and understanding information.
Most people may be unaware of what their learning styles are. That is, until they take some sort of a learning style assessment. It could also be pointed out to them by their teachers.
Although experts debate the validity of learning styles, it’s obvious that we learn differently from each other. Each of us has our own ways of comprehending and processing information.
We must also keep in mind that nobody falls into a single learning style. Rather, people tend to employ varying learning styles, in different degrees. And an individual’s learning style may even shift depending on the learning situation.
Students can optimize their learning by seeking teaching methods that appeal to them the most. Teachers and presenters can become more effective by catering to their audience’s learning styles.
Being aware of different learning styles will keep presenters from fixating on a single style. Instead, they can address diverse learners. By doing so, they become more effective and impactful.
Let’s dig deeper into each learning style. We’ll explain each style, describe their characteristics, and give examples.
Types of Learning and Their Characteristics
There isn’t just one learning style inventory. However, one of the most popular frameworks for learning styles is the VAK model. VAK stands for Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic.
1. Visual Learners
Visual learners learn best when information is presented through images. These could include pictures, videos, charts, diagrams, mind maps, and infographics.
For example, in a presentation about goal setting, visual learners would appreciate a flowchart showing the different steps of goal setting.
2. Auditory Learners
Auditory learners prefer information when it’s presented through the spoken word. They thrive with lectures, oral discussions, and audiobooks.
According to professor Willliam Bradford’s paper on the topic, approximately 30% of the population learn by hearing.
Going back to our example, auditory learners would want to hear a verbal explanation of the goal-setting flowchart.
3. Kinesthetic Learners
Kinesthetic learners thrive best with hands-on, tactile experiences and physical activities. They learn best by doing and moving.
Bradford estimates that 5% of the population are Kinesthetic or Experiential learners. “Clinical work, role-playing exercise, and moot court are their best instructional modalities,” he writes.
Kinesthetic learners would do well with a print out of the goal-setting flowchart. Even better: turn the flowchart into a jigsaw puzzle for participants to put together.
4. Read/Write Learners
Later on, the VAK framework was expanded into the VARK model. “R” stands for Read/Write.
Read/Write learners excel by reading written materials like articles and books, and by writing down information. Given our example, Read/Write learners would enjoy filling in a blank goal-setting flowchart.
Bradford estimates that 65% of the population “need to see what they are learning, and while they have difficulty following oral lectures they perform well at written assignments.”
Note that while he called this group “visual learners,” he was apparently also referring to Read/Write learners. In fact, some educators refer to reading and writing as the second visual style.
The Impact of Gender on Different Learning Styles
Researchers have found that learning styles can vary by gender.
Honigsfeld and Dunn found, for example, that male students tended to prefer peer interaction and kinesthetic activities than female students did.
Females also tended to learn through a variety of ways more than their male counterparts.
Interestingly, the researchers concluded that individual differences in learning styles were more distinct than gender differences.
In previous studies, when teaching was responsive to a variety of learning styles, students’ standardized test scores improved significantly. All that regardless of gender.
This speaks to the importance of being responsive to a variety of learning styles. It’s a better approach than trying to accommodate any single learning preference.
Why Learning Styles Matter for Presenters
Now we’re clear on how the different types of learning styles require different teaching approaches. This way it’s easier to understand why presenters must cater to different types of learners.
Incorporating a variety of teaching methods in a presentation helps information to resonate with the audience.
A presentation can fall flat if you neglect to consider your audience’s learning styles.
Different learning preferences encourages more active participation in your presentation. In contrast, it’s very disheartening to present to a room of people falling asleep or completely disconnected.
Catering to different learning styles also contributes to a diverse learning environment. This inclusive learning environment means every individual, regardless of their preferred mode of learning, feels seen and understood.
As a result, they’re more likely to value the learning experience.
3 Presentation Tips for Different Learning Styles
Now let’s dive into specific techniques to engage different learning styles in your presentation. These apply for in-person or virtual presentations.
1. Creating Presentations for Visual Learners
Visual learners require visual stimuli. Use plenty of visuals in your presentation, such as:
- pictures
- diagrams
- charts
- maps
- mind maps
- infographics
- icons
- emojis
- avatars
- memes
- GIFs
- flash cards
- videos
On top of that, use visual cues to organize ideas and highlight important points. These include:
- Color coding to categorize information
- Highlighters, lines, arrows, and other means of calling attention to key ideas
- Typography or varying fonts to reflect the hierarchy of ideas
2. Engaging Auditory Learners During Presentations
Auditory learners learn best through spoken words and sounds. They do well in traditional classrooms where lectures are the primary format. However, lectures are not the only auditory strategies you can use.
Employ a wide range of auditory content in your presentation, including:
- verbal explanations
- lectures
- discussions, including breakout groups
- debates
- poems
- rhymes
- alliteration
- storytelling
- audio recordings
- podcasts
- audiobooks
- skits
- dramatic performances
- songs
- background music
- sound effects
Layer several of these on your visual presentation, and it already becomes richer and more engaging.
In addition, make sure your voice is coming through loud and clear to your audience. You’ll also want to vary your tone, volume, pitch, and delivery style.
This way you’ll keep the attention of Auditory learners.
3. Presenting to Read/Write Learners
Read/Write learners thrive by reading and writing information.
Consider the following content types to your presentation:
- headings and other text
- quotes
- articles
- handouts
- summary notes
- outlines
- lists
- tables
- matrices
- study guides
- summaries
- glossary
- labels on pictures
- subtitles on videos and audio recordings
- lyrics on songs
Make sure your slides are easy for Read/Write learners to grasp by making the hierarchy of the information obvious.
Use headers and sub-headers to organize information and ideas.
It’s also a good idea to use bullet points to break down information into digestible bits.
You’re probably already using enough text on your slide decks for Read/Write learners. But are you giving them the opportunity to write during your presentation?
You can encourage note-taking by providing materials where they can take down notes. These work best when they’re structured and provide prompts for taking notes. Some ideas include:
- workbooks
- notes templates (such as the Cornell Notes template)
- graphic organizers
- journals
You can also give your audience a brief writing activity during the presentation. Ask them to write down their answer to a question or prompt and give them just one minute to do so.
For example, you can ask, “What’s one takeaway you have from this presentation?” (or any other question that relates to your topic). Have participants write their answers on a sheet of paper.
On a virtual presentation, encourage participants to use the chat. They can use it to write their questions, or answers to prompts.
4. Hands-On Elements For Kinesthetic Learners
Kinesthetic learners need to interact with information hands-on.
At an in-person presentation, you can incorporate the following:
- activities that require them to do something physical, such as standing up, raising their hands, or clapping
- hard copies or print outs of slides, outlines, graphic organizers, and the like
- props, models and other objects participants can touch and manipulate
- jigsaw puzzles
- experiments, demonstrations, or simulations
- interactive displays and exhibits
- stress balls to channel excess energy while listening to you
This doesn’t have to be complicated.
For example, let’s say you’re making a presentation about learning styles. You can say, “Stand up if you think you learn best through visuals,” and so on.
Or, “Raise your hand if you know what your learning style is.” Or even, “Let’s take a stretch break. Everyone stand up and reach your hands up, up, up towards the ceiling.”
How to incorporate kinesthetic activities in an online learning experience? It may be hard, but it’s not impossible.
Here are a few ideas:
- Provide materials for participants to print out before the presentation.
- Ask participants to raise their hands or respond using one of the reaction buttons. Many online conferencing platforms have this.
- Conduct a poll.
- Allow participants to interact with your presentation by annotating, adding emojis, and other elements on a slide. Just make sure the video conferencing platform you’re using has this feature. And practice using it before your actual presentation.
- Have participants find specific objects around their house that relate to your topic.
Challenge yourself. Come up with different ways to add tactile, interactive elements to your presentation.
Don’t make your presentation a monologue. Work in ways for your audience—not just to listen and watch—but to participate and stay active all throughout.
Catering to Mixed Learner Audiences in Presentations
Now you have a good understanding of the different learning styles. You also have some ideas on how to address them in your presentation.
The problem is, you don’t know what your individual audience’s learning styles are. And most people probably use a combination of learning styles.
How do you create your presentation to address diverse learning styles?
Let’s go back to Professor Bradford’s observations. Visual and Read/Write learners make up the vast majority of people. Auditory learners make up about a third, and Kinesthetic learners are a minority.
This means you’ll do well by first addressing Visual and Read/Write learners. Create your presentation around visuals first.
Support them with text (reading) through titles, labels, and written explanations. Then, incorporate writing into your presentation.
But don’t stop there. Next, add sounds into your presentation. You can address several learning styles at the same time by incorporating videos to your presentation.
You can also add an excerpt of a podcast, or special sound effects at selected transitions. At the very least, make sure you deliver with a strong presence and energetic voice.
Finally, add tactile and interactive elements. Remember, these don’t have to be complicated or time-consuming at all.
Having participants click on the screen (for virtual presentations) or raise their hand (for in-person presentations) is enough. This will keep Kinesthetic learners engaged.
Take advantage of presentation techniques that hit two or more learning styles at once.
For examples, a video appeals to Visual, Auditory, and Read/Write learners. Visual organizers on flip charts, which participants have to fill in with by writing on sticky notes, hits Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, and Kinesthetic learners all at the same time.
Hard copies of workbooks, to be filled out during your presentation, also cater to all learning styles.
In other words, your presentation must have something for everyone. But the idea isn’t to cram your presentation with these diverse techniques.
Rather, the point is to draw from a variety of teaching strategies in a way that supports your information. Don’t use an element just for the sake of adding a learning style. Each element must support and amplify your message.
Creating a presentation that caters to diverse learning styles is easier with Envato Elements.
Elements offers thousands of presentation templates that are built to keep your audience engaged, no matter what their learning style. The presentation templates are visually engaging.
Many include dynamic transitions and animations. You can add photos, graphics, icons, fonts, and other visual objects from Elements.
Get presentation templates that engage a diversity of learning styles. Add assets to your presentation to address other learning styles.
The Elements library of creative assets also includes thousands of videos, music, and sound effects. Create engaging course workbooks for all types of learning.
You can get all this for one low monthly subscription. You’ll get unlimited downloads from the entire Envato Elements library of over 16 million items. Elements has one license, which covers both personal and commercial use.
Become a Better Presenter through Learning Styles
Now you know how to address different learning styles to be an exceptional presenter.
Catering to the different learning styles makes your presentation more effective. Your audience will be more engaged.
Considering various learning styles may take a bit more work and effort. But it also means that you will have a lasting impact. Remember, there isn’t just one learning style inventory.
Envato Elements makes it easier for you to create a presentation that appeals to Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, and Kinesthetic learners. Find presentation templates that align with different learning styles right out of the box.
Cover all learning styles with the addition of video and sound assets. Find them all in the Elements library.
Embrace the power of learning styles. Elevate your presentations and leave a lasting impression on your audience.