Why your Learning Style makes you WORSE
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Dr. Justin Sun, a learning coach and former medical doctor, debunks the myth of learning styles, explaining that the idea of unique learning styles is not scientifically supported. He discusses the problems with the concept and how it can limit learners. Instead, he advocates for a personalized learning system that adapts to the type of information being learned, emphasizing the importance of exploring different methods and reflecting on one's own learning preferences and habits to become a more efficient learner.
Takeaways
- đ§ The belief in unique learning styles for individuals is a widely held but debunked neuromyth.
- đ Learning styles, such as visual, auditory, read/write, and kinesthetic, were popularized without strong research basis and originated in the 1970s.
- đ Research has shown that there is no single learning style that people are inherently better at; instead, most people process visual information more effectively.
- đŻ The idea of learning styles can limit learners by creating an artificial constraint on how they believe their brain should learn, which can hinder the development of versatile learning skills.
- đ« Believing in learning styles can be detrimental to both learners and teachers, as it may prevent learners from exploring different methods and can add unnecessary pressure on teachers to accommodate various styles.
- đ€ The rejection of learning styles should not negate the existence of personalized learning and preferences, which are important for understanding how individuals can learn most effectively.
- đ ïž Personalized learning involves exploring, experimenting, and reflecting on different learning methods to build an effective system tailored to one's needs.
- đ Learning preferences are often a mix of what is effective and what one is accustomed to, and challenging these preferences is crucial for improving learning efficiency.
- đ Personalization in learning is about adjusting and optimizing within the framework of established learning principles, rather than seeking completely new approaches.
- đ The process of building a personalized learning system is not a shortcut but requires time, effort, and a willingness to engage in trial and error.
- đ Understanding one's learner type, rather than learning style, can provide insights into current habits and methods, helping to identify areas for improvement.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video script?
-The main topic of the video script is the concept of learning styles, their validity, and the impact of believing in them on learning efficiency.
What is a 'neuromyth' as mentioned in the script?
-A 'neuromyth' is a belief about the brain that is widely believed but not supported by scientific evidence, such as the idea that everyone has a unique learning style.
What are the different types of learning styles mentioned in the script?
-The script mentions visual, auditory, read and write, and kinesthetic as the different types of learning styles.
What does the acronym VARK stand for in the context of learning styles?
-VARK stands for Visual, Auditory, Read and Write, and Kinesthetic, which are the four most common learning styles.
Why did the concept of learning styles become popular in the 1970s?
-The concept of learning styles became popular in the 1970s due to the self-esteem movement, which emphasized individual uniqueness, and a lack of high standards for journal articles and publications at the time.
According to the script, what is the problem with believing in learning styles?
-Believing in learning styles can limit a learner's approach to education by creating an artificial constraint on how they think their brain has to learn, potentially hindering their ability to become a more efficient learner.
What does the script suggest is a better approach to learning than strictly adhering to learning styles?
-The script suggests that a better approach is to use a mix of learning styles, adapting the methods used based on the type of information being learned, rather than insisting on learning in a single preferred style.
What is the term used to describe the phenomenon where learners limit themselves to a single learning method?
-The term used to describe this phenomenon is 'pigeonholing,' where learners create a restrictive box for themselves, limiting their learning potential.
What are the consequences of teachers believing in learning styles for their teaching approach?
-Teachers who believe in learning styles may feel added pressure and burden to deliver personalized education suited to each student's unique learning style, which can be impractical and lead to blame if a student underperforms.
What is the speaker's view on the relationship between learning styles and personalized learning?
-The speaker believes that while learning styles as a biological necessity for effective learning are not valid, the concept can still be useful for thinking about different learning methods and preferences, which can contribute to a personalized learning system.
What is the speaker's advice for learners who are not auditory learners but still want to benefit from audio resources like audiobooks?
-The speaker advises that learners should not restrict themselves from using audio resources just because they identify as non-auditory. Instead, they should find ways to make auditory learning work for them, acknowledging that everyone can benefit from multiple learning styles.
What is the role of 'I Can Study' in the video script?
-I Can Study is the company founded by the speaker, Dr. Justin Sun, which offers a guided program to help learners become more efficient through a step-by-step process, community support, and personalized feedback.
What is the importance of understanding one's learner type according to the script?
-Understanding one's learner type is important as it helps identify current systems, habits, and methods that may be helping or hindering learning, providing a clearer path to improvement and a more efficient learning plan.
What does the speaker suggest is a common misconception about creativity in learning?
-The speaker suggests that a common misconception is that creativity in learning means creating something completely new and novel. Instead, creativity should be about creating variations on existing effective methods and principles.
How does the speaker define a personalized learning system?
-A personalized learning system is defined by the speaker as one that is built on fundamental learning principles and structures, with variations and adaptations unique to the individual learner based on their experiences, preferences, and needs.
What is the speaker's view on the widespread adoption of efficient learning systems?
-The speaker is not concerned about the widespread adoption of efficient learning systems becoming common because the process of building such a system takes time and effort, and many people are looking for shortcuts instead.
Outlines
đ§ Debunking the Myth of Learning Styles
The video script begins by challenging the common belief in learning styles, suggesting that individuals have unique and fixed ways of learning, such as being visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. Dr. Justin Sun, a learning coach, refutes this as a neuromyth, explaining that extensive research has shown no evidence for the existence of a single dominant learning style. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the concept of learning styles, their problems, and the research surrounding them, and hints at a more nuanced approach to learning that can improve efficiency.
đ« The Pitfalls of Believing in Learning Styles
Dr. Sun discusses the negative consequences of adhering to the concept of learning styles. He points out that believing in a single learning style can limit a learner's potential by creating an artificial constraint on how they approach education. This belief can prevent learners from exploring diverse methods and tools that could enhance their learning experience. Moreover, it can put undue pressure on teachers to cater to individual learning styles, which may not be effective or necessary. The speaker encourages a more flexible and adaptive approach to learning.
đ Building a Personalized Learning System
This section of the script explores the idea of personalized learning, distinct from the concept of fixed learning styles. Dr. Sun suggests that while everyone has preferences and habits in learning, these are not always the most effective methods. He advocates for challenging these preferences and experimenting with different learning modalities to find what works best for the individual. The speaker also introduces the idea of a mixed-mode learning approach, adapting the learning methods based on the subject, the learning phase, and the individual's needs.
đ The Journey to Becoming an Efficient Learner
The final paragraph emphasizes the process of becoming an efficient learner, which involves exploration, discovery, trial and error, and reflection. Dr. Sun dispels the idea of quick fixes or shortcuts, highlighting that building a personalized and effective learning system is a time-consuming and effortful endeavor. He encourages viewers to understand their learner type to identify current strengths and weaknesses, and to create a plan for improvement. The script concludes with an invitation to subscribe for more learning insights and a reminder of the importance of effort in the learning process.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄLearning Styles
đĄNeuromyth
đĄPersonalized Learning
đĄPigeonholing
đĄMixed-Mode Learning
đĄLearner Types
đĄNonlinear Note-Taking
đĄDeep Processing
đĄEfficiency in Learning
đĄCognitive Benefits
đĄTrial and Error
Highlights
The belief in unique learning styles for individuals is a widely believed but refuted neuromyth.
Learning styles are often categorized as visual, auditory, read/write, and kinesthetic (VARK).
The concept of learning styles originated in the 1970s without strong research basis.
Over 90% of teachers may believe in learning styles despite research showing otherwise.
Humans are predominantly visual processors, with visual information processed much faster than auditory.
Performance improves when using a mix of learning styles rather than adhering to one.
Matching learning methods to the type of information is more effective than a single learning style.
Believing in learning styles can limit a learner's potential and create an artificial constraint.
Learning styles can be detrimental for teachers by adding unnecessary pressure to cater to diverse styles.
Personalized learning systems exist but are distinct from the concept of fixed learning styles.
Learning preferences are often a mix of what is effective and what one is accustomed to.
Challenging one's learning preferences is crucial for becoming a more efficient learner.
Personalized learning involves understanding and applying fundamental learning principles effectively.
Building a personalized learning system requires exploration, trial and error, and reflection.
The process of becoming an efficient learner is not a shortcut and takes time and effort.
Understanding one's learner type can help identify current strengths and weaknesses in learning methods.
The speaker, Dr. Justin Sun, offers a program to guide individuals in becoming more efficient learners.
Transcripts
if you believe that everyone has a
unique learning style some people are
visual some people are auditory then you
would be just a normal person but you'd
also be wrong it's what we call a neurom
myth which is a belief about the brain
which is just not true and it's one of
the most widely believed neurom myths
and it's one of the most widely refuted
and that a lot of people know that it's
wrong but if you believe that learning
styles are not relevant for you you also
kind of be wrong in this video I'm going
to talk about what learning styles are
what are the problems and the research
around learning styles and also why the
way that most people just reject it is a
little premature there are some really
useful ways that you can think about
learning styles that would actually help
you to improve so whether you believe in
learning styles or you don't I think
this video is going to help you to be a
more efficient learner if you're new to
this Channel and you're wondering what I
know about learning and who I am I'm Dr
Justin Sun I'm a learning coach and the
head of learning at I can study I'm also
a former Medical doctor for the last
decade I've helped thousands of Learners
from all around the world to become more
efficient Learners my work puts me in a
really interesting space because I get
to spend a lot of time reading the
research and then spend a lot of time
practicing it and coaching it to people
and seeing how effective it really is
and in a recent video I talked about
learner types and how understanding your
learner type can really help you to
improve very quickly and I made a
distinction that this is not the same as
learning styles a lot of you said that
you wanted me to make a more in-depth
video about learning styles and the
problems with them and so here it is
before we get started I'd really
appreciate if you give this video a like
for the algorithm the algorithm dictates
how many people this video will reach
and it also apparently dictates how well
I sleep at night so first of all what is
the concept of learning styles learning
styles is this concept that individuals
have unique styles of learning that
they're better at for example if you're
a visual learner then you're better at
learning through images and diagrams and
and pictures and if you're an auditory
learner you're better at learning
through listening or speaking if you're
a read and write learner then you're
better at learning through reading and
writing it's kind of in the name if
you're a kinesthetic learner then you're
better at learning through
experimentation and getting your hands
dirty with it and there are actually
lots of other different ways of
classifying learning styles which has
happened over the years but the most
common one is this one called V or vac
which stands for visual auditory read
and write cantic and so the idea is that
if you are a teacher then you should
figure out the learning style of your
student and therefore teach to that
learning style and likewise if you're a
learner you should figure out your own
learning style and learn to learn in
that style which is going to be more
efficient for you and it's a widely
believed actually almost like intuitive
understanding about how the brain works
there are some studies that say that
over 90% of teachers will believe this
but the problem is that it's just not
true learning styles is actually this
concept that came around in the' 70s
which was not really based on any real
research it was just kind of a theory
that someone just pulled out of a hat
one day and they were like I feel feel
like this is how the brain learns and
back in the' 70s like we didn't really
have high standards for Journal article
and Publications like there's some crazy
stuff if you look at the older journals
but around the' 70s that's also when we
had this huge self-esteem movement like
everyone is special everyone's like
their own special Snowflake and so
therefore learning styles sort of fit in
with that like yes I am a unique special
human being and therefore I must have a
unique special way of learning as well
and so fast forward like 50 years it is
now one of the most deeply ingrained
myths about learning that we tend to
believe and I guess fake news likes
company because it sits alongside other
neurom myths like we only use 10% of our
brain or that some people are left
brained or right brained both of those
things are also myths and so in the case
of learning styles it's really being
researched quite a lot now over the last
few decades the case has sort of been
put to rest we have a substantial amount
of of research that shows that people do
not have like a single unique learning
style that they are better at
essentially every human being is a
stronger visual processor than anything
else and even if you are technically a
auditory learner style based on some
quiz which by the way like that quiz is
created by a for-profit company that
creates royalties on people doing that
quiz by the way even if you were an
auditory style learner what studies show
is that you're still like thousands of
times faster processing visual
information cuz that's just how the
human brain works and also regardless of
your learning style everyone performs
better when they use a mix of styles and
actually what seems to make more of a
difference is trying to match the
learning style you use for the type of
information that you're learning rather
than saying I can only learn in a
certain way and this is really just to
say that the methods that you use should
change depending on the topic that
you're learning which seems relatively
self-explanatory most people don't study
maths or engineering the same way they
study Spanish and history or maybe you
do and your only technique is that you
use flash cards endlessly and if that's
the case then there is other problems
that we need to talk about but at the
end of the day the question is kind of
like who cares why does it actually
matter if learning styles are real or
not well there are actually some serious
problems that this causes and as a
learning coach I see the consequences of
this every day one of the major problems
is ironically When You Believe in
learning styles then it stops you from
becoming a better learner I've have had
so many people come up to me of all ages
like high school University you know PhD
working professionals entrepreneurs come
up to me and say that they've got
problems with their learning which
fundamentally stem from believing in
learning styles because if you
fundamentally believe that the only way
to build a house effectively is to use
the one tool that is uniquely efficient
for you then you're going to run at the
problems building that house believing
in learning styles create this
artificial limit on how you think your
brain has to learn and this is something
that in the research people call pigeon
H holding it means that you create this
little box for yourself and you live
inside that little box and that is just
not going to be conducive to success
every learner needs to be able to use
multiple different methods multiple
different tools operate with multiple
different styles depending on the
information type depending on the
resource type that's available and they
need to be a to synthesize and construct
good learning out of that most of the
time we don't have a choice on the type
of learning style we have available to
us like if someone is only teaching
something to you like by speaking it you
have to be able to learn auditorily and
also if you love audio books but you're
just not a auditory learner then what
does that mean you can never learn from
an audio book not only is it cognitively
more beneficial to use multiple
different styles to generate learning
but we don't even have a choice like you
have to learn that skill anyway
otherwise you're just going to be this
person that's like sitting there in
class the lecturer is telling you about
stuff and you're just like oh I just
can't learn auditorily like it just
doesn't work for me and then later on in
the workforce your boss is going to give
you some instructions and you're going
to be like oh wait I'm a visual learner
can you make a flow diagram for that
like someone's trying to teach you how
to play basketball one day and you're
like I just need a VIN diagram like I
just can't understand it so you can see
the options are pretty limited if you
are committing to learning styles and by
the way on the other side of this like
for teachers it's really detrimental as
well because it adds a lot more work and
a lot more pressure and burden for
teachers to try to deliver like this
perfect education and perfect lesson
that's suited for every person's unique
learning style and then if the student
is not performing it's like oh it's a
teacher's fault cuz I didn't teach it
properly they didn't match my learning
style and so there's really a lot of
problems with believing in learning
styles and it's especially sad because a
lot of people and even teachers when
they think about the pride they take on
how they've personalized something like
I've personalized my learning style or
I've personalized the way that I teach
my students usually the thing that they
have tried to optimize is learning
styles but learning styles are not the
bane of the learning World there is a
useful and effective way of thinking
about learning styles that is genuinely
very helpful and beneficial what I've
noticed recently is that people that
know a little bit about the learning
research they love to hate on learning
styles like learning styles has become
like the new Flat Earth of learning like
you know that joke about how you can
always tell someone's a vegan because
they're going to tell you about it or
you know someone that's Crossfit because
they're going to tell you about it not
that I have anything against vegans or
CrossFit by the way it's kind of like
that with people that know this whole
thing about learning styles like they
would be walking down the road and they
hear someone talk about learning styles
and they just slide in and they say
learning styles are not real and they
just fly away but I actually do think
that there is a good way of thinking
about learning styles the thing about
completely rejecting learning styles is
that it doesn't acknowledge the parts of
learning style
that are true everyone does have a
personalized way of learning everyone
has a method of learning that they have
to figure out and build over time and
everyone has learning preferences if we
say learning styles do not exist then
it's like oh well so does that mean that
everyone learns the same way no
personalized learning and personalized
learning systems do exist however we
have to separate that from learning
styles which is kind of the idea that
biologically our brain has to learn in a
certain style for it to be effective so
you might be wondering a few things like
okay if you take learning styles away
what does a personalized learning system
actually mean what does learning
preferences mean and then how do you
actually build that personalized
learning system and these are all very
good questions that I'm going to jump
into but another question that you might
be having is who's this video's sponsor
which is a fantastic question uh you can
probably tell based on my shirt the
sponsor of this video is right yeah
there we go I can study which is my
company like I said before I've spent
the last decade learning about learning
applying it myself to become a top
learner and then teaching thousands of
people to become top Learners as well
and I've distilled down that experience
into a stepbystep guided program where
you can learn the easiest and smoothest
way to become a more efficient learner
while asking questions and getting
feedback on your work and being part of
a really vibrant amazingly supportive
community and it is not a magic pill
it's not going to solve all of your
learning problems overnight it does take
time it does take effort but for those
of you that are serious about becoming a
more efficient learner then this is the
best place to start you can learn more
and check it out at iid.com you can find
the link in the description so with that
great question answered let's move on to
the other ones let's start with the idea
of learning preferences most people that
have gone through formal education have
a learning preference that's a
combination of visual and reading and
writing and a lot of that is just
because of habits and prior experience
it's important to realize that your
learning preferences are often not based
on what is most effective for you but
it's going to be a combination of what
is effective and what are you used to
and the things that you're used to are
not necessarily effective if that were
the case then the pathway to becoming
the most efficient learner would be to
continuously just do the thing that you
are the most comfortable with which is
in fact what most people do and that's
also the reason why most people struggle
everyone has preferences but actually
challenging those preferences is
important and the next thing is what
does personalized learning look like if
we take learning styles out of the
equation well one of the things that I
think learning styles is useful for us
to give us different ways of thinking
about learning and its modalities for
example if you currently are mostly
doing read and right style note taking
then you're probably going to benefit
from incorporating some visual elements
in there and if there's a modality that
you struggle with like a lot of people
struggle to just listen and learn then
you have to think well what are the
methods that I can use to become better
at that using learning styles as a guide
to think about different methods can
help us to focus our attention on
addressing the weaknesses and improving
our strength like I said before everyone
should be a mixed mode learner but the
specific mix of modes that you use for
different subjects and different topics
and in different parts of the learning
process like when you're first encoding
information for the first time versus
when you're trying to practice rehearsal
and retrieval these two situations might
have different types of compin ations
and so there is a lot of personalization
that can occur in understanding which
combination is more effective for you
how you make certain modalities work for
you and then how you adjust that overall
system depending on the needs and
challenges that you have the problem is
that a lot of people think about
personalization like they think about
creativity creativity is not about
creating something that is completely
new and novel it's about creating a
variation on something that already
exists for example I don't know if you
guys have seen these like Thai life
insurance
commercials where they tell this like
really emotional story of someone's life
like it's a whole movie and then at the
end it's like that's why you need life
insurance and personally I love those
ads I think they're really creative but
there's still just a variation on an
established Norm you're telling a
compelling story that creates relevance
leading up to a point where you're then
selling the product something that was
literally completely new and novel would
be trying to sell life insurance by
dressing up as a clown and rubbing tofu
on people's face on the street and
screaming at them to buy life insurance
like it's just totally random and I
don't think it would work but you can
see the same thing is true for learning
like there are some fundamental pretty
Universal principles about learning that
everyone needs to follow as long as they
have a human brain that is biologically
the same as another human brain and once
we understand what those patterns of
thinking and those structures are we can
then be personalized within those
structures for example one of the things
I talk a lot about is nonlinear note
taking and you can check that out in the
video here and there are certain
principles of nonlinear note taking that
are just going to make it easier and
more effective for everyone but then the
actual way that you execute on those
principles and on those guidelines is
going to be unique to you likewise one
of the most critical parts of deep
processing which is the type of thinking
that helps you gain a deeper memory and
better understanding is to be able to
think in networks and relationships but
the type of relationships and networks
that you form and what makes sense to
you that's going to depend on your prior
knowledge as well as what you find
relevant and that's actually going to be
unique to you personalization of
learning is not something that happens
because you are setting out to become
unique it is a natural consequence of
what happens when you become more
efficient with using the principles and
the reason I'm emphasizing this so much
is because that process of building a
personalized learning system is a
process unlike with learning styles
which basically just says like hey
here's a technique just use it great now
you're an amazing learner which doesn't
actually work the harsh reality is that
it takes time to build an effective
Learning System all the stuff that I've
said just now is probably not as sexy as
a quick tip around learning styles which
is probably why it's not going to be as
popular and mainstream but none of that
changes the fact that at the end of the
day if you want to be an efficient
learner with the Learning System that
works for you you have to go through
this process of exploration Discovery
trial and error experimentation and
reflection and it takes time people
often ask me Justin you you know put all
this content out there for free aren't
you afraid that if this becomes like so
common that then everyone will be an
efficient learner and then it's not
going to be special anymore anymore I
genuinely am not worried about that at
all because my YouTube channel does not
grow very fast but seriously because it
takes time and effort like most people
are looking for the shortcut and this is
not a shortcut and so if you're
listening to me saying this now and
you've made it to this point of the
video then you probably are one of those
people that is willing to take this a
little bit more seriously so for you I
would recommend checking out my video on
learner types put a link in the
description but your learner type rather
than learning style is what are the
current systems and habits and methods
that you currently are using and how is
that either helping you or holding you
back when you figure out your learn type
it becomes much clearer why you might be
having certain problems and why you
might be better at certain things than
others which then helps you to create a
more efficient plan for how to improve I
hope this video helped you if it did
then make sure to subscribe so you don't
miss my future uploads thank you so much
for watching and I'll see you next
time
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