It is a rare thing for a student to learn without encountering any stumbling blocks along the way. Learning sometimes takes a great deal of concentration and effort, and many mistakes are made before the path of least resistance is reached. Though it is impossible to predict all of the obstacles a student may encounter on the road to better grades, at the very least they can endeavor to understand how their minds naturally approach these predicaments.
SuperCamp, a leading academic summer camp, uses a great anecdote to help students understand how learning differs from person to person. The story of Slim ‘n’ Bil makes learning styles easy to comprehend. Slim and Bil were both very smart people, but in very different ways. They didn’t ask each other, “How smart are you”, but rather, “How are you smart?”
They discovered, through much collaboration, that when they combined their names, an acronym for learning styles was formed. Each of these learning styles demonstrates how our strengths can be used to tackle various problems we encounter. Once the door of learning is opened, multiple paths will open up.
Slim ‘n’ Bil’s story teaches students that most people share a kinship with one the following learning techniques: Spatial-Visual, Linguistic, Interpersonal, Musical, Naturalist, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Intrapersonal, and Logical-Mathematical. Each one uses a different approach to learning; a person who ascribes to the Naturalist style of thinking looks for patterns and odd-one-out puzzles, while a Bodily-Kinesthetic learner may like to act things out, dance, or do any other physical game that helps them learn.
Some learning patterns are on opposite ends of the spectrum: an Interpersonal learner enjoys taking on challenges in groups, while an Intrapersonal learner prefers to create personal goals for themselves and check off each one as they accomplish them. Logical-Mathematical learners take pleasure in logic puzzles and are constantly looking for reasons or proof, while a Spatial-Visual learner sees problems in shapes and dimension. A Musical learner finds comfort in songs and rhyme. A Linguistic learner prefers words and story problems.
It should be noted that no one learning style is superior to another. Just as Slim ‘n’ Bil discovered, everyone sees problem-solving in a different way. Having many different perspectives can provide enlightenment to someone else who is only viewing the problem from one angle.
Understanding how the mind approaches problem-solving can have significant effects on a student’s performance in school. Students may get better grades, and ultimately a better GPA when they don’t have to work so hard at finding the best way to tackle their school work. Studying can be an easy task for any kind of learner when they utilize the customized style-specific techniques they learn at SuperCamp.
Better grades are not the only thing that a student will gain when they comprehend their personal learning style. Challenges outside academia will become easier to manage, and by knowing how they can contribute to solving a problem, they will become valuable assets wherever they go, be it at work, with family, or with friends. Slim ‘n’ Bil would be proud!
