In today’s day and age, we have access to more knowledge and information than ever before. Thanks to the internet, we can access all sorts of expertise and answer almost every question – if there is something you want to learn you are just a few clicks away. This is without a doubt helpful when you want to learn some new skills, however, we don’t all learn things the same way. Some people can look at something being done and then copy it perfectly, others need time and practice before they feel confident in the new skill.
Let’s find out what ways there are to learn new skills and some tips to help you towards your goals!
Visual learner
If you identify as a visual learner it means you only need to see information to learn it. People who are visual learners sometimes have photographic memories or see color/tone and brightness/contrast, differently than others. This method of learning boils down to being able to understand and remember things by sight, and often visualize or remember these things as soon as you close your eyes.
Visual learning is often found in classrooms since many teachers use pictures, graphs, maps, and many other visual items to portray knowledge. Many visual learners also use color coordination, flashcards, and drawing pictures when they are learning new skills and trying to memorize new information.
Some benefits of this method are that it can strengthen the memory, as images are directly processed by our long-term memory, where they get etched. Information presented in images and video is also simpler to process and many can relate to it more quickly.
Learning by doing
The method of learning by doing, is basically what it sounds like. It is the idea that we learn more when we actually “do” the activity.
This method was firstly mentioned by American philosopher, John Dewey, he argued that people learn best when they have the chance to deeply engage with the material. A strategy that has been proven successful as many people learn best when they perform the tasks they are trying to learn. For example, you might think you understand how an app works by reading about it but it’s by using it frequently that you get the hang of it and understand the essence.
The benefit of this approach to learning is that it becomes engaging and memorable. With learning by doing you often go through a learning cycle that allows you to make mistakes, reflect and learn from them and then refine and perfect your work until you have mastered the skill.
Learning by teaching
The learning-by-teaching method is a two-step method. Firstly, you need to read and comprehend the information or skill you want to learn, then you should teach or explain it to someone else. By doing so, research has shown that you will have a better understanding of the subject or skill, and better knowledge retention.
The benefits of doing this method include you improving your creativity, communication, and presentation skills, all of which are valuable in the workplace.
Find your method
These are the three main methods when it comes to learning a new skill, but that doesn’t mean you have to choose one and stick to it. Some people might only benefit from visual learning but others combine all three ways of learning when they try to comprehend a new skill. For example, you can use flashcards which many visual learners do, practice the new skill many times (learning by doing) and tell your friends and family about what you have learned and improve your memory (learning by teaching).
Making mistakes is vital
Something to remember when you go on the journey of learning a new skill is that you will inevitably make mistakes and this is perfectly normal. It will only lead to frustration if you think you will be great at your new skill right away. Mistakes will be a helpful way to learn and will make you realize what not to do. So don’t worry if it feels hopeless and that it’s not possible to learn that new language, computer program, or internet course, as long as you keep trying and believing in yourself, you will get there in the end.