Do you have Learning Styles or Preferences?

In 2017 Jason Barron was completing his Master of Business Administration program at Brigham Young University. During his course work he created sketchnotes of his classes rather than scribble conventional lecture notes, and then he compiled everything into a book with the hope of using the profits to pay off his student loans.
You can see this “Visual MBA” here

Is Barron a visual learner?
The visual MBA is really about how Barron was able to elaborate the material in meaningful way. He may have a visual learning preference but learning styles is a myth.

What are learning styles?

This is the mistaken idea that we learn better when the instruction we receive is tailored to our preferred way of learning. A recent international survey of teachers from the UK, China and elsewhere found that 96 percent believed in the idea of preferred learning styles.

Is there any evidence to support the learning styles concept?

Yes, but most of this evidence is weak. Few studies have produced supporting evidence for learning styles; far more evidence) runs counter to the myth.

Why is the idea so popular?

We like the idea of tailored education.
Teachers like to declare they are sensitive to the learners needs.
When learners fail we like to blame a misalignment of teaching styles.

The ingredients for durable learning are:

A clear understanding of your learning preference and how to recall and retell what you have learned in a way that make sense and can be reinforced by your life experience. This is called elaboration.
Growth mindset that triggers the hunger for learning.
Behaviors that align with the brain’s ability to change and acquire new information.
Avoiding cognitive biases when you haven’t learned something.

All of these factors are acquired if you frame each learning experience for durable learning.

How?

Learning Frames is a simple yet powerful cognitive alignment model that helps you create effective learning experiences. Based upon proven neuroscience and instructional design principles, Learning Frames harmonizes how your mind and body work empowering you to create relevant learning experiences that will change your life.