Hello and welcome, dedicated note-taker. You’re here, which tells me that you have the determination and sincerity required to be a highly efficient master of notes and learning stuff. You clearly take your learning seriously, which makes you just the kind of person I want to talk to today, albeit through this digital screen.
But here’s the catch: You are not a visual learner. Writing words in a notebook just doesn’t do anything for you, even when you add cute little sketches and informative diagrams. Color-coding just fades into the background noise of your mind like all the repetition of other text, and every time you go to review your notes, it feels like the sound that fingernails make when they scratch a chalkboard.
You may have even tried different methods, resources, and techniques—maybe your visit to this blog post is not your first trip around the block. Maybe you’ve already tried the famously popular Cornell method, a fancy template notebook, or downloaded some note-taking software. Regardless of the extent of your desperation, you’re likely here because nothing you’ve tried has worked.
What on earth is wrong? Is there something the matter with you? Why don’t the traditional methods of note-taking work for you like they do for everyone else?
Let me make this perfectly clear: No, there is nothing wrong with you. Banish that thought from your mind this instant. You are a beautiful human, and you are near bursting with potential, both realized and unrealized.
You just learn differently than the majority of learners, that’s all. And here’s some even better news: there are note-taking techniques that are designed just for your style of learning that will help you accomplish your learning objectives and succeed in the rest of your endeavors.
Your passion and dedication to your craft is incredibly important and admirable, and I am here to support and help you hone it to an even higher level. We’re going to start this lesson by exploring VARK and how learning styles work.
If you’re here because you already know that you’re an auditory learner, then it might be a bit of a review, but stick around because there’s gold at the end. And if you’re completely new to learning styles, then welcome, and let’s learn together!
VARK: Learning Styles 101
Learning styles are actually an ancient concept that goes back as far as Aristotle, who in 334 B.C. theorized that “every child possessed specific talents and skills.” Various theories and systems have been developed since then to explore and develop this idea further, and it is now widely accepted that learning is an individualized process.
The basic concept is that each person has a preferred way of absorbing information; if they receive information in this way, they are more likely to understand and remember it.
The theory that we’re going to introduce and discuss today—and indeed, one of the most widely adopted of these theories—was developed by Neil Fleming in 1987. It goes by the familiar acronym VARK, which stands for the different learning styles: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic. These learning styles are based on the idea of student preferences, specifically preferences in learning and how students best intake information.
Visual learners make up over half of the population, making it the most common learning style. These individuals need to see the information presented in order to learn it easily, typically in the form of images, graphics, maps, and the like.
They will benefit more from using color in their notes, as color, tone, and brightness help them better retain and recall information. They can easily visualize objects and have a good sense of balance and alignment. To get the most out of their learning style, their notes should be color-coded and full of concept maps and other visual devices.
Kinesthetic learners obtain information best when they can learn things hands-on. Tactile learning may be part of it, as that emphasizes drawing, touching, and building. Full-body movement is also a form of kinesthetic learning, as the body can process information while in motion.
When it comes to studying, this might look like the learner pacing back and forth while memorizing key terms or jostling a leg while drawing flowcharts. Role-playing, field trips, competitions—essentially anything that requires motor memory is going to be ideal for this type of learner.
Reading and writing learners have a special connection to the written word. They learn primarily through textual materials, be it reading others’ or drafting their own. Handouts, textbooks, notes, reference materials, whatever it may be—if it’s written down, they have an affinity for remembering it. These are the learners who excel the most when using traditional study methods, since most effective note-taking relies heavily on textual information.
The last learning style, auditory, is the one we’re focusing on today. Only 16% of students self-report as auditory learners. These are the learners who respond most effectively to the spoken word, be it in a lecture, podcast, audiobook, or other verbal format.
They learn best by hearing information; other types of data will have little meaning until spoken out loud. In class, they’ll thrive when they can listen, discuss, memorize, and debate. Auditory learners are attuned to the tone and rate of speech.
If the auditory learning style sounds like you or someone you know, then keep reading! We’ll go into more detail about the ways auditory learners are and their ideal strategies in a moment. But first, I do want to note that not everyone fits neatly into one category. Multimodal learners, for example, are those who use a variety of learning preferences and can adapt their learning styles to different contexts and environments.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Auditory Learning
Due to their attunement to the spoken word, auditory learners may find themselves with a talent for public speaking. They can become very sophisticated and articulate speakers, well practiced in the art of expressing information verbally. Oftentimes, they’ve also acquired a large vocabulary and honed their oral communication skills.
Auditory learners have a good memory for details of information that they hear verbally, whether in lectures, classes, or casual conversations. They’re very good at listening to others and truly hearing what’s being said. And because they’re also attuned to tones and rhythms, they may discover themselves to be quite musically talented.
All of these sound fantastic, don’t they? Auditory learners truly have a number of really neat skill sets and talents. But there are some downsides to this learning style as well, such as the obvious con of having difficulty doing tasks that are written or visual. This is quite unfortunate since much of school consists of written or visual material.
Auditory learners also have a high tendency to get easily distracted by others and to potentially engage with or distract others at inappropriate times. And because their learning style is communicative, they may struggle to work alone, and may become bored or disengaged if things are too quiet.
How to Know if You’re an Auditory Learner
Having read up to this point, you probably have a pretty good idea by now if you’re an auditory learner. But let’s break it down into more of a profile format, just for the record.
Here are a few ways to evaluate if you’re an auditory learner:
- You observe carefully when someone is speaking
- You like to get involved in discussions
- You have a tendency towards long descriptions
- You’re easily distracted by sounds
- You remember names but not faces
- You like to ask questions and spark discussions
- You think out loud
- You prefer to read out loud
- You’re an external processor
- You prefer audiobooks to paperbacks
Of course, you may not relate to all of these concepts in the same way, or at all. Other factors may come into play that affect or determine exactly how your auditory learning style manifests, such as discovering if you’re an introvert or an extrovert. But this should give you enough of an idea to narrow down the likelihood of you having this learning style.
Learning Strategies for Auditory Learners
Now that we’ve discussed learning styles and what it means to be an auditory learner, let’s talk about some of the best strategies, techniques, ideas, tips, and methods they can use to make their note-taking work for them. If this style is your preference, be sure to take some notes and try out some of these new tactics ASAP, perhaps even while reading this blog post!
Listen and Record
Since auditory learners absorb information best through listening and speaking, they typically gain the most information from spoken instruction. When you’re sitting in a lecture or presentation, whatever it may be about, you’ll do well to focus on listening to what the speaker is saying rather than scrambling to write down notes.
Note-taking is a demanding endeavor that takes a lot of attention, and if you focus too much on doing that, you might disengage too much from what the speaker is saying and lose access to the best tool at your disposal for learning the important information.
And since auditory learners are more attuned to the details of verbal information, the more intently you focus on what is being said, the more thoroughly you are likely to remember it. Pay close attention during the lecture, then write down what was said immediately after the session ends. In other words, let your auditory learning style work for you.
Another great technique to make your learning style work for you is to audio record the session as it unfolds. And an even better strategy is to record your notes in audio or video format rather than in writing.
Think of it as an alternative to traditional note-taking. Notes are all about storing information so that we can access it later; audio recordings, for the auditory learner, are the same idea as effective notes. In fact, this learner may benefit more from both recording lectures and relistening to audio recordings than they would from traditional note-taking.
This could look like a video of someone reading from the class materials or a recording of a peer or teacher explaining something. Build an archive of such audio clippings and then format them into a digital note template or visual format such as a mind map on paper, where you can then organize them for easy access.
Use Speech-to-Text Software
If you still want written notes, there are many ways to make them without having to write everything by hand or type it on a keyboard. For auditory learners, the most effective way to take written notes further is to speak them into existence. We’ve already talked about making audio recordings as one way to do that.
Another approach is to download voice recognition software that will take notes on your oral input and translate it into textual form. This may seem odd at first since it’s not the normal way that we’re used to taking notes, but you’ll get the hang of it before too long. Auditory learners will likely see the rewards of this approach pretty quickly.
You can also use this technique for any assignments or projects that you might have. Rather than writing out the first draft of an essay, you can dictate it to your voice recognition software, and it will record it in text format for you. Think of it as a way to capture your thoughts in textual form in a much smoother and intuitive way.
Since speech is a lot faster than typing, this method will also save you time, and since you won’t have to keep pausing, it will help you sustain your train of thought. Keep in mind that the text being generated by this software will need some light editing, but then again, so would your first draft if you were writing it by hand.
Speak and Record Yourself
Since one of the best ways that auditory learners learn is by speaking, explaining information out loud to yourself is one of the easiest methods for learning effectively. Talking through a subject helps you better understand it.
It’s also reminiscent of the Feynman Technique, which is one of the best learning techniques that we have today. In this technique, the note-taker pretends that they are explaining a concept to a child. As you’re running this mental simulation, identify the parts of your explanation that you’re struggling to communicate clearly; these problems will indicate gaps in your understanding of the concept.
Take a step back and refresh yourself on what you may be missing—you may have to do a bit of extra research—and then return to the first step of your simulation. See if you can simplify the explanation this time; if not, keep repeating until you can. Once you can confidently explain the concept in simple enough terms that a 5-year-old can understand it, then you’ve mastered the concept.
The Feynman Technique is effective because it forces you to explain something in your own words, which you can’t do well unless you’ve mastered both the big picture or main idea and the details. You have to be able to explain something inside and out in order to identify its essence. In the words of Albert Einstein, “If you can’t explain it to a 6-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.”
Ask Questions
Auditory learners often benefit from thinking out loud and talking through a concept. This can be a good approach for considering information, coming to conclusions, or problem solving. It even has a name, “teacher modeling,” and is a beneficial activity for learners of any style because it forces learners to use these processes to complete tasks.
But it’s especially intuitive for auditory learners and their love of the spoken word. Ask yourself questions and talk yourself through them; this is a simple technique that costs little but has big payouts.
Participate in class discussions. Voicing your questions during the session, whether this is directed at the speaker or in round table discussions, will help you better understand the material. Auditory learners can also bestow kindness upon others with this practice, as your participation may draw others in to engage in the discussion as well.
It may be intimidating to participate in class discussions or ask questions, but it’s well worth it. Questions and answers are fantastic means for obtaining information, clarifying a point, leading the discussion in a direction you’re interested in moving in, exploring the opinions of others, testing knowledge of key information, and encouraging further thought.
Use Word Devices for Better Recall
When you’re not sure if you’re going to be able to remember something, see if you can’t create a word association. Since auditory learners are especially attuned to words, rhythms, and tones, mnemonic devices are ideal learning techniques. They’ll help you remember information and make connections between words and facts after they are spoken out loud.
Roy G. Biv is a very well-known mnemonic device for recalling the colors on the color spectrum (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet). Alternatively, you could use a phrase like “Richard of York Gained Battle in Vain” for the colors of the rainbow.
If that isn’t creative enough for you, try to make up a song or rhyme to memorize particularly difficult information from your study notes. A jingle would be particularly catchy and helpful when taking exams. You can also engage your peers in this activity. But whether alone or in a group, coming up with rhymes for your subject is a pretty fun way to study, don’t you think?
Study in Groups
With 16% of the population self-reporting as auditory learners, it won’t be impossible for you to connect and find peers with the same learning style. This is doubly beneficial for you, because auditory learners are the best equipped for collaborative learning and are often more comfortable participating in group discussions than the other styles.
Having study sessions with other auditory learners will not only be helpful but also immense fun, as you can focus entirely on study techniques such as word association games and debates. If you can’t find a group, try to find at least one person you can talk to about the subject—they don’t even have to be a peer, just someone willing to sit and listen.
Because again, talking through a topic is one of the best ways to solidify that knowledge for yourself as well as deepen your understanding of it. And talking to others is better than talking to yourself because you get feedback and are introduced to other perspectives on the topic and anything you may have missed. Speaking in the context of a group also puts more pressure on you to articulate your thoughts well, which in turn requires you to actually put some effort into formulating those thoughts.
Avoid Distractions
Auditory learners are more prone to distractions than tactile learners, so you must make some extra effort to be vigilant. One of the easiest ways you can minimize distractions is to choose a peaceful and calm working environment where you can study without interruption.
If you’re working on a digital device, set some ground rules for how you’re going to minimize the distractions that the internet offers. Close any apps or open tabs that you’re not using for your note-taking, and turn your laptop or phone on silent.
If the silence is too loud and makes it hard to concentrate, many auditory learners find that they work well when playing soft background music. Playing classical music that you find enjoyable can make personal study more engaging for the auditory learner. You may even be able to make associations between your data and individual songs, which turns those songs into a kind of mnemonic device. Just make sure that the music you’re playing is actually helping you study, not distracting you from studying.
Audiobooks and Podcasts
The last note-taking tip for auditory learners that we’re going to discuss today concerns supplemental materials. For the auditory learner, the ideal supplemental materials will include audio of some kind. Videos, podcasts, and audiobooks are the most popular options.
You might be able to find an audiobook of your textbook or other reading materials, such as books for book reviews or written text to organize information you’re collecting for an essay. If you can’t find materials directly involved in your class, presentation, or meeting, you could always listen to other audiobooks on the subject. This is a great method and good practice to balance the classroom information you’re receiving with a wider scope of sources to ensure that you’ve got a really balanced view of the material.
Podcasts have exploded in recent years, with at least one for every topic and niche interest. These are fantastic resources for auditory learners; even if you can’t find one specific to what you’re learning, there’s likely one or a handful that will supplement the general information on your topic.
Podcasts and audiobooks are also quite productive uses of your time and energy since you can listen to them while multitasking. Learn while you’re busy doing laundry or making dinner, and feel proud of what you’re accomplishing.
Conclusion
Well done for making it to the end of this blog post. I’m especially touched if you’re an auditory learner, since blog posts aren’t your preferred way of learning. Again, I admire your dedication! Hopefully, you’ll walk away with greater knowledge and some helpful strategies to make your own note-taking technique work for you. Let’s quickly recap what we’ve learned today.
First, we went over the learning styles, also known as VARK. This stands for visual learner, auditory learner, reading/writing learner, and kinesthetic learner.
Visual learners learn best from visual stimuli such as graphs, pictures, color, and objects.
Auditory learners, as you well know by now, learn best through listening and speaking information.
Reading/writing learners prefer to learn through written materials, either by reading them or writing them themselves.
And kinesthetic learners learn best by doing, with hands-on practices being their bread and butter.
We briefly discussed the advantages and disadvantages of having an auditory learning style. Because of the value they place on the spoken word, these individuals can be excellent speakers and commanders of vocabulary. They have a good memory for verbal details, are good at listening, and are very attuned to tones and rhythms.
The biggest disadvantage for auditory learners is the fact that their preferred learning style is not the most common one, and so not many learning materials are geared toward them. They may struggle with the more prevalent written and visual material used in most learning environments. They may also be prone to being easily distracted or bored, and they may struggle to work alone.
Then, we discussed eight strategies that auditory learners can use to boost their note- and test-taking and learn in a way suited to their preferences. Here is a summary of some of the highlights:
- Wait to write your notes until after the session ends. Spend that time listening carefully instead and really trying to understand the material.
- Record the session so that you can listen to it later.
- Record small audio clips of anything related to the material and store them all in one place for easy access.
- Use speech-to-text software to dictate your notes so that you don’t have to write them out yourself.
- Talking through a subject helps you understand it.
- One of the best learning tools out there, the Feynman Technique encourages you to pretend like you’re explaining a concept to a child. Doing so will help you identify the aspects you don’t understand as well, which you can then research to fill in any gaps in your understanding of the concept.
- Asking questions helps you think through a topic.
- Teacher modeling is a means of talking through a subject.
- Participating in class discussions is a great way to better understand the material.
- Use mnemonic devices, rhymes, songs, or jingles to create associations between words by speaking them out loud.
- Study groups will benefit you more than studying alone.
- Auditory learners are more prone to distractions, so take extra care to remove yourself from them.
- Playing soft music in the background may help auditory learners focus better.
- Use audiobooks, podcasts, and other auditory material to supplement your learning.
Start implementing some of the study tips from these techniques into your note-taking and studying practices, and see the magic and progress that happen when your learning style works for you.
Any great note taking strategy allows the learner to learn in the best way suited to them, whether through gestures, audio recordings, or other forms of engagement. Talking with friends, watching videos, and making doodles on a page can all make a student’s studies easier.
If you learn best through hearing, then it makes sense that writing notes wouldn’t be your cup of tea. Instead, you may appreciate lyrics, conversations with people in your class, verbal thought experiments, or the option of teaching or being the instructor for a short time.
In short, there are lots of ways to learn, but you should follow your heart on this one and be the author of your own success. Good luck!