Your learning style?

[Dumbfarmhand]

Fascinating how we all learn differently. I like the, "see one, do one, teach one", approach. Reading first helps me to get a theoretical background to the skill, then visualizing it via video. First attempts at replication are sort of clumsy, but with each successive try you get better. It's almost as if the hands have to learn it, too. Those movements, along with the knowledge background, are important for me to establish the skill in your neuromuscular tracks.

As the young violinist asked the passerby, "Sir - how do you get to Carnegie Hall?", to which the man replied, seeing his violin case, "practice, practice, practice."

 

[Joel_BC]

Fascinating how we all learn differently. I like the, "see one, do one, teach one", approach. Reading first helps me to get a theoretical background to the skill, then visualizing it via video. First attempts at replication are sort of clumsy, but with each successive try you get better. It's almost as if the hands have to learn it, too. Those movements, along with the knowledge background, are important for me to establish the skill in your neuromuscular tracks.

DFH, I agree that learning is more that just reading about something or hearing about it, or even seeing someone do it. You seem to be saying that you like to get engaged with the activity ASAP, and that eventually you'll be in a position to pass the skill along to another person. But your post leaves me wondering about your favored source(s): the "see one" could be in-person or via an audio-visual medium, such as Youtube (etc). Doesn't sound like a book. Or...???

 

[Dumbfarmhand]

Fascinating how we all learn differently. I like the, "see one, do one, teach one", approach. Reading first helps me to get a theoretical background to the skill, then visualizing it via video. First attempts at replication are sort of clumsy, but with each successive try you get better. It's almost as if the hands have to learn it, too. Those movements, along with the knowledge background, are important for me to establish the skill in your neuromuscular tracks.

DFH, I agree that learning is more that just reading about something or hearing about it, or even seeing someone do it. You seem to be saying that you like to get engaged with the activity ASAP, and that eventually you'll be in a position to pass the skill along to another person. But your post leaves me wondering about your favored source(s): the "see one" could be in-person or via an audio-visual medium, such as Youtube (etc). Doesn't sound like a book. Or...???

J-BC: yes - I like to take the information and try to apply it ASAP, otherwise my aging mind tends to leak details! My "see one" seems to work better if it is in person, although I can usually figure it out from a video (which is more frequently the medium as it is hard to get a teacher!). My trial-and-error method is more like practice first, then go live. Visualization is important - difficult with a book for sure. YouTube has been helpfuk when the subject is there and it is done well. Sometimes they get a step that is past something completed - that is frustrating as I am a step-by-step person!

I noticed you on the welding topics that you referred me to. We have an old welding machine in the garage, but I have not used it! Need to drag it out sometime.

 

[Joel_BC]

I came across this guy's Youtube channel and found that this vid show some useful carpentry tricks - plus is a very good example of how these how-to videos can demonstrate, in 3-D and in motion, how something is done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6OpeRMMhTw

(I should maybe say that he's being careful to set his blade depth so the blade isn't protruding too far under the bottom of the boards - and also using the saw at a safe distance from his foot!)

 

[bubba1358]

Very interesting topic and something close to me.

I work as a technical writer, and have been in stand-up teaching, manual writing, and online interactive training development jobs for both K-12 and adult education. There is a WHOLE lot on learning styles. In fact, I taught a learning styles session at a train-the-trainer event a few years back.

There are many ways to adapt it, but it breaks down to learning by engaging in one of three (or four depending on who you ask) activities:

1. Hearing
2. Doing
3. Seeing
(4. Reading)

Some folks lump 3 and 4 together. But i am definitely a 4 myself. Nothing makes sense to me until i read ALL of the facts. My wife is a 3. My son a 2. My daughter is a 1 or a 4, depending on the subject.

One of the big challenges in education is that typically, courses are built to satisfy typess 1 and 4. However, this only accounts for leas than 2/3 of the gen pop. The type 2 folks are basically hung out to dry in a classroom education setting. It's a shame seeing very bright people not "get it" (and i have personally seen it far too much) because the content is structured against them.

Anyway. Very interesting for me to find a good mixed group here.

 

[Joel_BC]

We've had quite a few new people join us in the last few weeks and months, so I thought I'd bump the thread. The topic (described more fully in the OP) is how do you find you best learn new technical skills and methods?

For me, learning directly from a person (friend, teacher, mentor, etc) usually works best. But the next best would often be something like a DVD or Youtube video (or series of them). To me audio-visual media, like videos, offer an advantage over books or articles because they usually use the camera to give you three-dimensional views, and they show actions in motion. They can also include a commentary while the demo is being shown.

I've got a big collection of books, but I'd now have to give book or magazine articles third-best position (talking about learning practical stuff). I can still learn from them, especially some things.

How about you?

 

[Nifty]

Good point about friends, etc. I think it definitely helps if it feels that the person has a genuine interest in you personally learning from what they are sharing.

I'm definitely a multi-media learner. Video is easiest for me, then audio books, then reading. In fact, I've gone through exponentially more "books on tape" than actual books. I just get antsy when I'm reading a book... like I'm wasting time. It's not right, but it's how it happens.

The one thing I like about info in article form is that I can scan it much faster to find the meat / good stuff, but still prefer video / audio if it is done well.

 

[tortoise]

I learn best by reading. I usually start with a google search and wikihow type pages and blog pages to get a general idea of the approaches people are trying. Then I hit up google scholar for any science aspect. Then I just start trying stuff and see what works.

I read very quickly, so watching how-to videos is PAINFULLY slow and boring for me.

 

[Joel_BC]

I learn best by reading. I usually start with a google search and wikihow type pages and blog pages to get a general idea of the approaches people are trying. Then I hit up google scholar for any science aspect. Then I just start trying stuff and see what works.

I read very quickly, so watching how-to videos is PAINFULLY slow and boring for me.

If we're referring just to reading text (which can be the case or nearly the case with many books), then this works well for me when I'm learning something that is similar to knowledge/skill sets that I already have. If I'm learning something that is foreign to my own bag of skills, then I've often found reading won't alone be too adequate.

For instance, when I first learned acetylene-torch work (welding, brazing, cutting steel) it was quite different from using a propane torch for heating metal. An illustrated book was definitely better than text-only. But (since, at that time, I had no in-person mentor) a video was way better. I found written material to be a good supplement - especially for the slow, careful emphasis on safety matters, and for an explanation as to what was happening at the invisible level of crystalline metal structure.