How We Learn [INFOGRAPHIC]

By: Justin Ferriman • January 20, 2014
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It seems that whenever there is an article discussing the ways people learn, then it turns into a debate about the existence (or non-existence) of learning styles. Both camps come prepared with their supporting data and studies, but it never really ends-up anywhere. Just like politics, no one is going to change their mind from a few blog comments.

Which brings me to the infographic below (originally created and brought to you by BrainMass). At the risk of sparking a similar debate, I feel that this infographic does a good job outlining some of the basic learning theories that we all have learned at some point in our lives – a good number of which has been verified through countless psychological studies.

Oh Great, Not Another “How We Learn” Diagram

I felt that it was important to share this inforgraphic for a few reasons, but mainly because it stays away from taking a stance on the matter and just presents the dominant theories.

Okay sure, at the very end there is a blurb about learning styles. If you are so inclined, feel free to ignore that portion (although I don’t really think it should be ignored).

What this diagram does do a good job of is highlighting the complexities of the human mind in acquiring new information. As such, elearning developers should take note and try to make more engaging learning.

For example, if you are just presenting text on a page with a few pictures, you are severely missing out on an opportunity to make your learning more effective. Whether your subscribe to the learning style approach or not, the point is humans crave variety in learning.

If you create one-dimensional elearning programs, then the effectiveness of your program is surely going to suffer (you should definitely be measuring your program effectiveness).

Make an effort to present the content in a variety of ways through various media. It will go a long way in solidifying the key points with your audience.

How-Human-Beings-Learn-Infographic

Justin Ferriman

Justin started LearnDash, the WordPress LMS trusted by Fortune 500 companies, major universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. He is currently founder & CEO of GapScout. Justin’s Homepage | GapScout | Twitter