In 2018, researchers Josh Cuevas and Brian Dawson pitted two theories of learning against each other: the theory of Learning Styles and the theory of Dual Coding.
Learning Styles suggest that we all have a preferred mode of learning (visual or auditory or reading and writing or kinesthetic) and that we learn best when the learning conditions match that particular mode.
Dual Coding, on the other hand, suggests that learning outcomes are improved when there’s a blend of verbal and visual processing of new information.
Here’s what they did to test those two theories. They decided to focus on two styles of learners: visual learners and auditory learners. They set up four different groups, two with each style.
Each group was presented with some new information, but the different groups were asked to process that information in different ways. One group was asked to rate how easily they could pronounce the words in the statements they were hearing. The other group was asked how easily they could form a mental picture or image based on the statements. Those two types of processing were repeated for the auditory learners as well. That represents the learning conditions for each of those four groups.
Then, after listening to and processing 20 different statements, they were quizzed to see if they could recall specific details from each scenario as a way of tracking what percent of that information they were able to remember, thereby measuring the learning outcome.
What they found was that for the visual learners, those that were encouraged to process verbally remembered about 40% of the details they were asked about, whereas visual learners encouraged to process information visually were able to recall about 80% of the details. So far that makes sense and is in alignment with both Learning Styles and Dual Coding.
But it’s with the two auditory groups where it gets interesting. The auditory learners who processed information verbally retained about the same information as the visual learners processing verbally, around 40%. But the auditory learners who were encouraged to process the information visually also achieved about 80% recall!
So despite the fact that there was a mismatch between their supposed learning style and the learning condition, they still achieved better learning outcomes when encouraged to process that information visually.
So it’s that fourth result that lends support to the theory of dual coding, suggesting that it’s helpful for all learners, no matter their learning preference, to weave together verbal and visual modes when processing new information.
This is one study that has contributed to a trend away from the idea of Learning Styles. It’s been fairly debunked at this point – the idea that you have to match up an individual’s preferred mode of learning with the actual learning conditions.
Instead, there’s strong support for the theory of Dual Coding – it’s good for the brain to bring visuals in because we’re visual creatures.
With that said, it’s also worth paying attention to the specific skill that you’re developing. In the case of the study it was just about remembering ideas that you heard. If we’re talking about a music class, it makes sense to lean into auditory learning conditions. If it’s a shop class, kinesthetic. If it’s a geography class, much more visual. So while there is strong evidence that processing new information visually is a great way to remember more of that information, do pay attention to the actual skill that you’re trying to develop.
One way to interpret the results of this study is to recognize that you’re not a visual learner, we’re all visual learners.
If this particular mode of learning and processing information is a skill that you’d like to develop, check out my program Sketch Instinct, which is geared toward lifelong learners.
If, on the other hand, you work in an educational setting, check out Sketch Ed. – there you’ll find a resource kit to help you weave these skills into your classroom and pass them on to your students.
Cheers,
-Doug