Acknowledging the spectrum of learning styles

Before we can consider how disabilities may impact the engagement levels of our audience, we need to establish some ground rules with learning styles. The ways in which audience members learn are key to how defining how successful our audience members can be at connecting with us and the message we thrive to communicate.

Learning styles are an integral part of what inclusive speakers need to account for when it comes to delivering content. Failing to account for either one of those styles, or focusing too much on one to the detriment of another will again cause some of our audience members to fade from our conversation. We can’t let that happen.

In last week’s post, I talked about how it’s in our best interest, as speaking professionals, to pay attention to the different learning styles while letting go of our own biases and preferences. Learning styles can play a significant role when it comes to developing strategies to increase engagement and subsequently, the reach of our message.

In this week’s post, I’d like to dig yet a little deeper and identify basic inclusive communication strategies that are likely to appeal to audience members who identify as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.

Visual learners: the “show it to me” people

Sometimes dubbed the “show it to me” people, those are the visual learners in our audience. They’re the ones who will learn mostly by remembering the pictures and visual cues we show them. They need to see what we’re talking about: photos, diagrams, illustrations, graphs, demonstrations, stats, handouts, and flip charts are all going to create the greatest impact.

They pay close attention to all the visual stimulation associated with the learning experience, including the metaphors we choose to illustrate our ideas. According to the Social Science Research Network, about 65% of the population leans towards being visual learners. Theoretically, a majority of your audience likely happens to identify primarily as visual learners.

These folks will often prefer to sit in the front of the room to avoid visual obstructions and might doodle as they jot down notes to help them anchor ideas. They need to know what the subject looks like, and can be best communicated through handouts, whiteboards, or easel pads. Using phrases like, “do you see how this works?” or “as you can see over here” will work great with them, but always remember to verbally describe what it is that you’re pointing or referring to!

They typically enjoy presentations that are visually stimulating. Bright colours, powerful imagery, and slides with few words appeal to them the most. Their ideal presentations might start with beautifully designed slide decks, using vibrant colours and strong metaphors that get their creative juices flowing! Oftentimes visual thinkers will also tend to be the ones who will create artsy infographics as a way to take notes, while speakers go through their content.

A lecturer, or a cerebral speaker who talks for a long time over a single slide in a monotone voice is sure to cause them to take the first exit ramp out of the presentation. A speaker who talks too fast, or uses predictable, template-based, text-heavy slides will also likely cause them to fade. There’s no better way to send these audience members on a scavenger hunt for the next meme, or any kind of instant gratification on TikTok.

Auditory learners: the “tell me about it” people

Next in line are the “tell me about it” people. These are the auditory learners in our audience. They’re the ones who rely mostly on sounds, stories and audio cues to connect with you and your content. They will tend to prefer hearing about what we’re demonstrating or sharing from the stage: spoken words, sounds, noises, or audio clips are all going to generate the greatest impact for them.

They are much more likely to pay close attention to all the sounds associated with the learning experience. This includes the sound of our voices and the subtle messages we send. According to the Social Science Research Network, about 30% of the population tends to be auditory learners. This second group makes up for almost all of the balance of your audience.

These folks are less likely to sit towards the front of the room, as they don’t necessarily feel the need to see us as much. Verbalizing what we’re showing on the screen instead of only relying on pretty pictures will work best for them. These are also the people in our audiences who are most likely to take an active part in discussions, group chats, and Q&A sessions. Oftentimes, this is because the sound of their own voice taking part in the discussion helps them process what they’ve just learned.

Auditory learners are likely to prefer presentations that are more interactive, where they feel welcomed to ask questions as they come up. They’re the ones who will hate being told to wait until Q&A to ask their questions, as validating their understanding as they go allows them to confidently build on top of their newfound knowledge. They might close their eyes to better focus on what’s being said. They’re the ones who might get upset by speakers who merely point out objects on the screen instead of describing it.

Speakers who give out handouts ahead of time or at the very beginning of the presentation will allow for building a more holistic understanding of the content. But keep in mind that a good proportion of your audience will need alternate formats, such as large print or maybe even braille. Consequently, planning for accessible, downloadable formats will also go a long way to make everyone feel included.

Kinesthetic learners: the “let me try it” people

And finally, we have the “let me try it it” people. These are the kinesthetic learners in our audience. They’re the ones who need to physically experience something to best understand it. Those who will tend to trust their gut feelings and emotions when it comes to learning, and will prefer to engage in activities to grasp concepts. Hands-on exercises, interactive polls, and active participation are all going to create the greatest impact for them.

They’re the ones who will likely get up and help with role-playing scenarios during workshop activities and fidget as we speak. They’re also the ones who will have a much harder time, sitting passively while we deliver what may feel to them like a monologue. These folks account for the remaining 5% of the population, still according to the Social Science Research Network. Perhaps the part of our audiences that is hardest to please.

These folks will need to feel like they can be part of the conversation. We can best communicate with them by getting them involved, welcoming their feedback, and allowing them to practice what they’re learning as the learning unfolds. For the majority of them, passively listening to someone deliver a speech is usually a rather painful experience. As learners, they need to feel like they’re actively participating in the experience, otherwise very little of it will stick! They’re the kind of people who will register for workshops but will tend to avoid lectures.

They’re the ones who will get annoyed when workshops turn out to be glorified lectures with very few hands-on activities, and whose minds will naturally wander down rabbit holes if we can’t keep them focused and fully engaged. They will usually lurk towards the back of the room, where they can walk out quietly, or more freely fidget with small objects to keep their bodies busy as their minds try to focus on the words that are coming out of our mouths.

A speaker who spends an eternity on each slide, or has a very slow pace will lose them in a manner of minutes. It would be easy to throw in the towel and say we can’t do much to help someone like her. But nothing could be further from the truth. Truly making our presentations interactive will do wonders to keep them involved.

But enough about learning styles.

I recommend that you keep digging deeper into this topic, as it is a fundamental aspect of creating engaging peaking experiences, but keep in mind that learners who have disabilities, learners who are older, and learners who somehow find themselves marginalized by our use of technology make up a big part of our audiences too. They also need their own additional support, depending on what their challenges look like.

Tapping into that 30 to 40% of the population that is often left aside when we fail to communicate in an inclusive manner won’t magically happen. We’ll need a plan. Thankfully, in future blog posts, we will go back to exploring how we, as speaking professionals, can best meet the needs of those who live on the extremes of the human experience, while monetizing the spoken word.