Tactile learning is one of the four types of major learning styles. Various studies and research related to learning styles have been conducted to develop reliable and effective strategies, such as tactile learning strategies.
In this article, you’ll get to know about the top tactile learning strategies for career development and excellence in life. Keep reading to learn all about them.
What Is Tactile Learning?
Tactile learning is the best learning style for individuals who love being active while learning. In other words, stimulation is necessary for tactile learners, due to which they must incorporate physical activities into their learning strategies. Tactile or kinesthetic learners are able to better grasp a concept when their body is moving.
Attributes of Tactile Learners
The following are the key attributes of tactile learners:
- Great hand-eye coordination
- Good at physical activities, sports, and games
- Good motor memory
- Typically have high energy levels and get good grades in creative courses.
- Quick reaction time
- Great with tactical tasks
Top Tactile Learning Strategies
Many classrooms, training courses, and educational programs are not suitable for tactile learners because they don’t consider the unique requirements of this learning style. These issues are prevalent not only at the academic level but also in the corporate world.
Therefore, if you are facing issues in your career because you are a tactile learner, you should implement the following tactile learning strategies for career development:
Work Standing Up
If you are a tactile learner, your body needs physical activity or stimulation to internalize the information and work in a more productive manner. You can achieve this goal by working while standing up so that your muscles can be flexed and you have more focus and information retention.
Utilize Small Movements
Small movements are the best way of stimulating your body without putting any extra burden on it. Something as simple as stretching or bouncing a ball on the ground and catching it can provide sufficient activity for your brain to get activated and start retaining information in a much better way.
Regular Exercise
You should incorporate regular exercises into your routine. If you work from home, you can even incorporate exercise into your short breaks during the workday. It will have a positive impact on your mental health and retaining information, whether it is related to your professional or academic life.
Use Flashcards
Using traditional learning tools, such as flashcards and highlights, is highly effective for tactile learners. Whenever you are trying to learn and retain some new information, you should prepare a flashcard with your own hand so that your brain retains the information.
Be Creative
Whenever you are approaching a new topic, concept, or skill set, you should be creative about it. For instance, you can start by drawing a diagram on a paper or whiteboard to enhance your understanding and information retention. Even if you don’t want to draw the diagram by your hand, you can consider using mind-mapping software or storyboarding tool to fulfill this goal.
Variation of Physical Activities
The trick of tensing and relaxing your body can also do wonders for tactile learners. It is understandable that in limited spaces, you cannot do any intensive physical activities. In such a situation, small exercise, such as tensing a leg muscle and relaxing it after a few seconds, can be a quick and effective way of keeping your brain focused.
You can easily use this tactile learning strategy in meetings and work environments so that your attention does not drift away. It’ll keep you focused with maximum concentration.
Practical Exercise
If you are facing severe issues in communication, understanding new concepts, or retaining essential information, you should consider exercising these situations in advance so that you can process the information in a much better way. Mock-ups are a powerful and reliable way of learning new information quickly and easily.
Recall Previous Experiences
If you are facing an issue with remembering something in particular, you should try to recall a time when you performed the same or similar task before or saw someone else do it. Try to remember the event in as much detail as possible but in a systematic and step-by-step way. Otherwise, you’ll end up overwhelming yourself and face issues in fully remembering it.
Use Modern Technology
There is a large collection of software, apps, and online tools available to facilitate all types of individuals with varying learning styles. Tactile learners can also use such modern tools and technology to get tips and tactile learning strategies in different phases of their life. Ultimately, it makes it easier for tactile learners.
Conclusion
Considering all of these factors and tactile learning strategies, it is evident that you should use a combination of strategies to enhance your learning and information retention. By following these tactile learning strategies, you’ll be in a very good position to excel in both academic and professional life.