Does ‘hands-on’ training fit you better?

Many people don’t do well studying books and find it better to learn by using their hands. By physically doing things ourselves, ‘tactile learners’ grasp the fundamentals of what we are trying to learn much quicker than by reading words on a page or hearing something in a classroom.

There are some behaviors that may help you identify if you are a tactile learner:

• Do you get bored or fidgety during lectures?
• Do you struggle to sit still for long periods?
• Do you have poor handwriting?
• Do you need loud music to study?
• Do you prefer sports or dance to reading?
• Do you enjoy practical activities like building models or role-playing?
• Did you enjoy lab work more than class work at school?

Some tactile learners are also Kinesthetic learners: people who need motion to learn. You can be one without the other, but Kinesthetic learners need to be in motion when studying  or sitting in lectures. And by motion, it can be small amounts of movement that help you focus on the task at hand.

Does a tactile or Kinesthetic learner sound like you, or someone you know?  If so, then you may be a good match for the hands-on classes offered at Carrington College. We believe in the need for a career-focused, practical education that’s filled with scenarios you may face while on the job. Our programs teach students the real-world skills and knowledge they need to help them enjoy successful careers.

If you have a hard time concentrating when reading or when trying to listen in a lecture, try a couple of these tips:

• Quietly chew gum because it might give you the motion stimulus you need to help you learn.

• Photocopy your notes or pages from a book and color them in with colored pencils or highlighters. Paying attention to what you’re coloring may help you absorb the information.
• Silently bouncing your foot can be the stimulus you need to learn. Foot-bouncing produces less movement and less distraction to those around you than leg-bouncing.
• Typing your notes may help you absorb information, try using different fonts and colors. Writing notes out again by hand can also help some people recall information.
• To help you study, repeat your notes to yourself while walking or pacing.

So if you like the idea of continuing your education in an environment well suited to tactile and Kinesthetic learners, perhaps it’s time to discuss your options with a Carrington College Enrollment Services Representative?