Learning Styles - Tactile Techniques

Regardless of whether an individual is a tactile learner or not, there are certain techniques that an individual can use to improve his or her ability to use tactile information and ultimately gain more from actively applying the information that the individual is attempting to learn. In other words, even if an individual does not learn well by simply trying to do something, he or she can still learn effectively by making sure to approach problems, cases, or applications in certain ways. First, one of the most important things an individual needs to do when attempting to improve his or her ability to learn from real applications is by trying to understand how the information that the individual has previously learned in a lecture or handout can be applied to a real situation. For example, if an individual has been learning geometry in a math class, the individual should consider the various ways that the information he or she has learned can be applied in a real life situation, such as using information about different types of angles when drawing scale plans for a construction project. This allows the individual to understand the practical use of the information so that the individual can apply that information at a later time.

Secondly, if the individual cannot find a practical use for a particular subject, the individual should ask the instructor or someone else to explain how that information can be applied. Even though you or another individual may not understand the use of a particular subject, virtually every subject has some use in some situation, so it is important to be able to understand the situations in which that information can be used so the individual knows when to apply that information. Finally, the best way to improve your ability to learn by actively applying information is by practicing completing tasks using a hands-on approach. This may sound rather strange, but try completing a task without reading the instructions and only refer to the instructions if you get stuck. The best way to improve tactile skills is to actually use a tactile approach by trying to figure something out through trial and error rather than having it spelled out for you in written or verbal instructions.