How to Tailor Online Learning to Your Style of Learning
It is no secret that online learning has its pros and cons. Being able to listen to a lecture in your pajamas is a very welcome perk of this new reality, just like frantically hotspotting yourself when you have bad internet connection, is not. One overlooked perk I have come to realize about online learning though, is the versatility it provides when it comes to your learning style.
There are four main types of learning styles: visual, auditory, kinesthetic and reading/writing. In short, visual learners learn best with visual aids. The use of diagrams, pictures and even written instructions is hugely helpful to this type of learner. Auditory learners learn best when the subject matter they are learning is delivered through sound. Lectures and/or podcasts are their preferred method of learning. Kinesthetic learners learn best through experiencing or doing things. Getting them out into the field of whatever they are studying is critical to their learning. Lastly, those who learn best through reading and writing, learn best from, you guessed it, reading and writing.
I am not here to argue that online learning is better than in person. I just want to point out that there are different ways to tailor your online experience to help suit your style of learning, that are not necessarily options with in-person learning. There is an opportunity here!
If you are a visual learner and in law school in general, your only real hope is the use of PowerPoints. In my own personal experience thus far, most professors are more keen to use PowerPoints as visual aids for their online lectures than their in person lectures. This is likely to help spice up the presentations, so that we are not just staring at a floating head for the entirety of the class. So, if you are a visual learner, you are in luck! Print out the slides ahead of time or after the fact, so that you can have your visual aid handy for when it comes time to study.
If you are an auditory learner, this new age of learning is just for you! Professors are more inclined to record their lectures now, in order to accommodate the students whose internet may be fussy during the live lecture. This gives you the opportunity to tune in after the live lecture if you like and treat it as a podcast more or less. As an auditory learner myself, I like to plug my headphones into my phone during the live lecture, while making handwritten notes simultaneously. I have found this method to be extremely helpful, because when I am on my computer screen I somehow always find my way to AirBnB to look up ridiculously expensive stays abroad. If I have my phone turned upside down and am treating the lecture like a podcast, there is no room for distraction!
If you are a kinesthetic learner, whether you are online or in person, law school might be difficult for you. My one suggestion in either learning environment, is to pursue as many experiential learning activities as possible. These may come in the form of clinics, externships, pro bono work etc. Though these opportunities look a little different online than they would in person, you are still getting your hands dirty and gaining real world experience in the life of a lawyer.
Moreover, I have heard from many of my peers that they feel much more comfortable participating in online discussions than in person discussions. For a kinesthetic learner, or someone who likes to learn through experience, this is a huge opportunity. Engaging in class discussions online may help with understanding the material better, without the stress of doing so in a daunting classroom-like setting.
If you are a reading/writing learner, then you have come to the right place. Law school, be it online or in person, has no shortage of reading or writing opportunities. The primary source of information is through reading case after case after case after case. So just do what you do best and enjoy the money saved in gas and parking!
Don’t get me wrong, transitioning to online is/was a definite adjustment. Being on campus with your colleagues is a part of the experience, and I do not want to discount that at all. However, this is our reality for the next little bit, so approaching it with an open mind is critical to being successful. As far as learning the material itself goes, it is not all that different really! You are basically moving from sitting in a desk at school, to sitting in a desk at home. There is still an opportunity here to do well in law school, all is definitely not lost. Just find yourself your study space, and explore the different ways you can tailor online learning to how you learn best!
