(Or, What Does Our Brain Do When We Listen?)
Most trainers and presenters are familiar with three primary learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Learning Styles (actually called "talents" by some experts) can be considered preferred ways of taking in information. Current thinking is that most people possess one preferred learning style, and may absorb information best when receiving it through that channel.
An interesting recent finding is that the brain actually “closes its eyes” when listening very closely. A recent study, reported in BBC News, found that people’s brains actually divert attention away from visual tasks when they listen.
For trainers and presenters, this may help to explain why some adult learners who don’t make eye contact, or who don’t seem to be attending fully, turn out to be absorbing everything that has been said. Their brains have “closed their eyes” as their listening takes the stage.
Using the language of Learning Styles, we might say that these learners are primarily auditory based on their behavior. Without actually testing them, however, we can only guess that their brain is temporarily closing its eyes while the ears take over.
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