Visual style exploration

Most learning materials rely on printed text to provide information. As a visual learner, find ways to represent information visually. Here are some ways you can do this:

• Use diagrams, graphs and sketches. If you can't find good diagrams, graphs and sketches that represent the key messages in your topics, create them yourself. Just start drawing, even if you don't think you draw well. In addition, easily accessible spreadsheet programs now allow you to create graphs for all kinds of data.
• Use Mind Maps®. Organize topics and ideas using a drawing technique called mind mapping. This helps you visualize and understand the hierarchy and linkages between topics. Tony Buzan, in some of his books, describes this technique in detail. In addition, some software programs can help you easily create mind maps. The software I use is "Mind Manager" from MindJet. Rather than describe mind maps in detail, I'll let my mind map below do it for me.

• Use systems diagrams. Systems diagrams are another diagramming technique you can use to help understand a dynamic system, such as an engine, body, yacht or network. The traditional way of dissecting something into separate parts, to understand their roles, often makes it harder to understand the system. For example, it's hard to understand the workings of the human body by simply looking at the individual parts. Similarly, understanding how a yacht stays in equilibrium under full sail is hard if you only look at the sail, rudder, keel and hull individually.
  The linkages between multiple parts are usually what make these dynamic systems work. These linkages may not be visible when the system is lying in bits on the floor, or in separate topics in your mind. Systems diagrams help show and explain those linkages. The diagram below is an example of a systems diagram. It shows how various parts of an aircraft engine work together.
• Use visualization. Use the visualization techniques outlined in the Memletic Techniques chapter to help understand various topics. If you can visualize a topic clearly and precisely, you should have a good understanding of it. If some areas appear grey or fuzzy, this suggests you still have some further work to do to understand it fully.

Aural style exploration

Aural exploration involves exploring the sounds and rhythms present in your learning topic. Unless you're studying a music-based topic, there may not be many musical or rhythmic areas to explore. Here are a few ideas though:

• Focus on sound. Pay particular attention to sounds in your environment. In an aircraft, examples may include the engine, gyros, wind sound (more at higher speeds, and lack of it at lower speeds). On a yacht, examples may include the sound of wind in the rigging, the hum of the tension in the shrouds, the sound of the water gurgling past. All these can give you extra perspectives in your training.
• Record sounds on to a tape or computer. If it's possible, try to record sounds from your topic on to a tape or computer. Make use of these recordings when you use techniques such as visualization and simulation.

Verbal style exploration

Exploration using the verbal style involves using spoken and written words. This could be via attending lectures, engaging in discussion, writing articles, rewriting topics, talking and summarizing aloud, and more. Let's look at some more details:

• Attend lectures or engage in discussions. Find ways to involve more listening in your content collection and exploration. Attend a class, lecture, or study group. If possible, engage in discussion with your lecturer or instructor, and ask them to explain topics in more detail.
• Read dramatically. When reading important material, try reading it out loud and dramatically. Act as if you were on stage in a play or similar production. Say the important points with volume and strength. Skip over less important information more quickly and quietly.
• Talk yourself through material and summarize aloud. As you read, pause after each paragraph and read aloud the key points from that paragraph. Also, summarize each lesson aloud.
• Reword and rewrite learning material. Rewrite important sections of your training material. Think about how you would write that section if you were writing your own instruction book or manual.
• Write an article. A powerful way to learn a topic is to write an article on it. Do some further research, think about your audience, look through your content and then express the core ideas in your own words. Why not send it to a related magazine as a "student's view on topic X?"
• Write summaries. Write your own summaries of each lesson or topic. Review them periodically as you progress, and keep them for future reference.
• Record notes on to a tape or computer. Record lectures, discussions or readings on to tape or on to a computer (for example via an MP3 player or recorder). Copy important parts and put them together into a summary recording.

Physical style exploration

Exploring with the physical style involves finding ways to incorporate movement and touch into your training. Get up and move around while learning. Try walking around while reading or listening. Go further and get your hands on physical expressions of the topics you are learning. Use role-playing. Try using index cards to arrange topics physically, or tick off items as you read them. Here are those points in more depth:

• Walk about while reading or listening. If possible, get up and walk around while reading or listening to content. Stop and pause on important points, and keep walking when reading less important material. Another idea is to simulate procedures while walking around a room. For example, for flight training try "flying" circuits, forced landings, instrument approaches and other procedures by walking around your living room. If you are learning to sail, perhaps try tacking and docking in a similar way. Have your notes with you and read out what you are doing at the time.
• Get hands on. If you are learning about physical objects or topics, find ways to get your hands on them. For example, if you are learning about how an engine works, get outside and open the front of a car or aircraft. Touch each of the parts. Some schools also have old parts around so you can see the internal workings, so ask around. If you have an old engine, for example, from a worn-out lawn mower or chain-saw, pull it apart. Note likenesses and differences between that engine and the engine you are studying.
  Another example: If you are learning about the weather, keep your own weather station for a while. Observe and write down rainfall, cloud, wind, temperature, and barometric pressure information daily.
• Use role-playing. If you are in a group, why not try some role-playing exercises that involve physical activity? Instead of reading about the rules controlling right of way when approaching another aircraft or boat, for example, get up and do a few examples with other students.
• Use index cards & Post-it notes. Write the key facts and ideas on index cards, and then physically sort them in different ways. Alternatively, write snippets of information on post-it notes and stick them to a wall according to relationships with other ideas. This is almost like physically building a mind map on the wall.
• Tick it off. While you read, tick off or mark each paragraph as you read and understand it. This helps you concentrate as well as involves movement.

Logical style exploration

You can explore content from a logical perspective by using the OSAID model to analyze logic further. You can visualize logic using a logic tree, and you may want to look in more detail at the mathematics behind your topics. Let's explore these further:

• Analyze the logic. Look at the logic within your learning material. Don't always accept that your material is correct. Much material is still only the expressed beliefs of the author. Use the following OSAID model to probe the author's logic, as well as your own logic. OSAID is a mnemonic for:
• Objective reasoning. Does the author base an argument on facts? Questions: How do you know they are facts? Could they be opinions or assumptions?
• Subjective reasoning. Does the author base an argument on personal opinions or the opinions of others? Questions: Do you believe the source? How reliable is it?
• Assumptive reasoning. Does the author base an argument on assumptions? Questions: Whose assumptions? What if these are wrong?
• Inductive reasoning. Does the author provide a reasonable conclusion by noting some specific cases? Questions: Can you think of cases that disprove the conclusion?
• Deductive reasoning. Does the author provide a specific conclusion based on principles accepted to be true? Questions: Are the principles correct? Is it a logical step from the principles to the conclusion?
  These questions can help you test the underlying logic of your learning material, rather than just accepting everything at "face value."
• Create a logic tree. A logic tree is a diagram that starts with a key statement, and then branches out with further logic or points that support that statement. If you want to go further with this, find more information on using deductive or inductive reasoning. Find why it's important that each branch is MECE (mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive). See the diagram below for an example of a logic tree.

• Play with numbers. If you are more mathematically minded, explore some topics by numbers. For example, use a spreadsheet program to graph mathematical formulas or information from your training.

Social style exploration

Social style exploration techniques involve learning with other people. The discussion, debate and agreement helps you better understand a particular topic. Here are some ideas:

• Learn with a group. This is the basic technique of learning socially. Join a class or study group for your topic of study. If none exists, consider creating one. Suggest class discussions or debates on particular topics of interest.
• Work with a study buddy. If you can't find or create a group, try to find someone at a similar point in their training. Work together through material and exercises, comparing and contrasting answers and viewpoints.
• Play the opposite view. In a group or "study buddy" setting, try taking the opposite viewpoint or opinion on various topics. Play the "devils advocate." Let the others know you are going to challenge them with an opposing view, and ask them to do the same at other times. This challenges yourself and others to defend the topic of focus, leading to better understanding.
• Role-play. I've already discussed role-playing with a physical activity focus; however, you can also use role-playing as a social learning technique. Role-playing in this way works well for activities that involve communication between two or more people.
• Involve others. Find ways to involve those around you in your learning. If you live at home with your parents, involve them by asking them their opinions on various topics. Try explaining to them some of the ideas you've learned. If you have children, how can you involve them in your training and learning? Sometimes children have a way of revealing your lack of understanding in a particular area by their own technique-the barrage of "why" questions.

Solitary style exploration

Solitary style exploration involves learning mainly on your own. Solitary exploration also involves understanding your own views and emotions on particular topics. You can extend this to try to understand other people's motivation behind their work. Here are some techniques to try:

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