Learning Techniques

Peter Drucker once wrote about the importance of knowing your learning technique. He noted that some people tend to learn by listening, others by reading, and still others by talking matters out or by writing. Those were just a few of the approaches.

I've noticed that while conducting workshops. You bring one section of the class on board with one approach and others with different ones. A combination of fast-paced techniques can enable you to reach most - and you hope all - of the participants on a particular point before moving on to a new barrage for the next one.

I shudder to think of some of the professors I've encountered who sat at a desk and droned. They exhibited an almost total lack of interest in conveying the information to the students.

At the same time, knowing your learning technique can be immensely helpful. In our careers, we often have to work around poor instructors to get the information we need. Bemoaning their inadequacies may be emotionally gratifying but it is unlikely to produce results.

There are days when a good student resembles an accomplished jewel thief.