Spotlight on Learning Styles and Individual Preferences for Learning

One of the greatest strengths of occupational therapy is recognising that no two people learn in exactly the same way. Every learner brings unique experiences, abilities, motivations, communication preferences, cultural backgrounds and educational histories that influence how they acquire and apply new knowledge. Effective educators therefore avoid adopting a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Instead, they use a variety of teaching methods to maximise understanding, engagement and long-term skill development.

For many years, education commonly referred to learning styles, suggesting that individuals could be categorised as visual, auditory or kinaesthetic learners. While these concepts remain useful as a way of encouraging educators to diversify their teaching methods, contemporary educational research has found little evidence that matching teaching exclusively to a person’s preferred learning style improves learning outcomes. In other words, people may have preferences for how they like to receive information, but relying solely on one preferred style does not necessarily improve learning.

For occupational therapists and assistance animal professionals, the practical implication is clear: do not try to identify a single learning style and teach only in that way. Instead, provide information in multiple formats so learners have several opportunities to understand, practise and retain new knowledge.

Understanding Common Learning Preferences

Although learning styles should not be viewed as rigid categories, understanding common learning preferences can help practitioners create more engaging and accessible educational experiences.

Visual Learning

Individuals who prefer visual learning often benefit from information presented through images, diagrams, flowcharts, demonstrations, colour coding, videos and written resources.

Within assistance animal practice, visual teaching strategies may include:

• demonstrating training techniques
• photographs of correct equipment fitting
• body language charts
• anatomical diagrams
• flowcharts showing referral pathways
• videos of task performance
• infographics
• written checklists
• visual schedules.

Visual supports are particularly valuable when teaching complex procedures or explaining relationships between concepts.

Auditory Learning

Some learners process information effectively through listening and discussion.

Strategies may include:

• verbal explanations
• lectures
• podcasts
• group discussion
• question-and-answer sessions
• storytelling
• reflective conversations
• verbal feedback
• recorded instructions.

Auditory teaching allows learners to clarify misunderstandings immediately through discussion and questioning.

Kinaesthetic Learning

Kinaesthetic learners often benefit from active participation, practical experience and learning by doing.

Examples include:

• practising handling techniques
• fitting equipment
• role-playing conversations
• completing task analysis
• environmental assessments
• simulated assessments
• working directly with assistance animals
• practical demonstrations
• supervised fieldwork.

Occupational therapy has traditionally embraced experiential learning because practical application strengthens confidence and promotes skill transfer into real-world practice.

Reading and Writing Preferences

Some individuals prefer learning through written information.

These learners often benefit from:

• textbooks
• journal articles
• policies
• written case studies
• note-taking
• reflective journals
• handbooks
• research papers
• written assessment tasks.

Providing high-quality written resources allows learners to review information repeatedly and study at their own pace.

Using Multiple Teaching Methods

Rather than attempting to identify one preferred learning style, educators should intentionally combine multiple teaching approaches within every learning activity.

For example, when teaching Public Access Testing, an educator may:

• explain the assessment verbally;
• provide written assessment criteria;
• demonstrate the assessment using a handler and assistance animal;
• show video examples of successful and unsuccessful performances;
• provide opportunities for supervised practice; and
• facilitate reflective discussion afterwards.

This approach allows learners to engage with the same information through multiple pathways, improving understanding and retention.

Universal Design for Learning

A more contemporary approach to education is Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

Rather than adapting teaching after identifying individual differences, UDL encourages educators to design learning experiences that are accessible and flexible from the outset.

UDL is built around three broad principles:

Provide multiple means of engagement
Different ways of motivating and involving learners.

Provide multiple means of representation
Different ways of presenting information.

Provide multiple means of action and expression
Different ways for learners to demonstrate what they know.

Within assistance animal education, this may involve combining lectures, videos, practical activities, discussion groups, online resources, simulations and reflective assessments rather than relying upon a single teaching method.

This approach benefits all learners, not only those requiring formal adjustments.

Adult Learning Principles

Most occupational therapists, trainers and handlers are adult learners.

Adults generally learn most effectively when education:

• is relevant to real-life practice;
• builds upon previous experience;
• encourages active participation;
• explains why learning is important;
• allows opportunities for reflection;
• promotes problem-solving;
• respects learner autonomy; and
• can be immediately applied in practice.

For example, rather than simply explaining how to fit a harness, educators should discuss why correct fitting matters, demonstrate the procedure, allow supervised practice and encourage learners to reflect upon the impact of poor equipment fitting on both animal welfare and task performance.

Adapting Communication to Individual Needs

Effective educators continually adjust their communication according to the learner rather than expecting every learner to adapt to one teaching style.

This may involve:

• simplifying technical language;
• providing Easy Read resources;
• using diagrams or photographs;
• allowing additional processing time;
• providing written summaries after discussions;
• demonstrating tasks repeatedly;
• encouraging questions;
• breaking complex information into smaller sections;
• providing opportunities for repetition and practice.

These adjustments improve accessibility while maintaining educational standards.

Learning Is More Than Preference

Learning is influenced by many factors beyond preferred teaching methods.

These include:

• previous education;
• literacy;
• health literacy;
• disability;
• fatigue;
• stress;
• motivation;
• confidence;
• culture;
• language;
• sensory needs;
• cognitive functioning;
• learning environment;
• emotional wellbeing.

Consequently, educators should avoid assuming that poor learning reflects a lack of motivation or ability. Instead, they should consider whether the educational approach, environment or communication methods require modification.

Practical Implications for Assistance Animal Practice

Occupational therapists working within assistance animal services frequently educate handlers, family members, students, volunteers and multidisciplinary colleagues.

Education may involve:

• animal handling;
• welfare monitoring;
• task training;
• occupational participation;
• public access responsibilities;
• legislation;
• equipment use;
• emergency procedures;
• retirement planning;
• ongoing maintenance training.

Because learners vary considerably, education should be delivered using multiple methods rather than relying solely on verbal instruction or written manuals.

Providing demonstrations, practical experience, written resources, videos, discussion opportunities and ongoing mentoring allows learners to consolidate knowledge while accommodating different communication preferences and learning needs.

Key Message

The concept of learning styles has encouraged educators to recognise that people learn differently. However, contemporary evidence suggests that effective education is achieved not by teaching exclusively to one preferred learning style, but by providing multiple ways to engage with information, practise new skills and demonstrate learning.

For occupational therapists, this aligns closely with person-centred practice. Rather than asking, “What learning style does this person have?”, a more useful question is:

“How can I present this information in several different ways so every learner has the greatest opportunity to understand, retain and apply it?”

By combining evidence-informed teaching strategies with flexibility, accessibility and individualisation, practitioners create learning environments that support competence, confidence and lifelong professional development for everyone involved in assistance animal practice.