How do you learn?
Acts 17:16-34
I praise God for making us all different. How boring would life be if we were all the same? Unfortunately, our differences make it harder to teach when each person in a group is most likely a different type of learner.
Whether a person is teaching Biology or the Bible, each group of people is made up of different types of learners. There are visual learners who find it easier to take in new information through pictures, diagrams, charts and films. There are auditory learners who like to learn things verbally and specifically like hearing seminars and presentations. Finally there are kinesthetic learners that find it easier to take in new information through copying demonstrations and getting physically involved.
Which one are you? If you’re over 50, you are most likely an auditory learner, someone who likes to take in information via simple presentations and seminars. If you are in your 30s or below, you are most likely a visual learner, preferring video, charts, diagrams, and other pictures. As for kinesthetic learners, let me know who you are.
We seem to have a culture clash of visual vs. auditory learners. Society has a lot to do with these differences in learning styles. Television, DVDs, video games, and computers are changing this world, and especially the way younger generations learn. Is this bad? Is this good? Learning is still going to happen, that’s what matters.
Paul, speaking to the philosophers in Athens (Acts 17:22-34) took lines from pagan poets to get to his teaching about God. It’s amazing that God can take pagan poetry and use it through Paul to reach pagan philosophers. Paul was rejected by the majority, but some men joined him and believed. Paul took what he had to work with. He had pagans in front of him and he used pagan poets to get to his point. We should learn from his example.
In our churches, we shouldn’t force senior citizens to watch videos for Bible lessons, because most likely they are auditory not visual learners. The same can be said for younger individuals, they are most likely visual and more relationship oriented learners. Seminars, simple verbal presentations, and learning in large groups may not be attractive to them. Since God said he wants all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), we should do what we can to reach all the people. However, this won’t happen until we recognize our God-given differences.
Praise God for how we are made! We are made differently. Anyone with more than one child understands that.
