Learning is a hotly debated topic, not only how we learn but how we learn effectively. First off, let's put one myth to rest: learning styles.The idea that each of us is an auditory, visual, or kinesthetic learner sounds right intuitively. You watch a show and remember the story better than when you read the book. You build IKEA furniture yourself rather than having someone explain how to build it. But learning styles don't affect us the way we think they do. Watching a show feels easier, and building something holds our attention better than listening to instructions. That's about effort and attention, not a built-in style. When Harold Pashler and his colleagues reviewed there search on learning styles in 2008, they found no solid evidence that teaching to a person's preferred style improved test scores or learning.
So how do we learn? Through effort and attention! When we have to read a novel for a novel study, we think, "I'm a visual learner, so I should watch the film." Guess what? Everyone could benefit from the film! But reading demands far more effort and attention, so the outcome will be very different than if we just watched the movie. The book also contains more substance and detail, which goes a long way in our novel study. This isn't easy, of course, and many students have attention or effort deficits that make it very challenging. That means we need resilience and perseverance to push through. We acknowledge that it may take double or triple the time for someone to complete the same task. Don't give up, push through.
How does learning, actually happen? We tend to think that when we're learning about the French Revolution or how survival of the fittest works, it goes like this: we gain knowledge, it feels comforting, we practice, and we make steady progress.
Here's how it happens: we learn about the French Revolution, we practice, and then we forget or get confused. We feel uncomfortable, even embarrassed. We start again, gain more knowledge, and hit another point where we don't understand something. We practice a bit more and then, "Ohhhh, they were trying to turn an absolute monarchy into a constitutional one!" Learning is uncomfortable. It's a lot like a project around the house: we watch videos or talk to people, but once we start the task, there's discomfort from confusion or misunderstanding. We have to practice to get better.
Psychologist Robert Bjork has a name for this discomfort: desirable difficulties. His research shows that the things that make learning feel harder in the moment often make it stick better in the long run. When you forget something and have to work to pull it back up, your brain strengthens that memory. The confusion isn't getting in the way of learning. It's part of how learning happens.
The trouble is that easy learning feels more effective. Rereading notes, highlighting, or watching the movie version all feel smooth, so we assume we've got it. Then the test comes and it's gone. Effortful learning feels slower and messier, but it lasts.
So what does this look like in practice?
Quiz yourself instead of rereading. Close the book and try to explain the causes of the French Revolution from memory. Struggling to recall is what builds the memory.
Space it out. Studying for 20 minutes over four days beats 80 minutes the night before. A little forgetting between sessions makes the next session more powerful.
Mix it up. Instead of doing 20 of the same math problem in a row, mix different types together. It feels harder because you have to figure out which strategy to use, and that's exactly what you'll need to do on a test.
Explain it to someone else. If you can teach it to a parent, a sibling, or even your dog, you actually understand it.
None of these feel as comfortable as rereading or watching the film, and that's the point. You're not a "visual learner" or an "auditory learner." You're a learner, and learning takes effort, attention, and a willingness to be confused for a while. So the next time you feel stuck, frustrated, or like you've forgotten everything, remember: if learning feels uncomfortable, that's not a sign you're doing it wrong. It's a sign you're doing it.