Discover how you learn – Association of Dental Implantology (ADI)
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 7th June 2018
With the new ECPD regulations introduced this year, it’s more important than ever to ensure that you’re learning in a way that suits you. Identifying what type of learner you are can help focus your CPD. Knowing which type of educational materials work best for you means you can find training courses and presentations that supply information in that format.
One way to discover what type of learner you are is by taking the VARK questionnaire.[i]The results will reveal if you learn visually, aurally, through reading and writing or by kinaesthetic means.
Visual learners
Visual learners tend to react best to colourful and informative pictures such as pie charts and graphics that help the information presented create a memorable impact.[ii]
Dentistry can be a very visual field and visual aids often form a big part of educational materials. Lecture presentations, studies and textbooks include graphs and other picture-based information, and by concentrating on sources that present material in this way, visual learners are much more likely to reap the benefits.
Aural/Auditory learners
Aural learners tend to absorb information best when they are presented with spoken educational sources or information that can be listened to.
For dental professionals who fall under this category, attending lectures is a particularly good way to obtain information. Webinars also provide audio options and there are many detailed podcasts that can deliver CPD, helping professionals to fulfil their requirements.
Reading and writing
Those who take in information by reading and writing react best to educational material presented in the written word.
In dentistry, the written word has a significant presence. Multitudes of studies are available to read online and there are hundreds of published textbooks and other printed resources that are easily accessible. Reading through instructions for new products and step-by-step accounts of new procedures is also a good way for these types of learners to get to grips with information.
Kinaesthetic learners
Kinaesthetic learning is when people understand a new skill or retain information best by doing an activity or practical experiment.
Examples of kinaesthetic learning in dentistry include practical sessions where professionals can learn by performing procedures, and seminars where individuals can interact with plastic models and other physical aids. In dental implantology, mentoring is particularly significant, and by performing procedures with practical guidance, professionals with a preference for kinaesthetic learning can absorb the information more easily.
Do what’s best for you
There are many learning opportunities presented throughout the year, with most appealing to all types of learners.
Take the ADI Team Congress as an example – it welcomes a wide variety of high profile speakers from around the world delivering the latest information. The next ADI Team Congress take place from the 2nd– 4thMay 2019 – so make sure you save the dates in your diary.
For information on the ADI and upcoming events, please visit www.adi.org.uk
[i]VARK. VARK Questionnaire 7.1 Link: http://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/ [Last accessed March18].
[ii]VARK. VARK Modalities. Link: http://vark-learn.com/introduction-to-vark/the-vark-modalities/ [Last accessed March18].
