Auditory Learner
Someone who prefers hearing or saying information: lectures, discussion, thinking aloud. Matching format to preference did not improve comprehension.
The aural mode covers anything heard or spoken: lectures, discussion, tutorials, and explaining a topic to someone else. Speaking is the half that gets dropped, and the half with the strongest independent support. Explaining material aloud is retrieval practice, one of the best-evidenced study techniques, and the benefit does not depend on being an auditory learner.
Rogowsky, Calhoun and Tallal (2015) classified adults as auditory or visual learners, randomly assigned them to an audiobook or the same text on screen, and measured comprehension. Matching format to stated preference made no difference, on the immediate test or two weeks later. The same three authors compared reading, listening and both at once in 2016 and found no statistically significant difference between the three for anyone.
Where sound genuinely wins is where the content is sound. Pronunciation, accent, musical interval and tone of voice cannot be delivered as a diagram for anyone.
Measure your Auditory Learner profile
Take the Learning Style test to discover where you fall. Instant result with full breakdown and matching careers.
Take the Learning Style Test