Although most people's learning styles incorporate a mix of several different modalities, usually one type is dominant. Visual learners process information more easily when it's presented in a visual way. They have more difficulty grasping concepts that are presented orally and learn best when visual aids such as graphs, diagrams and pictures are used to present the information. They develop deeper understandings and greater rentention of the concepts being taught when a visual demonstration is included as part of the lesson.
Traditional teaching methods have the teacher as the focus of the lesson, imparting information, usually orally. The visual learners in the class can find it difficult to follow these lessons without visual aids and may develop inappropriate behaviors. Visual learners tend to talk quickly and may become impatient and interrupt the lesson. These disruptive behaviors frequently result in consequences such as exclusion from class, resulting in the student falling even farther behind their classmates.
Teachers should incorportate visual elements into all their presentations. For example, slide shows that include maps with arrows suggesting patterns of immigration or advancements of armies, or photographs depicting key events will enhance a history lesson for visual learners. Instructions should be written on the board or handed out on sheets of paper, rather than merely presented orally. Visual learners should be encouraged to use highlighter pens in different colors to assist in note-taking and reading texts.
Visual learners also tend to do better in classrooms where the teachers have the students work together in small cooperative groups. If these groups are carefully constructed, with students who represent different learning styles, the students will be able to assist each other and help develop their weaker modalities. There will also be more time and opportunity for students to use visual aids such as mind-mapping, flow charts and graphs, as they practice self-discovery methods to learn the new material and prepare their own presentations of their findings, rather than have the teacher merely impart the facts to them.