Visual-Spatial Learner: Questions & Answers

[Obis]

http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/Visual_Spatial_Learner/vsl.htm

Which type of learner are You? If you recognize yourself as a visual-spatial learner, I'd like to ask you some questions:

1) What type of mathematics/physics do you enjoy the most? Which do you find the most difficult?
2) Do you go to lectures? If you do, do you take lecture notes?
3) How do you self study? Do you spend more time reading or solving exercises/problems?
4) Do you find it difficult to avoid computational errors? If you do, how do you try to deal with it?
5) What is your opinion on high school mathematics?

 

[lisab]

Yes I'm more towards the visual side of the spectrum.

1) I enjoyed linear algebra and geometry. Struggled with algebra. Didn't like series at all for some reason (hard to picture what was going on, maybe).

2) Always attended lectures, if not for the content but for important class announcements, like re-scheduled exams (most of my schooling was done before email).

3) I could self-study more than I do, but I enjoy the free-flowing style of solving puzzles more than crunching problems.

4) Computational errors are a fact of life, don't stress out about them.

5) I didn't attend traditional high school. But since many (most?) calculus students really struggle with algebra, I think that's a weak link in math education.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Judging by the cartoon, I'd have to say I am spacial.

1) I like QFT the most and find it the most difficult.
2) I'm no longer in school, but when I was I went to lectures and took notes.
3) I read about half the time and solve problems the other half.
4) I constantly make computational errors. If the answer is provided, then I continue to work on the problem for a long time before I either get the right answer, give up, or decide that the given answer can't be correct. If the answer is not provided, then I do a reality check and move on.
5) I took algebra I as a freshman. It was poorly taught, I hated it and did poorly in it. I took geometry as a sophomore, algebra II as a junior, and calculus as a senior. These courses were very well taught, I loved them and did very well in them.

 

[fluidistic]

I did not count but according to the link given I wouldn't qualify in neither of visual-spatial learner and auditory-sequential learner.

 

[jtbell]

I'd like to ask you some questions:

How about you give us your answers first?

 

[Obis]

Thank You for those who answered.

I'm a visual learner, and here are my own answers :

1) I enjoy abstract mathematics, that involves manipulation of abstract concepts with minimal amount of computations.
2) I don't go to the majority of lectures. I find reading a book much more effective and interesting. I don't take lecture notes, since, once again, reading a well written book is much more effective than reading my own notes, written in my poor handwriting.
3) Most of the time I spend reading and trying to build mental pictures of various concepts. I have never found solving many problems to be effective.
4) I find it very difficult.
5) I don't even think it's mathematics, which is very misleading. I believe there's a lot of people who could enjoy mathematics greatly, however, they get pushed away by the primitive mechanical rules and symbol manipulation without any reference to their meaning. On the other hand, some people excel at such symbol manipulation, however, when they come to the university and get a better feeling of what is mathematics, they understand mathematics is not for them.

 

[Danger]

1) What type of mathematics/physics do you enjoy the most? Which do you find the most difficult?
2) Do you go to lectures? If you do, do you take lecture notes?
3) How do you self study? Do you spend more time reading or solving exercises/problems?
4) Do you find it difficult to avoid computational errors? If you do, how do you try to deal with it?
5) What is your opinion on high school mathematics?

"No", to all of the above.

I have components of both styles. I suspect that it's because I don't have a hemisphere dominance (ambidextrous).
My math knowledge is grade 9. The only trouble that I ever got into in high-school was for assaulting a math teacher in early grade 10, and I never took the subject since. (It was a richly deserved attack, in defense of a friend who was being assaulted by the teacher at the time. The principal sided with me, but gave me a detention for the sake of "propriety".)
Primarily, I consider myself "visual". I always read the owner's manual for a new product from cover to cover, but go through the points on the actual object as I read or I can't follow it. If it isn't something that's sealed, I will also take it apart right away to see how it ticks. That's an absolute "must do" for firearms or other weapons, but I prefer it for everything. (Not solid-state stuff, though, because I don't know anything about electronics. Also not simple things like my dishwasher or fridge, because when you've seen one you've seen 'em all.)
When reading or writing fiction, I see everything in my mind as though through a movie camera.