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10 Angular Code Challenges For Beginners

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10 Angular Code Challenges For Beginners

When you’re learning a new programming language or framework, like Angular, a fun way to practice your new skills is with code challenges. These bite-sized tasks usually focus on one or two coding concepts, and they’re designed to be solved relatively quickly so you won’t need to block out a big chunk of time to work on them.

Angular, a front-end framework developed by Google, is built entirely on TypeScript, a subset of JavaScript. With it, you can build beautiful, responsive web apps that look good in any modern browser. But before you dive in, you’ll want to practice your new skills so you have a firm grasp on the framework and coding concepts that you’ll use to build more complex web apps. Here are 10 coding challenges to help you practice and learn more about Angular.

Note that while these challenges are designed for beginners, you’ll still need to have a solid foundation in JavaScript since TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript. If you need a refresher, check out our Learn JavaScript course. And if you’re looking for an Angular course to take before you try out these challenges, here’s our Learn AngularJS course.

Also note that you can complete these challenges in your local coding environment or from anywhere, even your phone, using one of many online coding tools that allow you to import Angular and run your code in the browser. Here are two popular options:

1. Build a toolbar component

In this challenge, you’ll build a toolbar like you see on many websites that have the title of the site and navigation links. The title of the site will be passed into the component, and the site links will be nested within it. The title should be on the left side and 3-4 links should go on the right side. You can use popular sites like Google or Gmail for the links. For this challenge, you’ll use `ng-content` and `@Input()`.

2. Build an Angular card component

All sorts of apps use cards to display content that repeats. You often see them on mobile apps and websites. For this challenge, build a card that accepts a title, subtitle, and icon. It should also accept a nested footer and body content. You’ll need to use `ng-content` , `@Input()`, `ngIf`, and dynamic class binding to complete this challenge.

3. Build an accordion

Accordions, components with one or more expandable sections, help save space in UI design. If you’re working on the front-end of an application, you’ll use accordions a lot. For this challenge, your accordion will accept a list and render it. The content in your list will include a title, a body, and an icon to open and close the accordion. You’ll use `ng-content`, `@Input()`, `ngFor`, and dynamic class binding, and you’ll also implement a click handler.

4. Build a credit card formatter

If you’re working with large numbers, like credit cards that have 16 digits, it’s easier for people to read them when they’re formatted. So for this challenge, try creating a pipe in Angular that will take a credit card number as a string and return the number with dashes between each set of characters. Only consider 16-digit numbers as valid and place the dash between every four digits. Your code should return an error if a number was entered that doesn’t have 16 characters. For this challenge, you will use `@Pipe()` and `PipeTransform`.

5. Build a star rating component

In this challenge, you’ll build a star rating component that accepts a value of 0-5, including half values like 4.5. The component should render the correct amount of stars, including empty stars and half stars. You’ll use `@Component()`, `@Input()`, `ngFor`, and `ngIf`.

6. Create an Angular pipe that sorts

Create a pipe that accepts an array of strings and a sort direction value of either `asc` or `desc“. If there isn’t a sort direction value, simply return the original list, and if the value to sort isn’t an array, throw an error. For this challenge, you’ll use `@Pipe()` and `PipeTransform`.

7. Detect a dirty form

The first step in this challenge is to create a form. Then, build a form guard that will ask the user if they want to continue without saving if the form is dirty (i.e., the value of the form has changed). You’ll use `@Injectable()` and `CanDeactivate` to complete this challenge.

8. Create a bottom sheet component

In this challenge, build a bottom sheet component that supports whatever control you choose. Here you’ll be using `@Component()`, `ng-content`, `(click)`, and dynamic class binding.

9. Create a loader

When someone is waiting for data to load on a website, it’s helpful to let them know that the process has started. It’s also good to keep them informed while the process is still happening. The most common way to do this is with a spinning loader. So for this challenge, create a loader that can accept both a graphic for a spinning loader and simple text. You’ll use `@Component()`,` @Input()`, `Enum`, `ngSwitch`, and `ngSwitchCase` to do this.

10. Create a pop-up

Create a basic pop-up in Angular that is displayed by a click on another element, like a button. In this challenge, you’ll be using `@Component()`, `@Input()`, `ng-content`, `fadeInOutAnimation`, `ngIf`, `(click)`, `of()`, `delay()`, `pipe()`, and `unsubscribe()`.

Build your Angular skills

How’d you do with these challenges? Were they a breeze or do you feel like you need a refresher? If it’s time for a review, check out our Learn AngularJS course where you’ll learn how to build single-page web applications. This course requires a strong foundation in JavaScript and HTML, so if you need a refresher on either of those first, take a look at our Learn JavaScript and Learn HTML courses. Then you can dive into the Angular course.

If you enjoyed these challenges and you’d like to check out more, we hold daily and weekly code challenges to help keep your skills sharp. You can find more details on these challenges here. And if you want to explore other JavaScript frameworks, we also have a Learn Vue.js course and a Learn React course, both designed for beginners.


Web Development Courses & Tutorials | Codecademy

Web Development is the practice of developing websites and web apps that live on the internet. Whether you’re interested in front-end, back-end, or going full-stack, our web development courses will help you get there.

Teenagers in The Times: Fall 2022

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A roundup of the news stories and features about young people that have appeared across sections of NYTimes.com since August.

12 Docker Interview Questions That You Can Practice to Ace Your Technical Interview

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12 Docker Interview Questions That You Can Practice to Ace Your Technical Interview

If you’re applying for jobs that involve managing and deploying applications, chances are you’ll be expected to know Docker, the platform that helps developers build, share, and run applications. Jobs like Software Developer, DevOps Engineer, Python Developer, Data Engineer, and many more all use Docker regularly.

Since this will be an essential skill for you to succeed in your new role, you’ll want to be prepared for any Docker interview questions that might come your way during the interview process. And one of the best ways you can prepare is to set up a mock interview  — particularly when it comes to the technical interview. You can ask someone to help you by playing the role of the interviewer and asking you a series of questions that are likely to come up in your interview. This helps you practice answering questions out loud, and it’ll also help you identify any questions you need to flesh out before your interview.

Tip: If you’re interviewing remotely, consider setting up your mock interview over Zoom. This way, you can practice in a similar way to how your real interview will be conducted. You can also use Zoom on your own and record yourself answering questions. That way, you can play the recording back and see how you did.

To help you practice, here are 12 Docker interview questions and tips on how to answer them.

1. What is a Docker container?

Docker containers are comprised of the applications you create plus their dependencies. They can run as systems that are isolated but are in the host system. They share system resources and kernel resources with other containers.

Docker containers eliminate infrastructure dependency when deploying and running applications. This enables these applications to run on any platform regardless of the supporting infrastructure.

2. What are Docker images?

Docker images are executable packages that are bundled with the code and dependencies of an application. Their purpose is to create containers, and you can deploy them to any Docker environment. The containers can then be used to run the application.

3. What is a Docker file?

A docker file is a text file containing all the commands that need to be run to build a particular image. Docker automatically builds images by reading the instructions from this file.

4. What’s the functionality of a hypervisor?

A hypervisor is software that enables virtualization to occur. This is sometimes called a virtual machine monitor, and it divides the host resources and allocates them to each installed guest environment.

Hypervisors allow multiple operating systems to be installed on one host system. There are two types of hypervisors — native and hosted.

A native hypervisor, also referred to as a bare-metal hypervisor, runs on the underlying host system. This ensures it has direct access to the host hardware, so a base operating system is not required.

A hosted hypervisor uses the underlying host operating system, which contains the existing operating system.

5. What is Docker Compose?

Docker Compose is a tool that uses YAML files to configure all the details of the services needed to set up a Docker-based application. It also includes a number of commands that can be used to manage an instance, such as checking the status of a service, outputting logs, or canceling and rebuilding a service.

6. What is Docker Namespace?

A Namespace is a feature of Linux for partitioning operating system resources in a manner that’s mutually exclusive. Within Docker, namespaces form the isolated workspaces that constitute a container.  Docker namespaces are portable and don’t affect the underlying host.

7. Which Docker command lists the status of all containers?

The command for listing the status of Docker containers is docker ps -a.

8. What would cause you to lose data stored in a container?

This question could catch you off guard since it’s sort of a trick question. But remember that data stored in a container remains there unless the container is deleted.

9. What is Docker Image Registry?

Docker Image Registry is an area where you store Docker images. Rather than converting the applications to containers each time, developers can directly use these images.

The registry can be private or public. Docker Hub is a very popular public registry.

10. What’s a Docker Hub?

A Docker Hub is a service provided by Docker for managing and sharing container images. Much like GitHub, Docker Hub makes it easy to administer and share resources with your team.

11. How many Docker components exist?

There are three Docker components: Docker Client, Docker Host, and Docker Registry.

Docker Client performs operations like build and run when you need to communicate with the Docker Host. It contains the main Docker daemon and hosts containers with their associated images. The daemon connects to the Docker Registry. Docker Registry stores the images and can be private or public.

12. How do you check for the current version of the Docker client and server?

All information about Docker client and server versions can be obtained using the command “docker version” (minus the quotes). You can obtain only the server version by typing docker version –format ‘{{.Server.Version}}’

Get more technical interview prep

If you’re looking for additional resources to prepare for your technical interview, check out our complete guide to the technical interview and our tips on how to ace the whiteboard interview. You may also be asked a series of behavioral questions at some point during the interview process. Behavioral questions can be scenario-based and are designed to demonstrate your critical thinking skills. Check out our advice on answering common behavioral interview questions.

For even more interview support or job-hunting advice, check out our Career Center for resume and portfolio tips and more interview resources.

If you’re interested in learning a new skill, check out our course catalog for a list of courses that can help you take your career to the next level.


DevOps Courses & Tutorials | Codecademy

DevOps combines the words “development” and “operations,” and it refers to a collaborative approach to building applications. The goal of DevOps is to help a team work more efficiently by using the right tools and software development processes for the situation.

Web Development Courses & Tutorials | Codecademy

Web Development is the practice of developing websites and web apps that live on the internet. Whether you’re interested in front-end, back-end, or going full-stack, our web development courses will help you get there.

15 Real-World Coding Projects You Can Finish In Under 1 Hour

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15 Real-World Coding Projects You Can Finish In Under 1 Hour
15 Real-World Coding Projects You Can Finish In Under 1 Hour

When you’re adding learning to code to your already busy life, it can be tough to carve out the time you need to pick up new information and practice your skills. The good news? If you only have an hour a day to commit to coding, projects are a hands-on way to review what you’ve learned in Codecademy courses and paths.

Codecademy practice projects are ideal when you’re short on time and just want to quickly brush up on a particular coding concept. The projects are based on real-world scenarios (though the names and companies in the projects are totally fictional), so you’ll get to explore the creative ways that developers use code to solve problems in our daily lives.

As you browse the Codecademy project library, you’ll notice a time estimate that tells you how long it should take you to complete a project, plus the level of guidance that you’ll get along the way. There are projects that take you 20-plus hours to complete and can be used in a professional portfolio, and ones that are just for practice that you can breeze through in 15 minutes.

Before you jump in, it’s important to remember that everyone works at a different pace. You might need a little extra time to complete a project if you’re brand new to a language or concept, and that’s no problem. Codecademy courses, paths, and projects are designed for self-guided learning, so you get to determine the speed that works best for your life, and you can pause and take a break whenever you need.

To help get you started, here are some Codecademy practice projects for our most popular programming languages that you can complete in under an hour.

Python projects that take less than 1 hour

Honey Production

How much time you need: 42 minutes

Try linear regression using NumPy or Pandas to investigate the population of honeybees.

Block Letters

How much time you need: 40 minutes

Experiment with the graphic design technique ASCII art by writing a Python program that prints your initials.

Gradebook

How much time you need: 24 minutes

Organize subjects and grades with Python lists.

JavaScript projects that take less than 1 hour

Kelvin Weather

How much time you need: 39 minutes

Convert temperature forecasts on a weather website from Kelvin to Farenheit using JavaScript variables.

Animal Fun Facts

How much time you need: 30 minutes

Build an interactive program with JavaScript React that will display a variety of facts about animals.

Video Player

How much time you need: 33 minutes

Make a responsive video player using JavaScript React components.

HTML/CSS projects that take less than 1 hour

Wine Festival Schedule

How much time you need: 33 minutes

Use your HTML chops to build a table that displays an event schedule on a web page.

Reel Good Reviews

How much time you need: 36 minutes

A movie review website needs help improving its readability and navigation on mobile devices.

Healthy Recipes

How much time you need: 24 minutes

Give a recipe website a makeover with CSS selectors.

Java projects that take less than 1 hour

Java Variables: Mad Libs

How much time you need: 30 minutes

Create Java variables for a fill-in-the-blank word game.

The Prime Directive

How much time you need: 40 minutes

Use Java loops to identify prime numbers in a sequence (BTW, this is a common technical challenge in programming interviews).

Planting a Tree

How much time you need: 17 minutes

Write a Java program from scratch that “plants” virtual trees.

SQL projects that take less than 1 hour

Lyft Trip Data

How much time you need: 33 minutes

Combine data from different rows using SQL table joins.

New York Restaurants

How much time you need: 36 minutes

Write the most common SQL queries to answer questions about NYC restaurants.

Calculating Churn Rates

How much time you need: 30 minutes

Use SQL to compare subscription churn rates for two segments of users.

Get more coding practice

If you’re looking for other ways to test your programming knowledge, try a coding challenge, like these beginner-friendly challenges for Python, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, Java, and SQL. You could also stretch your creativity and make your own project inspired by a problem in your own life.

Check out the entire Codecademy project library for even more opportunities to sharpen your skills and apply what you learn to real-life coding projects. And don’t forget to share your finished projects with other learners in Codecademy forums.  

These Are The 15 Top Codecademy Courses of 2022

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These Are The 15 Top Codecademy Courses of 2022

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Word of the Day: remiss

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This word has appeared in 20 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?

What’s Going On in This Picture? | Dec. 12, 2022

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Look closely at this image, stripped of its caption, and join the moderated conversation about what you and other students see.

Everything we know about Elon Musk’s brain chip

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Everything we know about Elon Musk’s brain chip

Always surrounded by controversy, in the last 2 weeks Elon Musk and his company Neuralink, founded in 2016 and specializing in the development of implantable brain-computer interfaces, also known as Brain-Machine Interfaces or BMI, have not stopped making news.

 

To better understand the subject, let’s go further on Musk’s project.

 

After his appearance at the end of November 2022, at the company’s Show and Tell Event, Musk revealed that in 6 months tests could be carried out implanting the chip, Link, in human brains.

 

The process, Musk said, is advanced in terms of the necessary permits from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which authorizes all types of medical devices on the market, including brain devices.

 

The site ING explains: “Until now, the FDA has been concerned about possible overheating of the implant – which includes microwires in brain tissue – that could result in chemicals leaking from the implant into the brain mass, Musk clarified in the question and answer session.

 

The function of the implant will be to “read” brain activity in order to transmit orders that help restore some severely damaged brain functions after a heart attack or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which results in serious damage to communication skills.

 

Musk showed a video where a monkey with one of these implants is seen, and that apparently is capable of moving a cursor on a screen towards some letters. “He is moving the cursor with his mind”, Musk said. “Not that he can write, I don’t want to exaggerate”.

 

 

On the other hand, associations in defense of animals ask to investigate the Neuralink Corporation and its mistreatment practices in laboratory animals.

 

According to the article published in Reuters: Musk’s Neuralink faces federal probe, employee backlash over animal tests

“The investigation has come at a time of growing employee dissent about Neuralink’s animal testing, including complaints that pressure from CEO Musk to accelerate development has resulted in botched experiments, according to a Reuters review of dozens of Neuralink documents and interviews with more than 20 current and former employees. Such failed tests have had to be repeated, increasing the number of animals being tested and killed, the employees say. The company documents include previously unreported messages, audio recordings, emails, presentations, and reports!

 

Source: www.theteslaspace.com

 

All about Neurallink?

 

On its website, the company describes itself as “a team of exceptionally talented people. We are creating the future of brain-computer interfaces: building devices now that have the potential to help people with paralysis and inventing new technologies that could expand our abilities, our community, and our world”.

 

Source: www.engadget.com

For this purpose, the company is working on The Link. “A wireless implant based on a chip housed in a casing about the size of a quarter, designed to be implanted into the skull, where it interfaces directly with the human brain via a series of tiny wires. Each of these wires (which are the width of a few red blood cells) carries a complement of 16 electrodes and is capable of both tracking the signals sent out by the brain and stimulating them.

Source: Neuralink

 

On the Neuralink website, they explain that the work of neural stimulation is almost as old as the knowledge of electricity itself. “ When small currents are delivered through an electrode, the changing electric field drives nearby neurons to fire one or more action potentials. By stimulating specific temporal sequences across many electrodes, it is possible to create patterns of activity that elicit the desired sensation, for example, the feel of an object in the hand or a visual image. Stimulation can also reduce or eliminate the pathological patterns of activity that occur in neurological disorders, such as reducing movement deficits in Parkinson’s disease”.

 

In the following video you can see how the Neuralink app will work:

 

How does the link work?

 

The site www.theteslaspace.com explains: “Once it’s in there, the Neuralink can read the neural impulses in your brain. Every action you take begins with a neuron firing in your head. Having a computer wired into your brain opens up a whole world of possibilities, like controlling any technology using just your thoughts alone, no need for a keyboard, mouse, or touchscreen, just mind power. They’ve already shown a proof of concept of this idea by implanting two devices into the skull of a monkey and teaching him how to play the video game Pong with only his mind. But the aspect we really want to drill down into today is how we can radically change how people communicate. How we might be able to replace speech and maybe even to write with a literal neural link between humans”.

 

Source: www.latimes.com

 

The difference between Neuralink and deep brain stimulation

 

In an article on the specialized site Medipol, they refer to “the difference between Neuralink and deep brain stimulation, Dr. Zirh continued his words as follows: Neuralink is placed directly in the subcutaneous in the skull and stimulates the surface of the brain with many thin electrodes. However, the deep brain stimulation we use today consists of two electrodes placed in the deep regions of the brain, extension cables connecting these electrodes to the main battery device, and electronic devices consisting of the body of the battery itself. The electrode part is placed in the brain and connected to the battery placed in the subcutaneous above the rib cage with the help of extension cables. The entire operation is performed under local anesthesia and the patients are awake, just like in Neuralink technology. However, in the system currently in use, patients are only put to sleep at the last stage of the operation so that they do not feel pain while the body of the battery is placed in the subcutaneous in the chest. Another difference is that the Neuralink technology device is charged every 24 hours. The deep brain stimulation used and charged today requires charging every 1-2 weeks and the battery life is around 20-25 years.

 

The challenges of making a scalable BCI

 

On the same website of the company we can find what are its biggest challenges so far: “Neuralink’s technology builds on decades of BCI research in academic labs, some of which is currently being tested in ongoing clinical studies. The BCI systems used in these aforementioned studies have no more than a few hundred electrodes with connectors that pass through the skin. Their use also requires laboratory equipment and personnel to be present. Our challenge is to build a safe and effective BCI that is wireless and fully implanted, scales up the number of electrodes removes the need for external equipment (other than the device being controlled), and that users can take anywhere and operate by themselves. Recent engineering advances in the field and new technologies developed at Neuralink are paving the way for progress on each of these key technical hurdles”.

 

 

To learn more about this Elon Musk project and its impact on humanity, we invite you to learn more with the following readings:

 

Neuralink: El chip cerebral que Elon Musk pretende instalar en humanos estaría en 6 meses

A quick guide to Elon Musk’s new brain-implant company, Neuralink

Is Neuralink by Elon Musk replacing the deep brain stimulation?

Co-founder of brain implant startup Neuralink leaves the companyIS THERE A DARK SIDE TO NEURALINK

Human-computer interface, deep learning and explainable AI: BCI technology based on brain waves data has varied potential uses.

Musk’s next mission: Linking brains to computers.

Elon Musk quiere empezar a implantar chips en cerebros humanos en los próximos seis meses, ¿para qué?

Todo lo que debes saber sobre Neuralink, el proyecto de Elon Musk para mejorar la especie humana integrando tecnología en el cerebro

Gravitas: 1500 animals killed in Neuralink trials

Elon Musk’s Neuralink Event: Everything Revealed in 10 Minutes

Elon Musk’s Neuralink firm facing animal testing investigation – report

Exclusive: Musk’s Neuralink faces federal probe, employee backlash over animal tests

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Coursera and Google partner with the University of Texas System to provide critical job skills to students across eight campuses  

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Coursera and Google partner with the University of Texas System to provide critical job skills to students across eight campuses  

By Scott Shireman, Global Head of Campus at Coursera

Today’s workplace requires digital skills, and businesses report a lack of skilled talent as an increasing threat. At the same time, in a competitive and fast-changing labor market, college students are expecting their degree programs to land them a well-paying job. State higher education systems will play a crucial role in solving both sides of this challenge: improving student employment at scale and fulfilling skilled talent shortages for local employers. 

Today, I am excited to announce that Coursera and Google have partnered with the University of Texas System to launch an innovative, system-wide initiative that will equip students and faculty across eight campuses with the skills and credentials they need to unlock their full career potential in the digital economy. 

“The UT System’s partnership with Coursera allows our students to pair a bachelor’s degree with a Google certificate – this leads to graduates who are both broadly educated and specifically skilled. With the Texas population expected to double by 2050 and Texas projected to have the highest net job growth of any state by 2030, UT institutions are proud to be leading efforts to meet our state’s workforce and industry demands while positioning our graduates for success and professional growth in the modern job market.”

–James B. Milliken, UT System Chancellor

This three-year partnership will provide all eight University of Texas (UT) campuses with access to 5,300 online courses and 3,400 Guided Projects from university and industry leaders on Coursera including Yale University, Google, AWS, and Microsoft. In addition, Google is providing each campus with an additional 500 licenses to distribute to students, faculty, and the larger campus community to access Google’s transformative career certificates on Coursera at no cost. 

The initiative will also provide UT students and faculty with access to over 25 entry-level Professional Certificates, also known as industry microcredentials, from top companies like Google, IBM, Meta, and Intuit, that prepare students without prior work experience to enter attractive digital careers in areas like UX Design, Data Analytics, Software Development, and Bookkeeping. 

“Google is proud to work with Texas universities and workforce development organizations to help more students and workers take advantage of the incredible job opportunities created by the state’s growing economy. Our mission is to expand opportunities for all, and we’re thrilled to further that effort by widening access to tech workforce training through the Google Career Certificates program.”

–Lisa Gevelber, Grow with Google Founder

Several of the industry microcredentials come with ACE Credit Recommendation, and in fact, several universities have recently begun integrating content on Coursera into their for-credit curriculum including UT Arlington, UT El Paso, UT San Antonio, and UT Tyler. 

UT campuses are using the courses and certificates to supplement various programs. For example, UT Dallas Jindal School of Business is offering the Google certificates as a co-curricular resource for business students, and UT Tyler is integrating the certificates into its Psychology courses. UT Austin is integrating courses from Coursera into several programs including Beginner and Advanced Excel and the NACE-aligned Career Readiness program to help students develop skills like leadership, communication and critical thinking. 

As digital job growth and skilled talent gaps accelerate, universities and colleges must look for innovative ways to deliver job-relevant training and skills development opportunities to students. Innovative state-wide initiatives like this one offer hope and promise of a future where students benefit from multiple signals in the labor market: the degree they earn from their local campus, and the career credentials they complete along the way. 

We’re honored to partner with the University of Texas System to prepare the next generation of Texan talent for new career opportunities, while building a competitive and resilient local workforce that can propel the state economy. 

Learn more about Coursera for Campus today.

Discovering Your Learning Style

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Discovering Your Learning Style

Here’s what we know for sure. When it comes to learning, what works for you may not necessarily for me. We all learn differently. You need to discover your learning style and what method works best for you to not just make the grade to progress, but to enjoy the learning process. Keep reading to find out more about learning styles.

Learning Styles

How we learn has been a keen area of interest for many theorists.

When we speak about “learning styles”, we mean an individual mixture of styles. We have different strengths and preferences. And for most of us, we have a combination of learning styles. There is no one correct way to learn and these approaches to learning are not fixed. You may read this and recognise slipping between these at various times over the course of a programme. 

Why do learning styles matter?

A professional looking to upskill their resume. A college going individual with a desire to enhance their studies with additional courses. Or you have a young child in school. It doesn’t matter what you’re studying, the difference in how we learn affects how we absorb and retain the information.

Another factor that affects learning but is often ignored is your personality type. This is often referred to as ‘interactive learning’. Here, those with extroverted personalities learn better in a group setting. They thrive off working with others, bouncing off ideas and engaging in discussions as part of the learning.

An intrapersonal learning style, for the introverts on the other hand, learn better alone. These learners absorb information better at their own pace. This learning style is often accompanied by other learning styles.

VAK Learning Styles

The Visual-Auditory-Kinesthetic (VAK) learning styles are a simple means to explain and understand the different kinds of learning styles. This is a favourite learning theory style because its principles and benefits extend to all learning and development types. People are believed to also have a more dominant learning style, although in most cases, there is a mix or balance of the three featured styles.

This learning style model is also referred to as VARK (Visual-Auditory-Reading-Kinesthetic) or VACT (Visual-Auditory-Kinesthetic-Tactile). Let’s learn more about these different styles.

Visual learners” are those individuals who learn better through watching videos and taking online courses. As a visual learner, you are most likely attached to colours and rich visual aids. You will get the most out of your earning through delivery that utilizes visual aids, diagrams, graphs, and PowerPoint presentations to name a few examples. These visuals aid the learning process by making you understand the material, structures, and ideas presented better.

Tip: Colour code your notes to help you organize the learning material.

No one remembers song lyrics quite like you. As an auditory style learner, you learn better by hearing and listening and store information by how it sounds. The more you hear something, the more likely you are to remember it. Using audio books is one such example you can use to learn. For individuals who lean towards aural learning, it’s important to understand that they pay better attention to what is being said, rather than what is on a screen or a board.

Tip: Read your written notes aloud to yourself to help process the information.

Some individuals learn better by “doing” something, that is, using hands to learn and develop a skill. You talk with your hands, gesture a lot and are more likely to open the back of something to figure out how it works. The kinesthetic (or tactile) learners grasp content better when they’re actively performing a task. So, whether they are reciting information or pacing around a room while learning, the information is received better when active as opposed to written instructions.

Tip: review your study material while on the move, even while exercising. Take regular breaks during your study time and come back refreshed.

Added to this list are the reading/writing learners who learn best by reading and writing the material down.

How to identify your learning style

Now that we’ve covered the different learning styles, you need to identify your personal style. Here are a few ways to do this.

  1. For visual learners, use a visual memory test where you try to recall as many images as possible. If this test was relatively easy, you may be a visual learner.
  2. To test if you are an auditory learner, listen to an audio recording from your class or lesson and test yourself to see how many facts you can list out.
  3. For the reading/writing learners, if you read a lot and take pages of notes in a class, you may be this type of learner. Like the auditory test, read a chapter of a book and then try remembering as many of the key ideas after a break.
  4. Kinesthetic learners. Ask yourself two essential questions. Do you get the best results from learning when you do something? How well do you do in motor-related skill activities? If these responses are positive, then you are likely a kinesthetic learner.

Your learning style is best identified by the mode of study that gives you the best learning outcome.

When you understand your learning style, you will have a better learning experience. The key thing to remember is that whatever journey you are on, learning is an essential part of the growth process. What differs is how each of us acquires the learning received and finding the motivation to succeed. And when you find your learning style, you’ll prime yourself for success and have a more balanced and effective learning process.