If you’re like most convenience store managers, your staff is diverse – different ages, backgrounds, cultures, and so on. These characteristics aren’t the only ways each employee is unique, though. Most likely, your staff has diverse learning styles, too. This is a good thing – diversity makes your team stronger.
Three Main Learning Styles
Training and employee development experts have identified three general leaning styles. Take a look:
- Auditory learners. These employees learn by listening and speaking. Dialogue helps them understand and retain material.
- Kinesthetic learners. People who are kinesthetic learners prefer a hands-on approach. They learn best by jumping in to tackle tasks right away.
- Visual learners. Visual learners take what they see and transfer that to long-term knowledge. They learn by reading and watching.
Multi-Modal Learning Styles
Most learners are able to adapt their learning style in what is called a “multi-modal” way. This means an employee has a primary learning style, but is capable of learning in other ways. This is good news for training developers, but shouldn’t be taken as blanket permission to develop training in just one way. The key to effective training is to meet every learner at least half-way by encompassing all the learning styles in your courses.
Learning Styles and Online Training
There are many benefits to online learning, and among them is the capacity to incorporate various learning styles into an eLearning program. Look for online training programs that include elements such as realistic scenarios and examples for visual learners, narration for auditory learners, and on-the-job training follow up for kinesthetic learners. This type of blended learning approach is anchored in online training and strengthened by coaching and mentoring.
Online Convenience Store Training
The online training programs from Ready Training Online were developed specifically for convenience stores to encompass all the major learning styles. Click here to browse our complete learning library.
