Don't choose how to study by “I'm a visual learner, he's an auditory learner”

Moderate value
Evidence A
Saves time
Free
Takes minutes
No willpower

In plain words

Many people believe each person has a learning style, such as visual or auditory, and that you learn best when taught to match it. Very few studies have tested this properly, almost none support it, and a few found the opposite. People do have preferences, but there is no evidence that teaching to a preference makes people learn better, and there is no need to pay for a style assessment.

Cost: Free. You just stop sorting materials and courses by this scheme, and stop paying for style assessments.
What you get: A review commissioned to evaluate the evidence on learning styles pointed out that to show that “teaching to learning style” works, you must first sort students into groups by style, then randomly assign each group to different teaching methods, and finally test everyone with the same exam. The criterion for it working is a specific interaction: the teaching method that is best for one style is not the best for another. The review's conclusion: almost no such interaction was found; although the literature on learning styles is large, very few studies used a sound experimental design, and several of them found results directly contrary to the “matching hypothesis.” On this basis the authors considered the existing evidence inadequate to justify using learning-style assessments in educational practice.
Notes: The review also says this does not mean every version of learning-style theory has been tested and rejected; many have never been tested at all. What to avoid is paying for style assessments and choosing a training class by style. For how to choose training, see §23.9 (go through government-subsidized channels first) and §23.13 (pick a short program that leads straight to a job).
Evidence grade: A : Specific numbers from meta-analyses, large cohorts or randomized trials; for law and policy, the statute or official text.
Sources: Pashler H, McDaniel M, Rohrer D, Bjork R (2008). Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 9(3), 105–119. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6053.2009.01038.x

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 23, tip 18. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer