In the particular brand of tech writing I engage in at work, I’m out to teach end users. Not all technical communication is geared toward teaching; for example, a proposal writer doesn’t want someone to learn how to do something; he’s telling someone how his company will solve a given problem. His role is more of a persuader. But I see my role as something of a teacher.

There is increasing attention, and rightly so, on accessibility. Ideally, our work should be accessible by anyone with disabilities or other learning challenges. However, I haven’t heard much talk about making documentation appropriate for learners of all styles.

People learn mainly in one of three ways, though there may be varying degrees of each in the same person: visual, auditory, and tactile or kinesthetic. I’ve been thinking a bit about these lately and how important it can be to accommodate these learning styles in my deliverables. Writing about it here will allow me to explore the topic more. First, let’s address the easy one: the visual style.

Visual learners make use of diagrams, maps, and notes to process information. They don’t quite get it until you’ve demonstrated a concept or drawn it. Flash cards help them memorize. They may use outlines, color coding, or their own illustrations to understand relationships between ideas, objects, or roles.

If a few of the words in the preceding paragraph jumped out at you, such as “diagrams,” “demonstrate,” and “illustrations,” you’re probably thinking of things you include in your own technical writing. Diagrams and illustrations are common supplements to textual content, and for good reason: Some people just don’t get it until they see a flowchart. Animated demonstrations using Captivate or Camtasia are now frequently included in online instructions.

I mentioned a couple of other things that we tech writers can do to help visual learners. One is color coding. True, color is one of those things to be careful with—it shouldn’t be the primary conveyor of information because there are those who are colorblind and those who are blind. There should be other (visual) cues, such as patterns or descriptive text. However, using color can reinforce the meaning of diagrams, increasing the understanding of visual learners.

Another thing I mentioned is notes. If you are creating a document that will be distributed in print, include space for notes. In one manual I wrote, when there was extra information that was pertinent but didn’t fit in the flow of the text, I put notes in a sidebar. On most pages where I added notes, there was space left over, and I hoped that users would take the cue and write their own notes in that space.

I think we tech writers probably accommodate the visual learning style most effectively out of the three, but better understanding the visual style will help us see where we can improve. If you do a Web search on “visual learning style,” you’ll find plenty of material. Much of it is geared toward understanding your own learning style and how to use it to study. But you can also find lists of characteristics or study habits of each style, and using those lists can guide your technical writing to satisfy the needs of visual learners.

The Auditory Learning Style in Tech Writing

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The Auditory Learning Style in Tech Writing

The Tactile Learning Style in Tech Writing

Visualization Can Improve Writing

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Making Learners the Teachers in E-Learning