Ugh.

[Triumph]

Ah, I know that my post wasn't addressing her original point, and that we're going off on a tangent, but there's something that I must address:

Liz isn't wired like we are, Triumph. Some people really do need material presented in a certain way in order to really grasp the principles behind it.

I don't learn best from a textbook either. Asking questions doesn't cut it, classroom interaction doesn't make a marked effect. I, in fact, learn best when I teach the material to someone else.

Finding a willing subject to impart knowledge upon is rare, which is why I have to spend most of my time reading textbooks. This brings me to my original point; enough repetitive practice, however boring, will always work.

This will also explain my habit of running around answering questions.

However, I still remain unconvinced that others need "material presented in a certain way to really grasp the principles behind it." I've observed that regardless of learning style, people will nevertheless learn respectable amounts by textbook. Cramming is an example, where people retain information despite their preferred method of study. The "learning styles" concept (Kolb's model?) is now subject to increasing amounts of criticism.

Maybe it's the pressure to get the A or B. I'm not sure. But the only fault I note in my own argument is that my observations have been clustered around people who have all gone to prestigious private universities.