Why You Should Learn Out Loud

You may have heard the term “learning out loud” but might not know what it is or how to do it. Learning out loud benefits you and other learners and is a great skill to help you learn more effectively.

In this article, we’ll explain what learning out loud is, its benefits for you and others, and how to implement it in your learning process. 

What is Learning Out Loud?

Learning out loud is being transparent about your learning goals and your progress toward them. You don’t have to wait until you are an expert in a subject before sharing your passion for it with like-minded people. Interacting with others during your learning process can help you get feedback and new ideas to help you with learning. 

Say you decide to take a microbiology course for the first time and are unsure if you correctly understand the material. You can choose to struggle in silence or to learn out loud and converse with other students and professors who can help increase your understanding and celebrate your success. You may even be able to help others with sections you understand, but they struggle to learn.

Posting about your experience, mentioning it in a group chat, or publicly asking questions are all examples of learning out loud. 

Why You Should Do It

Learning out loud helps you get the most out of your study and benefits you and other learners around you. 

You’ll Learn Faster

When you learn out loud, you can enter into communities of experts and other learners of the subject. Embracing the knowledge around you differs from your research as it allows for open dialogue around thoughts, ideas, and information. 

Have you wondered why many students struggle with online-only learning? It’s because human connection is a large part of the learning process. Mentorships and group activities have been around since the beginning, with encouragement as a staple of learning in hunter-gatherer societies. 

Human connection is a powerful learning tool that you should utilize whenever possible. In Joseph Novak’s meaningful learning theory, he states that connection is an essential tool for the construction of new knowledge.

Our emotions and relationships with our instructors and other learners allow us to better connect with the material we study. 

You’ll Let Others Inside

Learning out loud shows others the process of learning and growing in a subject matter, but it also shows them who you are as a person. 

The people you hope to work with will try to see how you will be as a person. When you apply for a job, your resume could make you an excellent candidate, but nearly all employers will want to see you for an interview before deciding to bring you on board. 

You go to an interview because your potential employer wants to get a sense of who you are and whether they think you will do well in your work environment. When you learn out loud, you make others aware of your learning and working process and give them an idea of who you are and how you handle different situations. 

When you show your vulnerability and willingness to accept critiques, you are letting others know you for who you are as a person, not just the qualifications you have. 

You’ll Teach Others

People are more likely to do something if they witness someone else do it first. When you choose to learn out loud, you are showing others that it’s okay to make mistakes and engage with others throughout the learning process. 

When we hide our learning, we help increase the pressure of being an automatic expert. Too often, we learn in silence and then reveal our skills to the public only when we’ve become experts. Others have no idea you are interested in pursuing the knowledge until you pop up with expertise. This can discourage others who have no idea about the struggles and successes you face to get on that level. 

Many people are auditory learners, so verbally telling what you know could help them to understand something better than reading it in a book or online. Passing down oral information is a skill as old as time, and as much as we love our gadgets and texts, it can be helpful for you to sit down and explain the information to others, some of who you may not realize are looking to pursue the same goal. 

Making Learning Out Loud a Habit

Learning out loud is a great skill to have in your tool belt of learning. It helps you connect with others passionate about the same subjects and creates a forum to get new knowledge and tips and spread your own. 

When approaching a new topic, instead of burying yourself in texts, explain your learning needs to others, and check in with them along your journey. It will make you a faster and better learner.