The term “learning styles” speaks to the understanding that every pupil learns differently.
Technically, an individual’s learning style refers to the preferential way in which the pupil absorbs, processes, comprehends and retains information.
Our trainers focus on ensuring your training needs are tailored according to your learning style.
Learning styles are a popular concept in education and are intended to identify how people learn best. The VARK model of learning styles suggests that there are four main types of learners.
These four key types are:
It has long been a question as to whether students learn best when teaching methods and school activities match their learning style, learning strengths, and preferences. The popularity of this concept grew dramatically during the 1970s and 1980s, the concept of learning styles remains extremely popular.
There are many different ways of categorizing learning styles including Kolb’s model and the Jungian learning styles. Neil Fleming’s VARK model is one of the most popular representations. In 1987, Fleming developed an inventory designed to help students and others learn more about their individual learning preferences.
In Fleming’s model, which are often referred to as VARK learning styles, learners are identified by whether they have a preference for visual learning (pictures, movies, diagrams), auditory learning (music, discussion, lectures), reading and writing (making lists, reading textbooks, taking notes), or kinesthetic learning (movement, experiments, hands-on activities).
What Type of Learner Are You?
In order to identify which type of learner people are, Fleming developed a self-report inventory that posed a series of situations. Respondents select the answers that best match their preferred approach to learning.
Example
Imagine that you are learning how to perform a new physical skill such as riding a bike or dancing a certain style of dance. In which way would you learn this skill the best?
If you chose number one, then you might be a visual learner. If you would rather listen to someone explain how to do the task, then you might be an auditory learner. Those who would prefer to read written instructions are likely reading/writing learners, while those who would rather gain hands-on experience are most likely kinesthetic learners.
Take a closer look at what each of the VARK learning styles entails.
Visual learners learn best by seeing. Graphic displays such as charts, diagrams, illustrations, handouts, and videos are all helpful learning tools for visual learners.
Visual learners prefer this type of learning would rather see information presented in a visual rather than in written form.
If you think you might be a visual learner, answer the following questions:
If you can answer yes to most of these questions, chances are good that you have a visual learning style.
Aural (or auditory) learners learn best by hearing information. They tend to get a great deal out of lectures and are good at remembering things they are told.
Are you an auditory learner? Consider the following questions:
Reading and writing learners prefer to take in information displayed as words and text.
Reading/writing learners prefer materials that are primarily text-based.
Could you be a reading and writing learner? Read through the following questions and think about whether they might apply to you.
Kinesthetic (or tactile) learners learn best by touching and doing. Hands-on experience is important to kinesthetic learners.
Not sure if you’re a kinesthetic learner? Answer these questions to find out:
The validity of the VARK model as well as other learning style theories has been questioned and criticized extensively. One large-scale look at learning style models suggested that the instruments designed to assess individual learning styles were questionable
The VARK model remains fairly popular among both students and educators. Many students immediately recognize that they are drawn to a particular learning style. Others may find that their learning preferences lie somewhere in the middle. For example, a student might feel that both visual and auditory learning are equally appealing.
While aligning teaching strategies to learning styles may or may not be effective, students might find that understanding their own learning preferences can be helpful. For example, if you know that visual learning appeals to you most, using visual study strategies in conjunction with other learning methods might help you better remember the information you are studying—or at the very least make studying more enjoyable.
If no single learning preference calls out to you or you change preferences based on the situation or the type of information you are learning, you probably have what is known as a multimodal style.
For example, you might rely on your reading and writing preferences when you are dealing with a class that requires a great deal of book reading and note-taking, such as a history of psychology course. During an art class, you might depend more on your visual and kinesthetic preferences as you take in pictorial information and learn new techniques.
