May 27, 2021
May 27, 2021
No two students are alike, and although some may fall into the same category when it comes to how they succeed, each and every student learns in a different way. Learning styles theory presents a new way to look at education by providing a more personalized approach to teaching.
Standardized learning doesn’t provide the same learning opportunities to everyone because there are specific learning styles that students benefit from differently. Where one student would prefer to read and process information alone, for example, another may learn the same material better if the lesson is presented in a visual manner, within a larger group of their peers. The content is the same, but the understanding of the material based on the delivery is quite different.
The VARK model of learning is based on the above concept of learning styles theory. So what are the four different learning styles in the VARK model? Let’s find out.
What Is The VARK Model Of Learning?
Back in 1992, educators Neil D. Fleming and Colleen Mills came up with the idea that there are four modalities when it comes to the student and teacher experience. These modalities created a new way to look at how students learn, and how teachers can provide lessons to suit the needs of their students in a way that sets them up for success. There is no one-size-fits all approach to learning, and with that realization, the VARK model was born.
The V in the VARK learning styles model refers to visual learners, who rely heavily on visual stimuli to retain information.
VARK Learning Styles
VARK is an acronym that stands for the four ways students learn: Visual, Aural or Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic. So, what does each learning style of the VARK model really mean?
Visual
The visual component of the VARK learning style model describes a student’s success based on visual stimuli. With visual learners, things such as spider diagrams, charts, graphs, and other visual symbolism helps them process information more deeply than the other styles of learning.
Contrary to what some might believe, photographs, movies, videos, or PowerPoint presentations do not fall under the visual category. For something to be a part of the visual learning style, it needs to provide a design aspect with patterns, shapes, and white space – all of which are designed to convey the information in a digestible way.
A good example of visual learning is through the use of whiteboards and charts. When a student with a visual learning preference sees the information in front of them, visually painted out, their brain processes it better than through other means. Visual learners are more likely to have photographic memory, and the use of color, brightness, and graphics allows them to recall information better at a later date.
Auditory
Auditory learners rely heavily on listening to be able to absorb new information. Lectures or class discussions are where they truly shine. Whether the lesson is done through music, video clips, or group conversations about course material, auditory learners are able to recall things that they have heard better than those that have been delivered through a different style.
The theory behind this style is that learners rely on the ability to talk through their ideas as opposed to sorting them out in their head and then speaking on them. The auditory type of learner may be the one in class who asks a question that has already been answered, because they need to hear themselves say it and have the answer said to them. Auditory learners tend to retain information using their echoic memory, a short-term memory that responds only to auditory sounds.
Reading/Writing
The reading/writing style is one of the most preferred of all the learning styles. It is based solely on being able to read well, write well, and retain important information by doing so. It is heavily text-based; students who do well in assignments such as essays and reports fall under the VARK category of reading/writing.
Outside of the classroom, these students may participate in many different activities that grow their skillset when it comes to reading and writing, such as keeping a diary, making lists, and memorizing quotes. PowerPoint is a great tool to use for those who fall under the reading/writing category because it provides text stimuli for the student throughout the entire lesson. The internet, including resources like Google and Wikipedia, are heavily suited to the reading/writing style of learning.
Kinesthetic
The kinesthetic style of learning relies heavily on a student’s ability to experience the lesson being taught. This comes down to more hands-on learning approaches that give students the ability to practice a skill – whether in real life, or in a simulated way such as that offered through virtual reality. Students with this learning style are typically better at retaining information through the use of physical memory. Their perception and memorization of the work is best absorbed through trying thing out for themselves.
Kinesthetic learning pushes for personal experiences when it comes to lesson plans and could include demonstrations, simulations, and cases studies. A student with this learning style who is given the opportunity to use one or more of their physical senses – touch, sight, hearing, smell, taste – will always retain the information better than they would through other learning styles. A student who learns kinesthetically will need to be a part of the lesson plan.
A hands-on learner needs to experience the lesson plan.
What Is The Most Common Learning Style?
Although many students and teachers prefer the reading/writing approach to learning, the most common learning style is actually visual. Students can also fall into more than one category, as many of the learning styles can overlap. The multimodality of the VARK learning model understands that there is a certain level of flexibility when it comes to learning styles. As the lesson plan changes, some students can change with it, learning in different ways.
Understanding the different learning styles can make a huge difference when it comes to student success. After all, judging a student based on their abilities to learn in a style that doesn’t reflect their best learning self will always produce poorer results.
Featured image by Robo Wunderkind on Unsplash