Learning Styles

What is a Learning Style?

⩥ Learning style is described as a group of
characteristics, attitudes, and behaviors that
define our way of learning.
⩥ Simply: different approaches or ways of
learning.
Different styles influence:
⩥ the way students learn
⩥ how teachers teach,
⩥ Influence the interaction between teacher /
student
The acronym changed to
VARK
⩥ There are many MODELS of learning styles in
education. In 1987, Neil Fleming, a high school
and university teacher from New Zealand
developed the most widely used learning style
model known as the VAK (Visual, Auditory,
Kinesthetic).
⩥ Years later added a fourth style: Read/Write! The
acronym changed to VARK.
The VAK Model
1. Visual:
⩥ see it! When I SEE It then I Understand!
The Visual Learner
“Seeing/Writing’’
⩥ The Visual Learner tends to observe things,
pictures, demonstrations, films, etc. in order to
improve his or her level of knowledge.
⩥ Some common visual learning strategies include
creating graphic organizers, diagramming, flow
charts, mind mapping, outlining and more.
Cont.
⩥ Need to see the teacher's body language and
facial expression.
⩥ Tend to prefer sitting at the front of the
classroom
⩥ May think in pictures and learn best from visual
displays
⩥ Prefer to take detailed notes during lecture or
classroom discussion to absorb the information.
How does visual learning
help students?

⩥ Helps clarify thoughts

⩥ See how ideas are connected
⩥ Realize how information can be grouped and
organized
⩥ New concepts are easily understood when linked
to prior knowledge
Visual learning help
students
⩥ Organize and analyze information: students
use diagrams and plot to display large amounts
of information in ways that are easy to
understand and help reveal relationships and
patterns.
⩥ Integrate New Knowledge: Students better
remember information when represented and
learned both visually and verbally.
⩥ Think Critically: Linked verbal and visual
information help make connections, understand
relationships and recall related details.
The VAK Model
2. Auditory
⩥ “hear it”
AUDITORY LEARNERS
⩥ Learn by hearing Prefer to hear information
spoken.
⩥ Can absorb a lecture with little effort.
⩥ May not need careful notes to learn.
⩥ Often avoid eye contact in order to concentrate.
⩥ May read aloud to themselves.
⩥ Like background music when they study.
 AUDITORY LEARNERS
“Learn by hearing
Learn through listening”
⩥ Learn best through verbal lectures, discussion,
talking things through, and listening to what
others have to say
⩥ Interpret the underlying meaning of speech
through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed,
and other nuances
⩥ Prefer directions given orally
⩥ Seldom takes notes or writes things down
⩥ Prefer lectures to reading assignments
⩥ Often repeat what has just been said
⩥ Often benefits from reading text aloud and using a tape
recorder
⩥ Sit where they can hear but needn't pay attention to
what is happening in front
⩥ Hum or talk to himself/herself or others when bored
⩥ Acquire knowledge by reading aloud
⩥ Remember by verbalizing lessons to themselves (if
they don't they have difficulty reading maps or
diagrams or handling conceptual assignments like
mathematics).
The VAK Model
3. Kinesthetic
⩥ “do it”
⩥ Tactile/Kinesthetic persons learn best through a
hands-on approach, actively exploring the
physical world around them. They may find it
hard to sit still for long periods and may become
distracted by their need for activity and
exploration.
 Kinesthetic Learner
⩥ Try things out, touch, feel, and manipulate objects.
⩥ Body tension is a good indication of their emotions. They gesture
when speaking, are poor listeners, stand very close when speaking or
listening, and quickly lose interest in long discourse.
⩥ Remember best what has been done, not what they have seen or
talked about.
⩥ Prefer direct involvement in what they are learning;
they are distractible and find it difficult to pay
attention to auditory or visual presentations.
⩥ Rarely an avid reader, they may fidget frequently
while handling a book. Often poor spellers, they need
to write down words to determine if they “feel” right.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
KINESTHETIC
LEARNERS
⩥ Walk while studying
⩥ Move and lecture to the walls
⩥ Do things as you say them
⩥ Practice by repeating motions
⩥ Dance as you study
⩥ Write words – use crayons, pens, pencils to see if
they “feel right”
⩥ When memorizing, use finger to write on the
table or air
⩥ Associate a feeling with information Stretch
 Cont.
⩥ Write on a marker board in order to use gross muscle
movement
⩥ Use the computer
⩥ Hands-on activities with objects that can be touched
⩥ Study in short time periods; get up and walk around in
between Make study tools to hold
⩥ Use flash cards; separate into “know” and “don’t know” piles
⩥ Use plastic letters and magnetic boards for new vocabulary
⩥ Write and rewrite to commit to memory
The VAK Model
4.Read/Write Learning Style
The read/write learning
style was added to
Fleming’s model after the
initial three.

⩥
⩥ Read/write learners specifically learn best
through the written word.
⩥ They absorb information by reading books and
handouts, taking lots of notes (sometimes word-
for-word), and making lists.
⩥ They prefer lectures, diagrams, pictures, charts,
and scientific concepts to be explained using
written language.
⩥ They are often fast readers and skillful writers.
Read/Write Learning Style
⩥ Similar to visual learners, read/write learners
may struggle with verbal directions and are
easily distracted by noise.
⩥ Some may be quiet and struggle to detect body
language and other social cues.
In Conclusion
⩥ Each student learns differently, at different rates,
using different learning styles.
⩥ Everyone has a learning style.
⩥ Accommodating students’ learning style can
result in improved attitudes toward learning, as
well as increased self esteem and academic
achievement.
⩥ Knowing and becoming familiar with your
learning style will help you become a more
effective and creative teacher.