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Types of Learning Style - How Do We Learn Best?
The VARK Learning Styles
Everyone has their own unique way of learning. One of the most popular theories in psychology is that we all have different learning styles, which are also known as the VARK learning styles. This theory was first described in a study by Neil D. Fleming and Coleen E. Mills in 1992. In this study, they discovered that some people learn better either through seeing things, some by listening or reading and others receive more through doing physical activities.
The acronym “VARK” is used to describe four main modalities of student learning. The V stands for Visual Learners, A stands for Auditory Learners, R for Readers and K for Kinesthetic Learners. Being aware of the VARK learning theory is beneficial to students and teachers as we can use the best possible way for each individual to learn.
Visual Learners
People who are visual learners typically learn best when they see information. They like seeing things explained rather than by listening to a lecture or reading a book. They are often seen using graphs, flow charts and pictures to learn.
Visual learners usually tend to notice small details. Due to this, they are better with recognising faces rather than remembering names. Other than that, they also tend to watch a situation from afar before getting themselves involved. Furthermore, visual Learners also express themselves creatively most of the time. They often like to read, draw and do crafts quietly.
Useful Study Tips for Visual Learners:
- Drawing diagrams, flowcharts and graphs
- Using sticky notes to write down important notes
- Having a bulletin board / whiteboard to illustrate your materials
Auditory Learners
Auditory learners are people who learn best by hearing things getting explained rather than reading them. They would usually prefer sitting in a lecture rather than reading a textbook. Additionally, in any group work, they prefer hearing about the project being explained rather than being hands on and trying it out like kinesthetic learners do.
People who are auditory learners tend to have good listening skills as well as communicative skills. Due to this, they shine best during group work as they would usually communicate a lot to get things done. However, auditory learners get easily distracted by background noises as well as in silence. A way to combat it is to play soft background music to drown out any distracting background noises and fill in the silence.
Useful study tips for Auditory Learners:
- Rehearsing your materials out loud
- Listening to audio textbooks
- Asking a friend to explain a concept verbally
- Record yourself talking about your materials and listen to the rerecording
- Sit in a place where you can hear properly in classrooms
Reading / Writing Learners
People who fall in the Reading / Writing Learner category are known to absorb information best when they either read about the material or write it down. The traditional way of reading the textbook and copying it down works well with people in this learning style.
The Readers/ Writers learners are usually found to enjoy reading in their free time. Furthermore, they would usually prefer to write essays rather than giving an oral presentation. Readers/ Writers would also like to have physical handouts to convey information rather than verbally.
Useful study tips for Reading/ Writing Learners:
- Take down lots of notes with as much detail as possible
- Rewrite or re read your notes
- Rewrite visual aids such as charts and diagram into your own words
- Use flash cards with the details of all your materials
- Study alone in a quiet environment
Kinesthetic Learners
Kinesthetic Learners are the most hands on learners of the bunch. They learn best when they are doing something and would usually get fidgety if they are forced to sit for a long period of time. Being physically engaged such as tossing a ball or knitting helps them to retain information the best.
People who are in this category tend to be known for being athletic. In addition to that, Kinesthetic Learners usually have great hand-eye coordination, quick reactions as well as having great motor memory. They tend to be able to pick up something after doing it once. However, due to this, usual classroom settings of having lectures would not work well with them.
Useful study tips for Kinesthetic Learners:
- Combining study sessions with exercise
- Keeping a fidget toy handy
- Stand up while working
If you are finishing high school and are not sure which path you want to pursue for your tertiary education, you should find this psychometric test here to be helpful in providing some aptitude breakdown and course suggestions upon completion of the test. Feel free to proceed to the test, it's free after all!
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