Learning Styles

What are learning styles?

All learners approach learning in different ways, and in education, there has been an ongoing debate about the role learning preferences play in aching learning outcomes. Despite the lack of research confirming the role that learning styles play in student achievement, a popular theory about learning styles is the VARK model. VARK stands for Visual, Auditory (Aural), Reading/ Writing, and Kinesthetic modalities for learning (Fleming & Mills, 1992). The model explores the relationship between a learner’s preference for learning, student motivation, and the long-term retention of information. For more information about the VARK model, click here.

How do Learning Styles Influence Learning?

Although not mutually exclusive, the VARK model describes the following:

• Visual learners learn by seeing
• Auditory learners learn by listening and speaking.
• Reading and Writing learners learn through reading and take notes.
• Kinesthetic learners learn by doing.

To find out about your preferred learning styles, take the Fleming Questionnaire: https://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/

Why is it important to consider learning styles when planning inclusive opportunities for your students?

As an instructor, it is your responsibility to design engaging learning opportunities for your students and adjust your lessons based on your students’ success. Through intentional lesson design (see UDL), activities can be aligned with learners’ strengths allowing them to better understand and apply new information. When lessons are designed with learners’ preferred learning styles in mind, behavior and learning can be significantly influenced, leading to deeper comprehension, motivation, and metacognition.

Tips to Support Different Learning Styles

Learning styles and preferences take on various forms—and not all learners fit into one category. Based on Fleming’s Students without Tears (SWOT) process, the information below provides some ideas for integrating different learning opportunities based on students’ preferred way of learning (see Fleming 1997).

• Visual learners – visual learners are students who best internalize and synthesize information when it is presented to them in a graphic depiction of meaningful symbols.
  Strategies for students:
  • Utilize graphic organizers such as charts, graphs, and diagrams.
  • Redraw your pages from memory.
  • Replace important words with symbols or initials.
  • Highlight important key terms in corresponding colors.
• Auditory learners – Auditory (or aural) learners are most successful when they are given the opportunity to hear information presented to them in audio form or vocally.
  Strategies for students:
  • Record your summarized notes and listen to them on tape.
  • Talk it out. Have a discussion with others to expand upon your understanding of a topic.
  • Reread your notes and/or assignment out loud.
  • Explain your notes to your peers/fellow “aural” learners.
• Reading and Writing learners – Verbal students work best in the reading/writing modality and have a preference for the written word.
  Strategies for students:
  • Write, write and rewrite your words and notes.
  • Reword main ideas and principles to gain a deeper understanding.
  • Organize diagrams, charts, and graphic organizers into statements.
• Kinesthetic learners – Kinesthetic learners, referred to as “tactile learners,” are hands-on, participatory learners who need to take a physically active role in the learning process.
  Strategies for students:
  • Use real life examples, applications and case studies in your summary to help with abstract concepts.
  • Redo lab experiments or projects.
  • Utilize pictures and photographs that illustrate your idea.

Tips adapted from Flemming, 1997 and Teach.com, 2020.

Embracing all types of learning

Understanding different learning styles is just one way to begin designing and delivering inclusive learning opportunities for your students. As you consider learning styles, consider Universal Design for Leaning and a collaborative approach to learning to support your desired outcomes.

If you are interested in specific training related to learning styles, UDL, or collaborative learning, please contact the ELITE team.

References

Haisman, G. (1997). SWOT: Study without tears. For University, Polytechnic and Senior Secondary Students. New Zealand Council for Educational Research, Wellington.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED423507.pdf

Teach.com. (2020). Learning styles. https://teach.com/what/teachers-know/learning-styles/

VARK Learn Limited. An introduction to VARK. https://vark-learn.com/introduction-to-vark/