Unlocking Your Learning Potential: Exploring Different Learning Styles

Understanding how you learn is a crucial building block for educational success. It makes day-to-day learning easier, and revision time far more effective and rewarding. Educators have known for centuries that students have their own individual learning styles. In the 1970s and 1980s, these began to be systematically recognized and understood. One of the most prominent theories was developed by Neil Fleming in 1987. Named the VARK model of learning, Fleming theorized that we are all one of four main types of learners: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic.

The VARK Model: Understanding Your Learning Preferences

The VARK model recognizes the diverse ways in which students absorb and process information, commonly referred to as "preferred learning modes". The acronym “VARK” stands for Visual, Aural, Read, and Kinesthetic - and refers to the different learning styles we as humans have when learning new information.

1. Visual Learners: Learning Through Seeing

As the name suggests, visual learners understand and retain information best by seeing. They would prefer to see information presented in a visually appealing way, rather than in a written format. Individuals that learn in this way tend to pay close attention to detail and body language, and often imagine situations in their mind to help them process the information better. Graphic displays are most effective for visual learners.

Characteristics of Visual Learners:

Think in pictures and detail and have vivid imaginations.
Facial expression is a good indicator of emotion.
They look around and examine the situation.
They may stare when angry and beam when happy.
Have greater immediate recall of words that are presented visually.
Like to take notes.
Solve problems deliberately, planning in advance and organizing their thoughts by writing them down.
Can be distracted by visual disorder or movement.
When extensive listening is required, they may be quiet and become impatient.

Effective Learning Methods for Visual Learners:

Charts, illustrations, graphs, and diagrams
Animated videos, documentaries, and other learning shows
Paper hand-outs with lots of images
Demonstrations
Colour-coded notes, incorporated with plenty of white space
Using graphic organizers to teach a lesson
Using images to explain concepts and ideas
Maps
Graphic organizers
Visual aids in the place of written or spoken words.

2. Aural (Auditory) Learners: Learning Through Listening

Aural - or auditory - learners tend to learn information best by hearing it. Rather than getting actively involved in class or writing out notes, they prefer to listen to others present the information and then are usually able to recite that back to them. This is usually through the format of conversation, but can also include recordings and music.

Characteristics of Auditory Learners:

Enjoy listening but cannot wait to get a chance to talk.
They talk about what to do, about the pros and cons of a situation.
Tend toward long and repetitive descriptions.
Indicate emotion through the tone, pitch, and volume of their voices.
Tend to remember names but forget faces
Are easily distracted by sounds.
Enjoy reading dialogue and plays and dislike lengthy narratives and descriptions.

Effective Learning Methods for Auditory Learners:

Lectures
Group discussions
Strategies that involve talking
Oral instruction, either from the teacher or from themselves.

3. Reading/Writing Learners: Learning Through Words

Those with a preference for reading and writing learning styles tend to take in new information best when it’s displayed as words and text. They’ll often produce lists, read definitions, and enjoy summarizing information in ways that best make sense to them. Reading/writing learners consume information best when it’s in words, whether that’s by writing it down or reading it. To them, text is more powerful than any kind of visual or auditory representation of an idea.

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Characteristics of Reading/Writing Learners:

Students with a strong reading/writing preference learn best through words.
This preference emphasizes text-based input and output - reading and writing in all of its forms.

Effective Learning Methods for Reading/Writing Learners:

Reading textbooks and summarizing with notes
Writing notes in class and highlighting important details
Creating presentations
Studying alone, avoiding all distractions
Story-writing and getting creative with their notes
Describing diagrams or charts using written statements.

4. Kinesthetic Learners: Learning Through Doing

Finally, the fourth VARK learning style refers to kinesthetic (or tactile) learners. That is, individuals who learn best by practically touching and doing things. Hands-on experience is an important component for kinesthetic learners, who have a “trial and error” approach to their learning. They enjoy having physical practice and directly manipulating objects and materials to better understand how things work. Usually, movement and short bursts of studying are important to keep them engaged, rather than sitting at a desk for sustained periods of time. In this respect, kinesthetic learners tend to enjoy and thrive at more practical-based subjects, such as Art, Sports, and Design and Technology.

Characteristics of Kinesthetic Learners:

Body tension is a good indication of their emotions.
They try things out, touch, feel, and manipulate objects.
Remember best what has been done, not what they have seen or talked about.
Prefer direct involvement in what they are learning.
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.

Effective Learning Methods for Kinesthetic Learners:

Conducting experiments and constructing projects
Doing a ‘physical’ activity whilst learning - e.g. walking and reading a textbook or bouncing a tennis ball while reciting information
Creating flash cards and being tested by a friend or classmate
Taking regular breaks during studying to stretch their legs
Personal experience, practice, examples, or simulations
Use tactile experiences and carry out a physical activity to practice applying new information.

Beyond VARK: Exploring Other Learning Styles

While the VARK model is widely recognized, it’s important to acknowledge that learning styles are diverse and multifaceted. Recent studies and theories from psychologists and experts in the field suggest that there are anywhere between 3 to 170 different types of learning styles. Here are a few other learning styles to consider:

Logical/Analytical Learners

As the name suggests, analytical learners depend on logic and analytical skills to understand a particular subject. These types of learners search for connections, causes, patterns, and results in their learning. Sequential learners thrive on step-by-step instruction, while global learners prefer grasping the big picture first.

Social/Linguistic Learners

These types of learners favor educational lessons that include peer work or participation. Social/ linguistic learners get two things out of this participation: socializing (which they love) and a better understanding of a subject.

Solitary Learners

Otherwise known as solo learners, these students are the opposite of social learners. Solitary learners prefer to study alone without having to interact with other learners. Individual work is a solo student’s forte.

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Nature Learners

These types of learners excel when in contact with nature. A nature learner’s ideal study environment is a calm and relaxing environment. If we had to compare nature learners with another type, it would be tactile learners. The only difference is the nature part of this deal, as nature learners need to be outside to learn better.

Identifying Your Learning Style

In order to identify and understand what type of learner people are, Fleming developed a self-report inventory that presents a series of scenarios. Individuals select from a multiple-choice selection of answers the one that best describes their preferred approach to learning. At the end of the questionnaire, your scores for each learning style are added up. The learning style which you selected the most when answering is then considered to be your learning preference.

Example VARK Question:

Imagine you are learning to assemble a piece of flat-pack furniture. In which way would you be able to assemble the furniture best?

Look at diagrams which show each stage of assembly. (Visual)
Listen to advice from someone who has done it before. (Auditory)
Read the full written instructions that come with the furniture. (Reading)
Watch a video of someone assembling the furniture and then trying it for yourself. (Kinaesthetic)

You can also identify your preferred learning style by experimenting with different study methods, such as visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and reading/writing techniques.

The Importance of Understanding Your Learning Style

Since the way someone best consumes information can be a deciding factor in their academic success, understanding what kind of learner they are is vital. Allowing students to access information in terms they are comfortable with will increase their academic confidence.

Tailoring Teaching Strategies to Diverse Learning Styles

It is important for educators to understand the differences in their students’ learning styles, so that they can implement best practice strategies into their daily activities, curriculum, and assessments. Teaching professionals often rely on the categories of the VARK model to help tailor their teaching strategies, ensuring a personalized and effective learning experience for students. Sometimes, teachers may find that a combination of all the sensory modalities may be the best option for their classroom.

Here are some teaching strategies for diverse learning styles:

Personalized strategies tailored to individual learning styles can enhance engagement and comprehension in teaching.
Integrating technology, such as interactive multimedia presentations or online forums, further supports different learning modes.
Collaborative learning opportunities, including group activities and peer tutoring, benefit students with social or linguistic learning preferences by fostering interaction and discussion.

Overcoming Barriers to Learning

There are a number of types of barriers that students find along the way to learning. Barriers can be lack of time, technology, lack of support and lack of essentials. All of these barriers have potential solutions.

The Benefits of a Growth Mindset

The concept of a growth versus fixed mindset is key. A growth mindset is when a learner knows that if they work hard and put in the effort, they can succeed at anything they put their mind to. It’s important to have a mindset that serves learning.

The Multimodal Nature of Learning

Nearly 87% of participants identified as having a multimodal style of accessing information, with audio-kinesthetic and audio-read/write as the most common combinations. The JPM study highlights an important point: How you learn is rarely static. In fact, most people learn in different ways, and those ways can change throughout their lives. As noted in the aforementioned JPM study, most people favor a blend of two or three or possibly more styles.

Criticisms and Considerations of VARK

Although the VARK learning styles have been widely regarded as helpful for students who have a better understanding of themselves and how to direct their studying, it has also faced some criticism - with the largest being the limitations of categorizing learning in this way. Despite one learning style making it easier for you to study, it can in some ways be a hindrance. What if you struggle to learn a particular subject using a specific learning style? It can often lead you to feel as though you’ll never be able to understand the information - rather than thinking another approach might work better. Or perhaps, what if you don’t fit the conventional VARK model? How can you be an ‘effective’ learner if you don’t necessarily fit one specific style?

It’s not uncommon for learners to benefit from more than one learning style; e.g. watching a video of someone assembling furniture (kinaesthetic) and then following the diagram themselves (visual). So, although the VARK learning styles may be a great way to better understand how best you learn, it’s important to play around with different study methods to see which works best for you. Especially when approaching different subjects. Kinaesthetic learning might be great for helping you understand how gravity works, but it might not be so helpful for poetry analysis. Trying a combination won’t only help you improve your concentration and study motivation, but you’ll also become a more effective learner, spending time on the activities that are going to help you achieve the most impact.

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