Vark: Learning Styles Essay

Submitted By nmartel1
Words: 1047
Pages: 5

VARK Analysis Paper
Nikole Martel
NRS-429V
Anita Mackey
30 May 2015

The VARK learning assessment was created by Neil Fleming as a way to help people better understand their own learning styles (VARK, 2015). It allows students to tailor how they study to become more effective when studying by breaking down learning styles into four different groups. VARK stands for visual, aural, reading, and kinesthetic (VARK, 2015). This paper will discuss Nikole’s personal learning style.
There are four basic learning styles that Vark identifies. Visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic. Rarely are there circumstances where only one mode is used, or even good enough, therefore VARK created a four-part profile. The questionnaire used by VARK gives four different scores for each of the four modes. If there is no mode that is significantly different from the rest, than the person is considered a multimodal learner. Most people actually prefer more than one learning style to get the best results. Learners who are considered multimodal typically learn things holistically and contextually (PHEAA, 2011). The contextual learner will tend to choose the learning style that best fits the type of work being learned or taught, and will simply choose different learning styles for different material. One good example of this is trying to learn music, the preferred mode would be auditory, however if they are trying learn about art, then the preferable mode would be visual. The idea is that a whole-sense learner is very good at utilizing all of their senses when making a decision or while involved in the learning process (Bezemer, 2012). For example, writing personal notes, drawing a graphic, sitting through a lecture, or even just reading a book can all be helpful in a learner interpreting just one topic.
If you prefer learning things in sequential order than you are probably a multimodal learner. In other words you prefer sorting subject matter in a specific order pertaining to learning style. You might start by reading about a particular subject, then watch a movie about the topic, and finally try and do it yourself. Every person is slightly different in how they prefer the order of learning about a subject, however if you are a multimodal learner, then it would be helpful to figure out the preferred sequence and use it for other topics as well. Most people find they are pretty flexible in how they communicate, switching from mode to mode based on what they are trying to learn, but will typically still be context specific (Bezemer, 2012). Inevitably they will pick just one mode based on the situation, for example if they are dealing with a legal issue they will probably use the read and write preference. If they wanted to learn a specific technique or demonstration they would be utilizing their Kinesthetic preference. The database describes the multimodal learner as having four preferences that are almost equal in score (VARK, 2015). Others may not be satisfied unless they get input from all their preferred modes, and will usually take more time gaining information from the modes, getting a broader understanding of the topic as a result. Sometimes they are criticized for taking longer to learn or understand a subject, however they are more than likely considering all their options before making a decision one way or another, making the learning process even better for them in the end.
The aural learning style is found in learners where sound-related info is beneficial to their success (PHEAA, 2011). By taking advantage of mediums and methodologies which use sound, the learner can listen and learn quicker. This may be listening to a lecture individually, or within the confines of a classroom setting. It might also be seen with different types of sound-related conveyance, including conversations, listening to radio and TV, and also PC sound recordings, for example, MP3 documents and podcasts that are accessible on the Internet. A