vark index of learning styles essay

vark index of learning styles essay

The Impact of VARK Learning Styles on Academic Success

1. Introduction

This document focuses on the learning style known as VARK (Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic), and its impact on student academic performance. It introduces a new VARK questionnaire and a study to validate it. Over 200 students at Waikato University in New Zealand were surveyed on their learning style, the perceived learning style of their teachers, and their academic performance in the past. This later work, and other similar studies, found that many teachers are teaching to their own style and not that of their students. If a teacher is a read/write person and their students are kinesthetic, there will be a mismatch in learning/teaching style and little learning will occur. In the present fast moving world of easy access information it is needed to establish whether or not VARK is still so prominent, and if so, how it impacts a student’s academic success. At a practical level, there is also a need to be able to identify a student’s learning style in a quick and inexpensive way and be able to match it with the teaching style. This work contributes to meeting this need.

2. Understanding the VARK Learning Styles

Building upon VARK learning styles, VARK assessments have been developed to help determine one’s individual learning preferences. This information can be very helpful to students who are trying to improve their study habits and be more productive in the way they tackle assignments. By understanding one’s learning preference, a student can tailor their studying towards their learning style, and won’t waste time encumbering unproductive study habits. All students can benefit from improved study methods, and VARK learning style strategies can clearly improve efficiency and quality of learning. High school and college students who have never tried a VARK assessment should consider trying it, or simply go over the VARK learning style material to try and gauge which learning styles suit them best. Since learning assessments have no time limit, students can take as much time as they need and reflect on their past learning experiences to try and determine their learning preference.

When attempting to understand VARK learning styles, a person must look at each individual learning style of visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic. Visual learners prefer to view mind maps, videos, and lectures to better understand the content. By doing so, visual learners are able to paint a mental picture in their minds which helps them understand topics better. Aural learners prefer discussions, seminars, and verbal directions. Because aural learners understand material better through verbal communication, aural learners usually excel in learning foreign languages. Read/write learners prefer to take notes, reading assignments, and studying. Many teachers are read/write learners, and as a result, tend to gear their interactions and assignments towards those learning styles. Read/write learners are successful in academic environments because of the abundant availability of textbook and lecture material. Last but not least, kinesthetic learners prefer hands-on experiences, and according to Fleming, usually end up in a bloody mess.

3. Applying VARK Learning Styles in Education

VARK is believed to affect the way people learn. However, it is a useful tool for literature instructors as well. Using the VARK questionnaire to determine the learning style of a class, teachers can now focus their teaching methods towards their students. Where one group of students may struggle with a book, they may excel with an audio tape of the same material. Another group might best absorb information from video materials. And a second reading might be the solution for a group of students who learn best by reading. This method of teaching to the students’ learning styles is being employed by medical teachers in New Zealand. EEG Biofeedback Neurotherapy Assessment and Treatment in Epilepsy provides a detailed study about neurofeedback and epilepsy treatment. An abstract of this study can be accessed at [link removed]. This is supported by the summary of a qualitative study that evaluated medical students’ learning preferences and implications for curriculum design which was done in Malaysia’s International Medical University. This article provides insights on using VARK as a void for medical students of IMU. Pre-service teachers would be remiss to not create lesson plans that take into account the diverse learning styles of students. Creating a VARK-centered plan for a high school biology will better guarantee that your students will understand basic material. A detailed explanation of this was found in an article that discusses training and learning styles of future refinery operators from Japan. Steps are suggested as to how teachers can discover the learning preferences of their students and the teaching method in implementing the lessons with these learning styles. An abstract of this material can be found at [link removed]. It is clear that VARK is a useful and efficient tool for improving education.

4. Benefits of Utilizing VARK Learning Styles

… No additional effort or resources are required for learning and teaching. The provision of VARK and its use for student learning completes the educational experience. An opportunity exists for institutions to develop a learning environment with improved academic success rates, increased retention, and greater satisfaction. This effectively markets an institution through word of mouth. High-achieving students will seek out organizations that can help them achieve their potential. The VARK package can also be seen as a motivating tool for students. An analysis of learning preferences and identification of strategies can encourage self-initiated learning. When students can see the possibility of improving their learning methods and exam results, they are motivated to do so. The strategies work the same for students of all grades and learning levels. Hence, there is a possibility in mixed-ability classes to stimulate all levels of learners, addressing the needs of those who have learning difficulties and challenging the quicker learners. Because VARK builds on individual learning preferences, the pupil can focus on one or more of the four categories to develop their understanding of the subject. This has a particularly strong effect on reading and school/home partnerships. By encouraging parents to explore and understand their child’s learning preferences, VARK provides valuable advice on how parents can help their child and what learning resources are available for them. An interpretation of VARK can tie in with specific learning education plans.

5. Conclusion

The learning style, at the highest level, for a learning style preference, has little if any conscious awareness to the student. Also emphasized is the fact that learning styles take some time to be efficiently effective. Then the student is found being better able to learn the material or transpose information through a medium which corresponds to the information of their preferred learning style. This is an important area for educators and trainers to understand because it is a guideline for judicious matching of learning materials and activities with student learning styles. This matching will enable learners to learn more effectively. Learners of all types can benefit from guidance in how to enhance the effectiveness of their learning and study strategies. In the past, such guidance has been based on the concept of the ‘correct’ or ‘right’ way to study. The identification of learning styles and the understanding of how to match styles with strategies create an entirely new dimension to study skills… a dimension of matching the strategies with the learner’s preferences. Finally, the focus of learning style is an understanding of differences among learners. This has profound implications for educators, trainers, and students. Traditional education, from primary levels through higher education, has largely been the ‘one size fits all’ variety. An implication of uniform instruction is that those who differ from the norm are labeled as having learning difficulties. Expensive efforts are made to remediate these difficulties with limited success. An understanding of learning style differences offers a comprehensive alternative. If there are many styles of learning, it follows that there are many ways not to learn. Instead of force-fitting the round peg into a square hole, it is possible to enhance learning and perhaps even circumvent learning difficulties by matching learning styles with alternative methods of instruction or learning strategy.