No two people are entirely alike. That goes for looks, temperament, values, emotions and abilities. So why has the past century of pedagogy operated under the assumption that all students learn the same way? Why are students asked to sit in a classroom with 20-odd peers and learn in similar modes at similar rates? It’s because, up until recently, educational experts assumed that intelligence was singular and uniform.
Thankfully, that notion is quickly becoming antiquated. Thanks to the VARK model – a learning style model pioneered by Neil Fleming in the late 80s – most pedagogical experts and educators now subscribe to the idea that there are several “types of learners.”
The VARK model defines four main categories of learners: visual learners, auditory learners, reading/writing learners and kinesthetic learners. It’s important to note that these designations aren’t definite; they merely describe a student’s predominant preferred learning style.
To address the unique learning preferences of each student, teachers can integrate a versatile learning app that offers various modes of instruction and assessment, including flashcards, interactive games, and text-based materials.
In this article, let’s explore those four types and offer short suggestions for accommodating each learning style.
Visual Learners
As you might assume, predominantly visual learners prefer to absorb and process information through pictures (or pictorially represented data). These might include illustrations, charts, maps and graphs. When visual learners encounter information in other media (like written words or auditory speech), they may naturally and speedily convert that information into pictures in their heads.
How to Accommodate Visual Learners
Encourage visual learners to break out the pens, pencils or online doodling instruments. Suggest note-taking styles that involve mapping information on graphs and charts. If you have a high school student struggling with the reading and listening aspects of a conventional English class, you may also consider online ENG4U Grade 12 English; online learning is self-paced and often more visually engaging than brick-and-mortar classes.
Auditory Learners
Auditory learners demonstrate a preference for heard and spoken information. An auditory learner is particularly adept at processing information they hear, and when it comes time to regurgitate that knowledge, they may reach for an oral explanation. Call it “the gift of gab”!
How to Accommodate Auditory Learners
Books on tape are a great way to get auditory learners interested in literature. Likewise, online courses with a verbal lecture component can help auditory learners work through challenging courses like math and science. In general, online courses suit learning styles remarkably well since they feature various media and allow students to pick their preferred learning modes.
Reading/Writing Learners
Reading/writing learners learn best by – you guessed it – reading and writing. Luckily for reading/writing learners, this is the preferred mode of teaching in most traditional schools. These learners are proficient at processing and retaining textbook information, and prefer to relay information in structured writing.
How to Accommodate Reading/Writing Learners
As mentioned, the educational world was built for reading/writing learners. Nevertheless, if your W/R learner encounters a challenging project (say, an oral presentation or diorama), encourage them to plan for the project by writing a detailed outline. Likewise, if your W/R learner is having trouble with the complicated diagrams and symbols in mathematics, encourage them to write descriptions in the margins of their work to parse out problems.
Kinesthetic Learners
Kinesthetic learners are tied to the real world. They like to reach out and touch what they learn. They like to see their education demonstrated through action and motion. A kinesthetic learner in a science class might be the first to raise their hand for a science experiment. A kinesthetic learner might revel in the opportunity to see history re-enacted.
How to Accommodate Kinesthetic Learners
Take your kinesthetic learner to the science centre to see electricity and physics in motion. If they struggle with their Shakespeare assignment, take them to see the play performed live. Any time a kinesthetic learner can be a part of the action, they’ll learn better.
Hopefully, this short guide to learning types encourages you (and your budding academics) to explore the various modes and styles of learning. Try each learning style out and see which one “clicks.” Please note that often, students prefer more than one style (it isn’t uncommon for a learner to be an auditory/writing learner, for instance). And remember, learning should be self-paced, personalized and fun, so ensure that your learner has the space and time to flex their unique academic skills.