Vark Analysis: The Multimodal Learner And Their Preferred Learning Strategies
Running Head: LEARNING STRATEGIES AND THE MULTIMODAL LEARNER 1
VARK Analysis: The Multimodal Learner and Their Preferred Learning Strategies
Rebecca L. Webster
Grand Canyon University: Family Centered Health Promotion
May 4, 2014
LEARNING STRATEGIES AND THE MULTIMODAL LEARNER 2 Discovering your learning style and the learning style of the patient’s that you will be caring for, is essential to both their learning and your teaching. Throughout the years, the typical method of learning in most schools has come through classroom lecture, book work, memorization and testing. According to Fleming, it is a disservice to assume that people learn and take …show more content…
information in, in the same way (Fleming,2011). The VARK Anaylysis was developed by Neil Fleming to help teachers, students, employees and employers understand how they learn best. He concludes, there is no one learning style that is preferred or superior to another style of learning, however it can be beneficial to the learner to try to develop their non preferred learning styles also (Fleming, 2011).
Multimodal Learning Style Multimodal learners make up approximately 60% of the population, having multiple preferences that contribute to their learning style (Fleming, 2011). After completing the Vark questionnaire, the multimodal learner may find that as a multimodal learner they have two, three or even four modes of learning that work for them. Interestingly enough, multimodal learners stated that they usually use more than one strategy for learning and communicating (Neimberg, 2011), whereas, people with one preferred style of learning would typically prefer one method for communication and learning. An example of someone with a single preference or learning style would be someone who prefers read/write preference alone and they may use other methods of taking information in but their preference would be read/write. Whereas, multimodal learners may learn best by using one or all of the following strategies provided: visual, aural, read/write and/or kinesthetic.
LEARNING STRATEGIES AND THE MULTIMODAL LEARNER 3 The scoring for the multimodal learner could have any possible combination of preferred and nonpreferred strategies that works best for them.
Preferred Learning Strategies After completing the VARK Questionnaire, this author’s results were the following:
Kinesthetic: 14, Aural: 15, Visual: 10 and Read/write: 5.
This is a clear picture of a multimodal learner, which would suggest that their two strongest preferences for learning and communicating would be, Aural and Kinesthetic. Although their scores for visual and read/write preferences weren’t as high, they are still methods by which they take in information and communicate. The author prefers to learn best by being in a classroom setting where she can hear lectures and speak with other students and the teacher. Kinesthetic learners are sensitive to the world around them, they take note and learn from how something feels to them (Advanogy.com, 2006) Learning via “hands on” is also very effective, in tasks such as: working with the materials being discussed and being able to be in the natural environment where topics being discussed occur. It helps this learner to see pictures, hear stories and have real-life examples about what the teacher is trying to convey. It is typically difficult for this learner to study from their own notes as they have difficulty writing notes that they are able to understand well, once the material is not fresh in their mind. She needs to touch, feel, see, hear and speak in order to learn and communicate …show more content…
best.
Comparison of Preferred Learning Strategies With Identified Strategies In comparing the author’s preferred learning strategies with the identified strategies listed in the VARK analysis, there are a lot of similarities. The analysis results revealed identified strategies that coincide with the author’s preferred strategies, however, there are several
LEARNING STRATEGIES AND THE MULTIMODAL LEARNER 4 strategies that could be further developed and would be beneficial to the learner’s studying and communicating.
The author tends to strongly prefer kinesthetic or physical touch style methods and would therefore, benefit from reading their notes aloud, making flash cards, acting out or role playing scenarios. Reading and studying case studies would be helpful to see concepts in action. Both writing and reciting answers aloud would be helpful when preparing for exams or assignments. Talking about information studied in class is very helpful to this learner as they need to speak about how they interpret the information while also listening to another aural person speak the information back to them. It is interesting that the author scored higher in aural but currently prefers kinesthetic and visual strategies for
study.
Learning Styles and Preferences Influence Teaching and Learning Learning styles and preferences influence both the teacher and the learner significantly. Teachers that tend to prefer one learning style may tend to teach in a manner using one primary style. This can be a great disservice to a student with a different learning style. It is essential that we have patient’s complete a learning assessment before we begin the teaching process. “Developing a patients learning style will help identify the preferred conditions in which the instruction is likely to be most effective (Richardson,2005).” If a patient is purely a kinesthetic learner and we only give them written material we will have failed them by not using their preferred and identified learning style.
LEARNING STRATEGIES AND THE MULTIMODAL LEARNER 4
References
Advanogy.com. (2006). The Physical (Bodily-Kinesthetic) Learning Style. Retrieved from http://www.learning-sttyles-online.com/style/physical-bodily-kinesthetic
Adult Education Centre. (2005).Facilitation skills: Working withadult leaders. Dublin, Ireland:University College Dublin. RetrievedDecember 2, 2005, from www.ucd.ie/adulted/resources/pages/facil_adnrogog.htm
Fleming, N.D. and Mills, C. (1992), Not Another Inventory, Rather a Catalyst for Reflection, To Improve the Academy, Vol. 11, 1992., page 137.
Fleming, N.D. (1995), I 'm different; not dumb. Modes of presentation (VARK) in the tertiary classroom, in Zelmer, A., (Ed.) Research and Development in Higher Education, Proceedings of the 1995 Annual Conference of the Higher Education and Research Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA), HERDSA, Volume 18, pp. 308 - 313 Russell, S. S. (2006). An Overview of Adult-Learning Processes. Urologic Nursing, 26(5), 349-352. doi: Index of /distancelearning/sites/www.tree4health.org.distancelearning
VARK Analysis: The Multimodal Learner and Their Preferred Learning Strategies
Rebecca L. Webster
Grand Canyon University: Family Centered Health Promotion
May 4, 2014
LEARNING STRATEGIES AND THE MULTIMODAL LEARNER 2 Discovering your learning style and the learning style of the patient’s that you will be caring for, is essential to both their learning and your teaching. Throughout the years, the typical method of learning in most schools has come through classroom lecture, book work, memorization and testing. According to Fleming, it is a disservice to assume that people learn and take …show more content…
information in, in the same way (Fleming,2011). The VARK Anaylysis was developed by Neil Fleming to help teachers, students, employees and employers understand how they learn best. He concludes, there is no one learning style that is preferred or superior to another style of learning, however it can be beneficial to the learner to try to develop their non preferred learning styles also (Fleming, 2011).
Multimodal Learning Style Multimodal learners make up approximately 60% of the population, having multiple preferences that contribute to their learning style (Fleming, 2011). After completing the Vark questionnaire, the multimodal learner may find that as a multimodal learner they have two, three or even four modes of learning that work for them. Interestingly enough, multimodal learners stated that they usually use more than one strategy for learning and communicating (Neimberg, 2011), whereas, people with one preferred style of learning would typically prefer one method for communication and learning. An example of someone with a single preference or learning style would be someone who prefers read/write preference alone and they may use other methods of taking information in but their preference would be read/write. Whereas, multimodal learners may learn best by using one or all of the following strategies provided: visual, aural, read/write and/or kinesthetic.
LEARNING STRATEGIES AND THE MULTIMODAL LEARNER 3 The scoring for the multimodal learner could have any possible combination of preferred and nonpreferred strategies that works best for them.
Preferred Learning Strategies After completing the VARK Questionnaire, this author’s results were the following:
Kinesthetic: 14, Aural: 15, Visual: 10 and Read/write: 5.
This is a clear picture of a multimodal learner, which would suggest that their two strongest preferences for learning and communicating would be, Aural and Kinesthetic. Although their scores for visual and read/write preferences weren’t as high, they are still methods by which they take in information and communicate. The author prefers to learn best by being in a classroom setting where she can hear lectures and speak with other students and the teacher. Kinesthetic learners are sensitive to the world around them, they take note and learn from how something feels to them (Advanogy.com, 2006) Learning via “hands on” is also very effective, in tasks such as: working with the materials being discussed and being able to be in the natural environment where topics being discussed occur. It helps this learner to see pictures, hear stories and have real-life examples about what the teacher is trying to convey. It is typically difficult for this learner to study from their own notes as they have difficulty writing notes that they are able to understand well, once the material is not fresh in their mind. She needs to touch, feel, see, hear and speak in order to learn and communicate …show more content…
best.
Comparison of Preferred Learning Strategies With Identified Strategies In comparing the author’s preferred learning strategies with the identified strategies listed in the VARK analysis, there are a lot of similarities. The analysis results revealed identified strategies that coincide with the author’s preferred strategies, however, there are several
LEARNING STRATEGIES AND THE MULTIMODAL LEARNER 4 strategies that could be further developed and would be beneficial to the learner’s studying and communicating.
The author tends to strongly prefer kinesthetic or physical touch style methods and would therefore, benefit from reading their notes aloud, making flash cards, acting out or role playing scenarios. Reading and studying case studies would be helpful to see concepts in action. Both writing and reciting answers aloud would be helpful when preparing for exams or assignments. Talking about information studied in class is very helpful to this learner as they need to speak about how they interpret the information while also listening to another aural person speak the information back to them. It is interesting that the author scored higher in aural but currently prefers kinesthetic and visual strategies for
study.
Learning Styles and Preferences Influence Teaching and Learning Learning styles and preferences influence both the teacher and the learner significantly. Teachers that tend to prefer one learning style may tend to teach in a manner using one primary style. This can be a great disservice to a student with a different learning style. It is essential that we have patient’s complete a learning assessment before we begin the teaching process. “Developing a patients learning style will help identify the preferred conditions in which the instruction is likely to be most effective (Richardson,2005).” If a patient is purely a kinesthetic learner and we only give them written material we will have failed them by not using their preferred and identified learning style.
LEARNING STRATEGIES AND THE MULTIMODAL LEARNER 4
References
Advanogy.com. (2006). The Physical (Bodily-Kinesthetic) Learning Style. Retrieved from http://www.learning-sttyles-online.com/style/physical-bodily-kinesthetic
Adult Education Centre. (2005).Facilitation skills: Working withadult leaders. Dublin, Ireland:University College Dublin. RetrievedDecember 2, 2005, from www.ucd.ie/adulted/resources/pages/facil_adnrogog.htm
Fleming, N.D. and Mills, C. (1992), Not Another Inventory, Rather a Catalyst for Reflection, To Improve the Academy, Vol. 11, 1992., page 137.
Fleming, N.D. (1995), I 'm different; not dumb. Modes of presentation (VARK) in the tertiary classroom, in Zelmer, A., (Ed.) Research and Development in Higher Education, Proceedings of the 1995 Annual Conference of the Higher Education and Research Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA), HERDSA, Volume 18, pp. 308 - 313 Russell, S. S. (2006). An Overview of Adult-Learning Processes. Urologic Nursing, 26(5), 349-352. doi: Index of /distancelearning/sites/www.tree4health.org.distancelearning