VARK a guide to learning styles

What is VARK?  Preference for learning  One’s preference for taking information into the brain and communicating them “outside”  Can be used to help you develop additional, effective strategies for learning 1.Take in information 2.Study information for effective learning 3.Study for performing well on an examination (Give out information)

Acronym VARK?  V – Visual  A – Aural  R – Read / Write  K – Kinesthetic  MM - Multimodal

John Silverio’s VARK  (V) Visual – 4  (A) Aural – 4  (R) Read / Write – 10  (K) Kinesthetic - 4

V – Visual Preference  Includes depiction of information in: Maps Spider diagrams Charts Graphs All the symbolic arrows, circles, hierarchies Does not include movies, videos, or PowerPoint Does include designs, white space, patterns, shapes, and different formats that are used to highlight and convey information

A - Aural / Auditory Preference  Information that is “heard or spoken”  Learn best from lecturestutorialstapes group discussion using mobile phones web chattalking things through  Talking out loud as well as talking to yourself  Often people with this preference want to sort out things by speaking, rather than sorting things out and then speaking

R – Read / Write Preference  Information displayed in words  Many academics have a strong preference for this modality  Emphasizes text-based input and output – reading and writing in all forms  People who prefer this modality are addicted to PowerPoint, the Internet, lists, dictionaries, quotations, and words, words, words

K- Kinesthetic Preference  “ Perpetual preference related to the use of experience and practice (simulated or real)”  Connected to reality through Personal experiences Examples Practice or simulation  Includes demonstrations, simulations, videos, case studies, practice and applications

MM – Multimodal Preferences  Life is multimodal  Seldom instances where one mode is used, or is sufficient, so we have a four-part VARK profile  Those who prefer many modes almost equally are of two types Context specific who choose a single mode to suit the occasion or situation Others who are not satisfied until they have had input (or output) in all of their preferred modes.  They take longer to gather information from each mode and, as a result, they have a deeper and broader understanding