Tashi Namgyal
Grand Canyon University
NRS-429V Family Centered Health Promotion.
May 15, 2015
VARK Analysis Paper
A learning style is how an individual takes in information, retains and process it and recall those information. A very common concept of learning style is that “persons differ in how they learn”. The difference in individual’s learning style started in 1970 and it has great effect in education. Knowing your learning styles develop coping strategies in your weakness and strengthen your learning outcome. Example: A teacher who utilizes various teaching methods can reach out to larger number of students learning preferences and thus enhance better teaching outcome. Knowing ones preferred learning style helps understand the subject, retain it, cuts your study time and also helps in improving your communication skills. There are many different learning style guides and one such is the VARK Analysis.
The VARK stands for Visual, Aural, Read/Write and Kinesthetic or Tactile. Neil Fleming, Lincoln University in New Zealand, first developed the VARK in 1987. The VARK Analysis consists of sixteen questionnaires, after completing the questionnaires it gives report of individuals learning preferences. According to VARK analysis report, the writer’s learning scores are Visual-5, Kinesthetic-6, Read/Write-10 and Aural -11 that conclude the writer as a multimodal Learner. Summary Of The Writer’s Learning Style: Multimodal Leaner.
As the writer’s VARK questionnaire score highest being Aural-11 followed by Read/Wrire-10, falls in the majority group where approximately 50-75% of people fit in to the multimodal study strategy. Multimodal style gives you an option of two, three or four modes of studying and interacting with people. They use more than one study mode and feel insecure with only one learning style. According to VARK’s guide to learning style (Fleming, 2011), The Aural learners’ prefer intake information in speaking, listening, questioning and recalling as their strongest method of learning. They take in information by attending class, involve in discussion and tutorials, and prefer discussing the new information with their peers and teachers. They are good listeners and generally are good in music and rhythm. Background music while studying enhances their motivations in study. Other successful learning tools for Aural learners are using tape recorders, remembering interesting jokes, stories and explaining the overheads, pictures and other visual presentations to others who were not there and also leaving space in their notes for later recall and filling (Fleming, 2011). The Vark describes Aural learner’s output goal as imagining talking to examiners, listening to music and taking notes, spending time in quiet places to recall ideas, practicing writing answers to old exam questions, and speaking your answers aloud to self or to others. These strategies help the aural learner’s more successful in learning.
The writer’s second highest score in VARK questionnaire was Read/Write. According to VARK learning strategic guide, Read/write learners best intake of information by taking notes, makes list of information’s, Highlights the information, and prefers referring to dictionaries and finding new glossaries. A Read/Write learner also spends time in quiet places to recall ideas. They engage in teachers who use words and have lots of information in sentences and notes. VARK learning guide indicates Read/Write learners outputs and performs test or exam more successful by practicing multiple choice questions, write exam answers, list information as a,b,c,d or 1,2,3,4 and arrange them in to hierarchies and points. Students with Reading and Writing as their preferred methodology of studying can produce better outcome in their test, assignments or examinations by following Vark’s guide to learning style.
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