A good educator must have the potential to implement quality lessons. However, most departments and teachers do not want to step out of their comfort zone, so they teach students in an old-fashioned way, staying true to their own preferred format. Some may actually be unfamiliar with other learning strategies.
In this case, courses should be offered that focus on student-centered approaches rather than teacher-centered approaches and extend the learning approach that students feel comfortable with while learning.
Neil Fleming
- Neil Donald Fleming was an educator from New Zealand born in 1939. He was interested in understanding the learning preferences approach.
- He taught at numerous universities, teacher training centers, and high schools.
- He worked for nearly 11 years in the field of faculty development at Lincoln University. Previously, he served as Chief Auditor for 100 High Schools in New Zealand’s South Island for almost nine years.
- This led him to critically observe approximately 9,000 hours of teaching.
- He later created the VARK study and related supporting materials.
What Is The VARK Model?
It refers to a model of learning preference approaches that comprise different learning styles. In the VARK model presented by Fleming, he states that there are four learning styles:
- Visual
- Auditory
- Reading & Writing
- Kinesthetic
Some people may prefer to use one of these styles as the study mode in their learning process. The use of a combination of these styles is called multimodal.
The Learning Styles
1. Visual
- This learning style includes the use of pictures and imagery.
- Learners of this type learn by looking at images, diagrams, videos, and graphics.
- They have fun using graphics, flowcharts, and hierarchies to represent printed data.
- They can draw pictures and charts to explain concepts to others.
- They tend to make lists when organizing their thoughts.
- These individuals get easily distracted by movement and action. On the other hand, noise usually does not bother them.
2. Auditory
- Some people tend to learn inherently by listening to data.
- They are auditory learners.
- They respond effectively to the teacher’s explanations.
- They can learn better by listening to music, having discussions among peers, talking to like-minded people, and using recorded lectures.
- Those leaning towards this mode are easily disturbed by noise.
3. Reading and Writing
- Reading & writing, learning style comprises verbal learning strategies that involve the use of words, by speaking or writing.
- Learner of this type is very good at taking notes and mastering difficult reading materials.
- They enjoy organizing their notes with colorful pens, paraphrasing printed content in their own words, and studying presentations and MCQs for the exams.
4. Kinesthetic
- Learners using this mode of learning prefer to gain experience in order to learn something.
- Kinesthetic students are usually less active during class and make physical movements while learning such as to touch, feel, hold, act, or move something.
- They use movement as a tool to remember different cases.
- They tend to use or create three-dimensional representations to better understand points.
- They enjoy spending extra time in the lab or going off campus, excursions to galleries and historical locations to collect data.
How to Discover the Learning Preference Approach?
Individuals learn things in variant ways. One must identify their own learning style to make the most out of it and use the learning strategies to get the best outcome.
- They can do this by introspecting their own way of learning and memorizing things. The information in this article can help recognize the dominant learning style.
- The VARK questionnaire would also be available online. Readers can definitely use it to identify their own method or approach.
We can conclude that using only one teaching method is less persuasive and less proficient. This is also the answer to the confusion of those who are trying hard enough but are still not satisfied with their performance, or feel that they are not getting the results they truly deserve. Thus, everyone should explore learning styles to be able to analyse their natural style of understanding or learning things. and work to strengthen it. The sole purpose of this article is to provide the readers with informative and engaging content.
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