B1.

IDENTIFYING DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES

What are learning styles? How are they known and identified?

In this unit, you will be introduced to the different learning styles and how to identify them. You
will also be presented with the concept of multimodal teaching.

Brain Dump
What do you know about learning styles before we begin? Write down or make a list of
everything you can regarding learning styles.

Overview
Watch the video created by GCFLearnFree.org for a brief overview of learning styles:

Mini Activity: What were 3 interesting things you noticed while watching the video? Did you
already know any of the information provided? Did you learn anything new?

Lesson 1: How many learning styles are there?

As the video showed, there are 4 main learning styles: visual, auditory, reading/writing,
and kinesthetic.
New research has outlined 7 learning styles total: Visual (spatial), Aural (auditory), Verbal
(linguistic), Physical (kinesthetic), Logical (mathematical), Social (interpersonal), and Solitary
(intrapersonal).
Each of these learning styles has unique variables that change the way a student learns best.
For the sake of this course, we're focusing on the main 4, as the principles applied to these can
be adapted to meet the needs of a multitude of students.

How do you identify the different learning styles?

To better understand VARK, or visual, auditory, reading/writing, kinesthetic learners, read the
paragraphs below, then test your knowledge with the quiz to follow.

At a very basic level, each learning style defines the type of learning it represents. Visual
learners learn by best seeing, Auditory by listening or speaking, Reading/Writing prefer to read
and take notes, and Kinesthetic learners learn best by moving and doing. Digging deeper
though, we can see what types of activities and teaching reaches each type of learner best.

Visual Learners

Visual learners internalize information better when they have a graphical representation
to analyze. In general, they tend to learn better when the "big picture" is presented from the
start then broken down. Charts, diagrams, pictures, graphs, images, etc. tend to lead to the
best knowledge retention.

Auditory Learners

Auditory (or aural) learners are most successful when they can hear the information
being presented to them. Students with this learning style often choose not to take notes
during class to better pay attention the way they see fit. Teachers tend to assume that
auditory learners are less engaged than their classmates because of the lack of
notetaking. However, these students have decided that note-taking is a distraction and that
their listening attention is a more valuable way for them to learn. Auditory learners often find
success when they are allowed to discuss their work with their classmates. They may also
benefit from reading their work aloud to themselves to help them process and think through it.

Reading/Writing Learners

Students who are considered reading/writing learners have a strong preference for the
written word. This includes written information presented in class in the form of handouts,
reading assignments, and PowerPoint presentations as well as the opportunity to complete
coursework in the form of written assignments. This modality also lends itself to conducting
research online, as many information-rich sources on the internet are relatively text-heavy.
Reading/writing-oriented students should be encouraged to take copious notes during
classroom lectures to help them both process information and have an easier time recalling it
later.

Kinesthetic Learners

Kinesthetic learners are hands-on learners who thrive when taking a physically active
role in the learning process. They are sometimes referred to as “tactile learners,” but this can be
a bit of a false equivalency. Kinesthetic learners tend to engage all of their senses equally in the
process of learning, not just touch. Kinesthetic learners often have the most difficult time
succeeding in conventional classroom settings due to their active nature. Some educators have
found success with the use of flashcards for subjects like math and English to make
memorization more interactive. These students often thrive in science classes with lab
experiments because the activities in these settings engage them in various ways.

Identify Your Learning Style

Make a prediction: Based on what we've read so far, what learning style do you think you best
fit into?
Click the link below: https://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/ Complete the questionnaire
to identify your VARK learning style. Was your prediction correct? Do you agree or disagree
with your quiz results?
What Are the Main Four Types of Learning in Education?

• Visual learning style

• Auditory learning style

• Kinesthetic learning style

• Reading/Writing
• Other Types of Learning Styles
• Logical/analytical learners
• Social/linguistic learners
• Solitary learners
• Nature learners

• How Do Students Learn Best?

Every student has a strategy they use to remember information more efficiently while studying.
Some of them take notes; some make diagrams; some prefer to listen to lectures, etc. Since no
learning style fits all students, scientists have conducted research in order to understand the
way students learn new information best.
Let’s look at the different types of learning they have distinguished.

What Are the Main Four Types of Learning in Education?

We mentioned before that scientists have for years tried to understand the best ways students
learn through research. One of the popular theories, to this day, is the VARK model. This model
identifies four types of learners: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and reading/writing.

Most people are a combination of these four styles, but more times than not, they have a
predominant style of learning. Each of these styles has a complementary way of teaching. Now,
let’s see the characteristics each of these styles entails and how best to make use of them.

Visual learning style

Visual learners are individuals who prefer to take in their information visually—be that with
maps, graphs, diagrams, charts, and others. However, they don’t necessarily respond well to
photos or videos, rather needing their information using different visual aids such as patterns
and shapes.

The best way to present to visual learners is by showing them the relationship between different
ideas visually. For instance, when explaining a scientific process, it can be done by using a flow
chart.
Auditory learning style

Auditory learners are individuals who learn better when they take in information in auditory form
when it is heard or spoken. They are prone to sorting their ideas after speaking, rather than
thinking ideas through before. Since, to them, saying things out loud helps them understand the
concept.

Auditory learners learn best when information is presented to them via strategies that involve
talking, such as lectures and group discussions. They can benefit from repeating back the
lessons, having recordings of the lectures, group activities that require classmates explaining
ideas, etc.

Kinesthetic learning style

Kinesthetic learners are individuals who prefer to learn by doing. They enjoy a hands-on
experience. They are usually more in touch with reality and more connected to it, which is why
they require using tactile experience to understand something better.

The best way to present new information to a kinesthetic learner is through personal
experience, practice, examples, or simulations. For instance, they can remember an experiment
by recreating it themselves.

Reading/Writing

Reading/writing learners consume information best when it’s in words, whether that’s by writing
it down or reading it. To them, text is more powerful than any kind of visual or auditory
representation of an idea. These individuals usually perform very well on written assignments.
There are different ways to get a reading/writing learner to engage and understand a certain
lesson. For instance, it would be best to have them describe charts and diagrams by written
statements, take written quizzes on the topics, or give them written assignments.

Other Types of Learning Styles

Now that we have discussed some learning styles that have been around for a while, it’s
time we dug a little deeper and introduced some other, lesser-known learning styles. It is
important to note that not everyone agrees on the types of learning styles, their names, or even
their number. Recent studies and theories from psychologists and experts in the field suggest
that there are anywhere between 3 to 170 different types of learning styles. Other types of
learning styles, based on one of the senses and a social aspect, include:

Logical/analytical learners
 As the name suggests, analytical learners depend on logic and analytical skills to
understand a particular subject. These types of learners search for connections, causes,
patterns, and results in their learning. A teacher can engage and motivate analytical learners by
posing questions that require interpretation, using material that activates problem-solving skills
and stimulating students to reach conclusions based on facts or reasoning.

Social/linguistic learners

types of learners favor educational lessons that include peer work or participation.
Social/ linguistic learners get two things out of this participation: socializing (which they love)
and a better understanding of a subject. Teachers can motivate these types of learners by using
role-playing, group activities, and encouraging student interaction (asking questions, sharing
stories, etc.).

Solitary learners

Otherwise known as solo learners, these students are the opposite of social learners.
Solitary learners prefer to study alone without having to interact with other learners. Individual
work is a solo student’s forte. Teachers can help these types of learners by using activities that
require individual work (including keeping a diary) and problem-solving skills, recognizing a
student’s individual accomplishments, etc.

Nature learners

These types of learners excel when in contact with nature. A nature learner’s ideal study
environment is a calm and relaxing environment. If we had to compare nature learners with
another type, it would be tactile learners. The only difference is the nature part of this deal, as
nature learners need to be outside to learn better. While learning in nature may not always be
possible, teachers can still nurture this learning style in students by assigning hands-on
activities, having classes outdoors when possible, and using nature examples when explaining
a new lesson.

How Do Students Learn Best?

Given that everyone has a unique learning method, it would be wrong to say that a
specific learning style is the best way to go. However, understanding your own style of
learning is very important to your studies.

Since the way someone best consumes information can be a deciding factor in their
academic success, understanding what kind of learner they are is vital. You can do this by
trying all four methods of learning, and then deciding which one helps you remember best.
Once you know what kind of style fits you, you can tailor your studies to fit your needs.
 There are many factors that affect how someone learns best, including the environment,
and cognitive and emotional factors. However, understanding your learning style can help you
learn more easily.

On the other hand, even teachers need to be aware of the many different learning styles
they might encounter when teaching. Though it is easier for one individual to understand and
incorporate a specific learning style to get better results, it is not that easy for a teacher with,
say, 20 students in one classroom. However, this does not mean that a teacher should just give
up trying to understand and cater to their students’ needs altogether. A simple solution to this
dilemma might be using as many activities and exercises as possible that cater to different
learning styles. This way, a teacher has a better chance of reaching a bigger ‘audience’, and
every student gets an opportunity to learn in their preferred circumstances every once in a
while.

According to the VARK system, there are four types of learning styles—visual, auditory,
kinesthetic, and reading/writing. We hope this article helped you understand in which category
you fall!