VARK Analysis free essay sample

). A multimodal learning style is defined as multiple preferences of learning. The majority of people who have multiple preferences of learning style typically have two styles that are stronger than the other types. Read/Write and aural were identified as the stronger types of learning styles for patient M. Visual and kinesthetic were close behind, which meant this patient uses all four learning styles (Fleming, 2011). â€Å"Read/Write Learning Style Individuals with this preference prefer output; i. e. reading and writing in all its forms. Internet, lists, dictionaries, thesauri, and words† (Cherry, n. d. ). â€Å"Auditory Learning Style individuals learn best through verbal lessons, discussions, talking things through, and listening to what others have to say. Auditory learners interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listening to the voice tone, pitch, and speed. These learners often benefit from reading the text and notes out loud and/or listening to recorded notes and information from texts† (Cherry, n. We will write a custom essay sample on VARK Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page d. ). â€Å"Kinesthetic learners learn best through a hands learning preference to sit still for long periods. Kinesthetic learners can become distracted by their need for movement and activity† (Cherry, n. d. ). Visual Learning Style individuals need to see the teacher’s body language and facial expression to be able to fully understand the lesson content. â€Å"These individuals generally prefer to sit at the front of the classroom. They think in pictures and may learn best from visual displays including: diagrams, illustrated textbooks, overhead transparencies, whiteboards, handouts and videos† (Cherry, n. d. ). During a lesson or classroom lecture, visual learners often prefer to take very detailed notes. (Cherry, n. d. ). Preferred Learning Strategies The identified learning strategies in the VARK analysis were slightly higher for aural on the report than visual. Patient M states that her preferred method of learning is multimodal, however she stated her top two methods of learning styles are Read/Write and Visual. She feels she learns best by reading written material/instructions. Comparison of preferred learning strategies and identified learning strategies After learning about the details of auditory learners, Patient M agrees that the analysis is more accurate about her preferred learning style. Patient M states that these strategies are how she learns best. Auditory Learning strategies include: ?Working in groups or â€Å"with a study partner; i. e. discussions: listening, talking† (Cherry, n. d. ). ?Reviewing assignments â€Å"and text reading before class† (Fleming, 2011) ? Taking notes and text out loud (Fleming, 2011). ?Reciting â€Å"information that is important to remember† (Fleming, 2011). ?Recording â€Å"notes, key information, and lectures; listen to recordings regularly† (Cherry, n. d. ). ?Using books-on-tape (Fleming, 2011). ?Discussing â€Å"questions/problems in a group or with a study-buddy† (Fleming, 2011). ?†Thinking through a process or sequence of steps: write out, then read out loud† (Fleming, 2011). Visual learning strategies include: (UMass Dartmouth Webpage Publication, 2014). ? Highlighting important points in text; key words. ?Creating flashcards for key information; be concise. ?Convering notes and translate words into symbols, diagrams, and/or pictures. ?Creating visual reminders of information. ?Practicing turning visuals back into words. ?Color-coding, underline, and/or highlight information. ?Getting creative with charts, diagrams, mindmaps. Read/Write learning strategies include: (UMass Dartmouth Webpage Publication, 2014) ? Rewriting notes. ?Reading/reviewing notes every day. ?Rewriting ideas and principles into other words. ?Organizing diagrams/graphs into statements. ?Writing exam answers. ? Practicing with multiple choice questions. ?Writing paragraphs, beginnings and endings. ?Writing lists (a,b,c,1,2,3,4) Kinesthetic learning strategies include: (UMass Dartmouth Webpage Publication, 2014) ? Skimming through reading material. ?Moving around as you read aloud or. ?Recording notes and listening to them. ?Taking frequent study breaks. ?Listening to music while studying. ?Sitting in the front of the classroom. ?Staying actively engaged in class. ?Creating hands-on learning when possible. Patient M agrees that auditory and read/write learning strategies are her strongest styles of learning, versus read/write and visual strategies as she had thought. How awareness of individual learning styles, preferences and strategies influence teaching and learning. The VARK Learning Style Questionnaire developed by Fleming and Mills (1992) helped to promote student awareness of their preferred individual learning styles and help adapt teaching methods to all learning styles (Sinclaire, 2012, p81). Awareness of individual styles helps influence the nurse who is teaching to understand that not everyone learns in the same way (Fleming, 2011). Therefore your teaching strategies need to change to match your patient’s learning styles. This is why it is important to do an assessment on each individual patient as soon as possible, so their learning style preferences can be identified. Understanding the different strategies of each learning style will enable a nurse to use those methods to educate his/her patients. Awareness of individual learning styles as a learner helps to identify the ways in which that individual can better learn. Once the learner has identified his or her strongest learning styles, he/she can use the strategies listed to help them make learning easier (Fleming, 2011). A common problem is people tend to teach in the way in which they learn best. We must become better at identifying individual styles of learning of our patient’s to become more efficient at educating them (Fleming, 2011). Vark Analysis free essay sample Questionnaire is a great tool to use when deciding what one’s best learning strategy is. There is no wrong way to learn, only what works best. This paper will focus on multimodal study strategies and how other learning strategies compare. Summary of Multimodal Learning There are many different study strategies out there. According to VARK, the main study strategies include: Aural, Kinesthetic, Visual, Read/Write and Multimodal. In this case, multimodal will refer to using both visual and read/write study strategies. If one has many different ways they like to study they fit in to the multimodal category. â€Å"Approximately 60% of any population fits (this) category† (Fleming, 2001). Multimodal simply means that one utilizes more than one study strategy in order to learn certain subjects and/or material. Preferred Learning Strategies Visual learners prefer pictures, diagrams, graphs, flow charts, etc. For example, Jason wanted to score well on his exam. He used pictures and graphs he learned about in class, re-drew them repeatedly how he saw them, and chose the correct answer on the exam. We will write a custom essay sample on Vark Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Neil Fleming, the author of VARK Questionnaire, stated that one is â€Å"often swayed by the way something looks†¦and is interested in color and layout and design and you know where you are in your environment† (Fleming, 2001). For example, note cards used would be color-coded. Read/write study strategies focus on lists and words. Jason and others that think this way believe that â€Å"meanings are within the words† (Fleming, 2001). Jason, in this case, would utilize handouts, dictionaries, textbooks, and notes for studying. After reading these things through, Jason would then convert them into a way that was easy for him to understand. Diagrams, charts, and graphs would be turned into words and the meaning of the text would become much easier to understand. These words would then be written down on note cards to make for an easier and more efficient way of studying. With the combined visual and read/write study strategies, more of a secure feeling of knowledge is felt. In other words, the more ways he/she studies something; the more he/she will really learn it. Each student in a classroom has a unique and complex system of thinking and learning† (Lutz, 2011). Although multimodal studying works for Jason, it may not work for others. This is why there are several study strategies out there in order to cater to each unique individual. Comparison of Learning Strategies Two other study strategies that might help are Aural and Kinesthetic. â€Å"An aural learner soaks up information the easiest when it is presented in an auditory way. Speaking, listening and music all come naturally to the aural learner† (Priddy, 1999). In other words, he/she learns best by listening. He/she might tape class lectures, get together with a group to talk about certain subjects, or read their notes out loud when studying for an exam. Kinesthetic learners â€Å"learn best when they discover things by doing them† (CLARE, 2010). If he/she is a kinesthetic learner, it might be hard to sit still in class and he/she will rarely take notes. He/she learns best by being active, physically. If he/she were this type of learner, it would help to make flash cards, and study for short periods over time. It is best to ask for help in class by way of examples. The more examples there are, the better. When comparing Jason’s preferred multimodal method of learning with the other above mentioned study strategies, multimodal works best for him. This is because he is able to combine more than one study strategy in order to achieve success in the learning environment. With multimodal referring to both visual and read/write study strategies in this case; VARK is spot on when detailing what works best for these learners. Visual, Aural, and Kinesthetic study strategies my be useful but will not give Jason the results that his multimodal study strategies do. Study Habits Emphasis with these study strategies would be on utilizing highlighters, symbols, pictures and re-writing/re-reading notes over and over again (Fleming, 2001). However, one thing that Jason might want to include would be to imagine notes he made as multiple-choice questions in order to test himself on the info that has been collected. This is done in order to make sure that he is on the right track with his information. When in doubt always ask questions! Conclusion In conclusion, The VARK Questionnaire is indeed the best way to find out what one’s best learning strategy is. Not everyone learns the same way and it is because of that these learning strategies are out there. Multimodal studying works best for Jason but may not be the best choice for others. Find out what is, mold it in to a specialized, individual study plan, and stick with it. There is no wrong way to learn, only what works best. References CLARE. (2010, December 13). The study gurus: study advice for kinesthetic learners. Retrieved from http://www. thestudygurus. com/kinesthetic-study-tips/ Fleming, N. (2001). Vark: A guide to learning styles. Retrieved from http://www. vark-learn. com/english/page. asp? p=helpsheets Lutz, D. (2011, September 09). Learning strategies. Retrieved from http://www. seenmagazine. us/articles/article-detail/articleid/1663/multi-modal-learning-strategies-for-all-students. aspx Priddy, B. (1999). ehow: Aural learning style. Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com/about_5472528_aural-learning-style. html