Topic: School / Industry News
Kinesthetic, auditory, verbal learning styles – how can they help?
Do you like to consume books on Kindle or Audible? When you’re building IKEA furniture, do you follow the instruction manual or just figure out how it all fits together?
In the early 90s, Neil Fleming (a New Zealand school inspector) observed 9,000 classes and noted that certain teachers could reach each and every student. From his research, he created VARK (visual, aural, read/write, kinesthetic), various learning styles which were rapidly incorporated into teacher training. The theory goes that if a teacher could adapt their class to each student’s learning method, they would absorb more information.
While the original theory has since been debunked that a tailored learning style was necessary for student performance, as a purely reflective habit it can be beneficial to help examine your study methods. Understanding which way you prefer to absorb new information speeds up the learning process, primarily because it can make studying more enjoyable. There are 7 different styles, and you may find a combination of methods create the best learning environment:
- Visual (Spatial)
- Aural (Auditory-Musical)
- Verbal (Linguistic)
- Physical (Kinesthetic)
- Logical (Mathematical)
- Social (Interpersonal)
- Solitary (Intrapersonal)
Unfortunately, listening to revision notes won’t make an impact if you’re playing a game at the same time. The danger with relying on a learning style means that it may get treated as a shortcut. Good study methods are equally as important and scientifically confirmed. The University of California San Diego has devised a helpful fact sheet for guidance, with main takeaways such as:
- Test yourself on the material, then test again.
- Space out study sessions:
- 1 hour of concentrated study a day is better than 2 in terms of information retention.
- The mind can only focus for approximately 30 minutes before it begins to wander – give it a 5 minute fun break before starting again to maintain near identical results. This helpful pomodoro method app is a great way of giving this a go.
- Experience the material in multiple formats – hand write out your notes, record them, search for related video content.
- Make meaningful connections with the material – the best way to test if you’ve fully understood the material is to explain it to someone else.
At the end of the day, as Fleming says: “VARK tells you about how you like to communicate. It tells you nothing about the quality of that communication.” If you would like to try it out for fun, there’s also a quiz on the official website. If you would like to learn more about which school best suits you or your child’s needs, why not have a chat with us?
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