Essay Example on VARK: Learn Your Learning Style & Improve Skills

Introduction

VARK analysis assists individuals to comprehend their preferences for learning. The VARK questionnaire helps people, more so students, to discover about themselves and interpret how they can employ the findings to improve their skills (Alkooheji & Al-Hattami, 2018). There are several learning styles highlighted in the VARK questionnaire, such as visual, aural, read/write, kinesthetic, and multimodal. Perceptions and choice of learning techniques significantly impact an individual's teaching and learning process.

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Most students across the globe have diverse views and choice of preferred learning styles. Learning styles refer to several antagonistic philosophies that intend to account for peoples learning and teaching preferences (Alkooheji & Al-Hattami, 2018). This paper aims to review these learning styles and compare them to one of the preferred learning styles. Furthermore, this paper intends to examine how awareness of learning styles influences perceptions of teaching and learning.

Summary of my Preferred Learning Style

I prefer logical learning strategies. Students in the logical learning style are proficient in problem-solving. Scholars suggest that the learners view the information in the dominion of cause and effect. Learners deploying this style enjoy mathematics since it involves a logical flow. Learners enjoy working with patterns and logical problems. Alkooheji & Al-Hattami (2018) assert that the learners in this category are excellent at examining the interrelationship between items.

I prefer logical strategy since it also involves comprehending intricate patterns, math problems, and playing strategy games such as chess. Besides, the style emphasizes scientific fields such as physics and chemistry, technology, and computer science (Alkooheji & Al-Hattami, 2018). Scholars argue that learners who prefer logical strategy respond well to statistical data and methods which comprises of hard facts.

A Comparison of Logical Learning Style to Other Styles

As mentioned above, there are other learning styles that students prefer, such as visual, aural, read/write, kinesthetic, and multimodal strategies. Visual learning strategy, also referred to as spatial learning strategy involves learning by seeing. VARK questionnaire notes that the visual learner employs the utilization of maps, charts, diagrams, and graphs (Kotecha, 2019). According to VARK, aural strategies information that is spoken or heard. Scholars suggest that students that prefer auditory strategy listen more to the lectures rather than take notes. Such students are proficient at acting and speaking.

Read/write learners (also referred to as verbal learners) uses the printed information as to their essential means of communication. The read/write learners prefer to receive written information, enjoy reading and writing, and process information by taking notes (Kotecha, 2019). Kinesthetic (tactile) learners prefer studying through touch and doing. Such students are hands-on or practical people. Scholars assert that kinesthetic strategy involves mostly learning through physical processes, creating concrete individual experiences, and processing information through recreating and practicing.

The multimodal strategy involves the application of multiple strategies for communication. Scholars suggest that learners who deploy multimodal strategies can combine any of the four learning styles, that is, visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic approaches. A comparison of verbal policies to those mentioned in the VARK questionnaire indicates that all the strategies enhance learners' memories and help in making them proactive (Kotecha, 2019). However, logical style deploys a clear solution for how people arrive at a fundamental decision about an issue. The reasonable method, therefore, provides a definitive solution or a course of action that leads to the answer, unlike visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic strategies.

Unlike the logical style, visual learners are detail-oriented since they have the capability of identifying minimal alterations within their environment. However, aural learners excel at grabbing language, storytelling, verbal communication, and retaining long lectures. The verbal learner, on the other hand, can store vast amounts of complex written words and summarize them into more easily understandable information (Kotecha, 2019). Unlike logical learners, kinesthetic learners easily acquire skills and knowledge through active involvement.

Importance of Identifying Individual Learning Styles

Educators who can comprehend and adapt their teaching styles to their students' learning style and preferences enhances their chances of excelling in different activities. The fact that most students have their preferred way of learning makes it a necessity at identifying each student's preferred learning strategy (Kotecha, 2019). Some people learn best by observing, listening, or through practice to acquire knowledge. Students need all the three modalities to acquire and retain information, that is, visual, kinesthetic, and auditory.

An educator must identify a student's preferred learning style and exploit the strengths to produce results. Scholars assert that most parents and educators always make a mistake of thinking that all learners behave the same regarding their learning styles (Kotecha, 2019). It is significant for educators to note that people learn differently.

Learning Styles in the Health Promotion

Since people comprehend concepts in different ways, such as when sound, pictorials accompany them, printed, or just through active participation, it is significant to understand their learning styles (Blevins, 2018). Scholars suggest that if nurses provide verbal instructions to visual people, it should also be accompanied by a printed form to achieve the desired outcome.

Besides, nurses must explain verbally care instructions and reduce any form of distractions that may interfere with listening (Alkooheji & Al-Hattami, 2018). Furthermore, patients who grasp information through several modes need to be issued with education in different patterns to achieve the desired result.

How Learning Styles Impact the Possibility for a Behavioral Change

It is essential to note that the dissemination of information to people in the mode they prefer enhances their ability to quickly store and understand that information. Scholars argue that if individuals do not comprehend information, the probability of changing their behavior is limited (Blevins, 2018). It is thus apparent that learning modalities impact on behavior vary as they model how information is embraced.

It is also essential to provide people with information in a manner they like makes them embrace the information provide, such as the need to change their behavior. For example, a person who is in the category of visual learning style would adopt the information concerning behavior change if it is provided visually, like through an audio-video (Blevins, 2018). Besides, a person in the read/write learning style category can happily change if the information is provided in the printed form.

Accommodating Different Learning Styles in Health Promotion

Learning styles represents various approaches to learning due to diversity in preferences, weaknesses, and strengths. Adapting different methods in health promotion ensures that a large population receives the information. The accommodation of a visual patient includes the use of maps, flow charts, and diagrams (Blevins, 2018). The nurses should give the patients time to absorb the instructions as the patients must observe the visual cues presented to them.

Auditory patients are accommodated through question and answer sessions to examine whether the instructions given are well understood. The use of video and audiotapes are essential in engaging the participants in health promotion and instructing kinesthetic patients to perform the guidance provided by the nurses (Blevins, 2018). Besides, allowing the patients to move around, stand, or learn through playing games helps the patient to memorize the directions. Read/write patients can be given books to read, write down the instructions themselves, and provided with printed instructions. Multimodal patients can be issued with guidance in various forms and asked to choose their preferred format.

Conclusion

Effective and efficient communication is vital in all fields, such as schools, hospitals, and offices. People comprehend the information provided in different ways; it is, therefore, essential to know and understand the preferred methods the receiver of the data is comfortable. Learning styles, therefore, is necessary for both the giver and receiver of the information.

References

Alkooheji, L., & Al-Hattami, A. (2018). Learning Style Preferences among College Students. International Education Studies, 11(10), 50-63.

Blevins, S. (2018). The Art of Patient Education. Medsurg Nursing, 27(6), 401.

Kotecha, A. (2019). Learning styles. InnovAiT, 12(5), 276-280.