Learning styles Introduction: In this essay I will be describing various types of learning styles and stating the advantages and disadvantages of these learning styles. I will also inform you of the most commonly used method of finding out your own learning style, and I will inform you of the man who made this method. Finally, I will write about my own preferred learning styles and the strengths and weaknesses of the different learning styles. What is a ‘Learning Style’? “A learning style is a way of learning and refers to the way that you learn new information” (2). Most people have one preferred learning style and perform to a lesser standard when learning in a different style than what they’re used to. Nowadays, children are told to take a quiz in school to determine what their preferred learning style is, but after a few years, not many of these children remember what their preferred learning style is, or even if they do, they don’t apply it to their learning. Pros of knowing your preferred learning styles: It maximises your potential and could also save you a lot of time. For example, if you are a visual learner and you are trying to understand something by listening to a lecture, then you will be wasting hours of your time. Knowing your learning style can also help you to better understand your strengths and weaknesses and generally make studying easier and more efficient. Knowing your own learning style could reduce stress. This is because, usually, if you can’t understand something then generally you get more stressed. By using your preferred learning style to help you to understand a topic it reduces your amount of stress and may even boost your confidence! What is the VARK model? The VARK model is one of the most common methods that people use to categorise learning styles. It was made by a man named Neil Fleming. The VARK model “expanded on the Neuro-linguistic programming models” (16). It was launched by Neil Fleming in 1987, after he finished his work and studies at Lincoln University. Before Neil Fleming, the VAK model was the most commonly used method to categorise learning styles. The VAK model doesn’t include Read/Write. The Read/Write learning style was created by Neil Fleming after he realised that it was best to split the Visual learning style into Symbolic (Visual), and Read/Write. Who is Neil Fleming?
It is very important to understand and explore each individuals learning style. Analyzing one?s own particular learning style can be very helpful and beneficial to the student by aiding them in becoming more focused and an attentive learner, which ultimately will increase educational success. (Fatt, Teng, 2000). Discovering this learning style will allow the student to determine his or her own personal strengths and weaknesses and learn from them. Aside from that, this process will improve one?s self esteem because now the student will feel more comfortable and prepared to take on the learning challenge, also gives student the confidence needed to achieve their goals (Creative Learning Company, 2001). Students will also benefit from the simple fact that now the...
One of the ways Pritchard (2008) defines learning styles is “A particular way in which an individual learns” (p. 41). This is the most basic way to describe what learning style is. Since each and every person is different in their own way, they each have a particular way of learning. Luckily the different styles of learning have been identified and can help aid anyone seeking knowledge in advancing their learning style. The 7 learning styles identified today are visual, auditory, kinesthetic, verbal, logical, social and solitary (advanogy.com. 2004). The most common of these 7 styles, that people identify with is visual style. Visual learners learn best by seeing information versus verbally receiving it. If information can be displayed in a picture or diagram the visual learner is more likely to absorb and understand the information in that way. Another common style of learning is by physically doing or kinesthetic. Auditory le...
This paper aims to discuss the different learning styles that people use, and the way in which to apply new teaching methods, in which to expand the learning strategies of students. Here are two quotes from P Honey which explains the purpose of this paper
What is your learning style? Each learner will prefer different learning styles and techniques. Learners can have a mix of learning styles in different circumstances. There will be no right nor wrong mix of learning techniques. Learners can find variety learning styles which are met learners’ expectation. Identifying and understanding learning styles can help the learners to identify the strengths and the areas for development. There are several learning style models which have been using by world-wide learners.
I searched through many books and articles about different learning styles and found one that really got my attention. On the WEAC web site I found a page called “A symphony of learning styles.” On this page I found six learning styles. The first is the “Show and tellers” These are learners that like to read and write. They love to make up stories just to share with their friends. These learners love to recall stories that happened to them in the past. They love to share their thoughts with...
Different learning styles are the talk of many school districts from near and far. The study of different learning styles has gone back since the late 19th to the early 20th centuries. We all know that people have different ways of learning, so teachers try to teach the way their students learn the best. There are different types of learning styles for example: visual, audio, and kinesthetic. Auditory is of or pertaining to hearing, or to the sense or organs of hearing; as, the auditory nerve. Visual is having the nature of or producing an image in the mind. Kinesthetic is the sense that detects bodily position, weight, or movement of the muscles, tendons, and joints. (www.dictionary.com)
This essay discusses the 3 different learning styles (visual, auditory, and tactile/kinesthetic), my personal prefered learning style (visual), learning style strategies, lifelong/essential skills, then finally combining the two topics, with a personally devised plan to ensure that I become a “lifelong learner”. This is relating to learning strategies 25, module 1, section IV, ESSAY ASSIGNMENT, page 34.
Learning is defined as a permanent change in attitude or behaviour that occurs as a result of repeated experience (Sims & Sims, 1995). Understanding one’s learning style has many advantages as it can help one to identify the learning method or activities that can help to optimise the learning experience. It has been suggested that the importance of one’s learning style has been identified through studies and research on how one can maximise the potential for success and further learning development (Honey & Mumford, 2006). Learning styles are unique to each individual and are developed in childhood (Chase, 2001). We all have different personalities; therefore we all have preferred learning styles that suit us best. The way one learns depends on preference. Some learn by observing, listening and imitating others and draw conclusions from their experience. There are several factors that affect our learning style; for example, background, culture, religion and environment can have a major influence on one’s learning.
Master said: ”live and learn.” Regardless of what, where or when we choose to obtain knowledge, how we approach learning is unique to each and every one of us based on our individual learning style or styles. It is the idea of behavior that suggests learning styles are a way of being, and can change over time. The good learning style can help us learn better and learn faster. Usually, there are seven learning styles: first, Visual. People prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding. Second, Aural. People prefer using sound and music. Third, verbal. People prefer using words, both in speech and writing. Forth, Physical. People prefer using their body, hands and sense of touch. Fifth, logical. People prefer suing logic, reasoning
Did you find it easier to understand a thing by reading or hear it from someone else or do your understand better by looking at the picture ? Some people may find it even harder to read a map. Things may difficulty for some peoples but others learn, it is because everyone learns in different ways. How people interprets or understand the information depends on how their learning style. Learning style may vary depending on factor that influence . While learning style has been defined as the way people learn, or how one interprets information. The most common learning style is the Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, and Kinaesthetic. Most of us may have some idea of how we learn better, but often we surprise to find out what our predominant learning style. In 1987 Neil D. Fleming, an experienced educator developed the VARK learning style as an effort to help students learn better. VARK contains 16 question that help identify a person's learning style. For some students they may have a preference for one type of learning, but also
There are many factors involved when a person is learning a new subject or topic. By analyzing one’s learning preferences, it may help provide a way to self-reflect why one learns better one way or provide educators an insight to the variety of ways their students learn so teaching styles can be
Teaching in the read/write learning style is improves the learning experience for others especially for this specific learning style. The read/write learning style is a very common and useful form of learning that is taught in an educational platform because of the nature of the learning style. Therefore, knowing how to tailor one’s lectures to meet the needs of the students with the read/write learning style is a refreshing and revitalizing method in providing the information to those who are in a position to learn and encourages the information taught to remain intact and new in their brain. Furthermore, being aware of one’s learning style allows the individual to receive the information to be understood competently. Awareness of your individual learning style can provide it’s advantages along with its disadvantages. The advantages of this awareness are that the individual knows how to receive the information in a way that is best suited for their abilities. This can allow the individual to be more in sync with what methods and tools are necessary to enhance the learning experience. Then, the disadvantage of being aware of the one’s learning style exists when the individual is consumed with the mentality that the only way to adequately learn new material is through their specific learning
To determine the best way I learn, I carried out two different learning styles questionnaires online. One may find that they are not always categorised in a specific type rather they may have more than one learning preference. Firstly, the most commonly used Neil Fleming’s VARK model. Fleming believes that there are four different types of learner: Visual, Auditory, Reading/writing and Kinesthetic learners. The second model I tried out was Soloman-Felder Learning Styles and Strategies.
Everyone has different learning styles. Learning styles are important because they help you better understand materials in classes. They are there to guide you and become a better student. Learning styles help you better grasp the material and better process it through your brain. When learning you want to do what is most beneficial for you. That is why there is many different learning styles to suit every person. There is three different types of learning styles categorized. The first learning style is auditory. Auditory is meant for individuals that enjoy asking questions, talking and listening, as well as like to read out loud. Visual learners are more interested in charts, graphs, neat surroundings, seeing rather than hearing, and are pictured to be timid as they read to themselves rather than out loud. Finally there is the kinesthetic learning style. Kinesthetic is to touch, to feel, and usually learn by doing.
Thought out our lives, we are faced with many different learning experiences. Some of these experiences have made a better impact than others. This can be attributed to everyone’s different multiple intelligences or learning styles. A persons learning style is the method though which they gain information about their environment. As a teacher, it is our responsibility to know these styles, so we can reach each of our students and use all of the necessary methods.