Alex

LEARNING STYLES Anne

Jordan
WHAT IS A LEARNING STYLE?
The way an individual concentrates on, internalizes,
processes, and retains information.

It is part of the learning process individual learning style

interacts with other variables, including the structure and
nature of the material to be learned and cognitive activities
to process and understand the new information.

(Perusee & Goodnough, 2003)

DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLE
MODELS
1) Kolb Model: Experiential

2) Dunn & Dunn: Learning Style

3) Fleming Model

4) Barbe & Milone: Learning Modalities

 BARBE & MILONE:
LEARNING MODALITIES MODEL
Learning Modalities are channels through which
information is received, given, and stored.

While there are other modalities, we will focus on 3:

Visual - Auditory - Kinesthetic/Tactile

It is estimated that in any given classroom you will find that approximately 25-30% of
students are primarily visual learners, 25-30% are primarily auditory learners, 15% are
primarily kinesthetic, and 25-30% are mixed modalities (Barbe & Milone, 1981).
VAK HISTORY & TENANTS
The original VAK concepts were first developed in the 1920s by
psychologists and child teaching specialists such as Fernald, Keller, Orton,
Gillingham, Stillman, and Motessori (Gholami and Bagheri, 2013).

Has since been expanded on by Barbe & Milone as well as Fleming (VARK
Model).

There are 3 main sensory receivers in the VAK Model used to determine the
dominant learning style: Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic
 VISUAL
Learn through seeing

Think in pictures and need to create vivid mental images to

retain information

Enjoy looking at maps, charts, pictures, videos, and movies

Have visual skills demonstrated in:

Creating visual metaphors and analogies
Puzzle building
Reading (perhaps through the visual arts)
Manipulating images
Writing
Constructing
Understanding charts /graphs
Designing practical objects
Good sense of direction
Interpreting visual images (Kodesia)
Sketching/painting
HOW TEACHERS CAN
ENGAGE VISUAL LEARNERS
Visual Materials: Use of Pictures, Diagrams, Charts,
Sketches, etc.
Encourage note-taking
Highlight important words and ideas
Provide written materials/directions
Use videos
Use the whiteboard
AUDITORY
Learn through listening

Generally good at speaking and presenting

Think in words rather than pictures

Learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things

through and listening to what others have to say

Have auditory skills demonstrated in listening, speaking, writing,

storytelling, explaining, teaching, using humor, understanding the
syntax and meaning of words, remembering information, arguing their
point of view, and analyzing language usage (Kodesia)

(Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic (VAK) learning style model, 2014)

 ENCOURAGE AUDITORY
LEARNERS TO:
Read material aloud

Use verbal analogues or storytelling to demonstrate their point

Use music or rhymes

Recite information to learn

Listen to recordings or audio books

 KINESTHETIC /
TACTILE
What is it and how do we identify it?
Moving, doing, touching

Expression thru movement

Good at balance and hand-eye coordination

Remember and process through interaction with

the space around them

Find it hard to sit for long periods of time and

may become distracted by need for
activity/exploration
(Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, 2011)
How to teach to it
Engage all the senses
Use labs, field trips
Bring in real-life examples
Use a hands on approach
Allow trial and error
Strategies/materials to engage these
students
Get students moving
Play music
Provide different mediums to work with
Have stretch breaks
Provide things to play with/keep hands busy
Help students synthesize lecture notes as
abstract concepts can be challenging (not
concrete or relevant)
Use photos or pictures
(Rolfe & Cheek, 2012)
Activity!
 VAK MODEL & COUNSELING
How is it relevant?

Resource for Teachers

Teachers will use the counselor as a resource for ideas to work with students who are having difficulties on the class .
Identification of a students learning style could provide insight for teachers and the student and possibly lead to
success.
Teacher could be teaching lessons based off of his or her preferred learning style

Counselors Teach Lessons

It is important to integrate the different learning styles into lesson plans in order to engage all students and help them
retain and understand new information

Counselors Help Students Succeed

Counselor can give advice to students on how to study based on their preferred learning style

Understanding learning styles and matching teaching styles, course materials, and methods to students
learning styles allows counselors and teachers to reach all learners. (Bidabadi & Yamat, 2010)
KOLBS EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
MODEL
He said, a persons learning style is a differential preference for learning which changes slightly from
situation to situation. At the same time there is some long-term stability in learning style. (Rolfe, 2012)

2 Continua that lead to 4 styles of learning:

1) Abstract Conceptualization concrete experience
2) Active Experimentation reflective observation

)4 styles of learning
Accommodators: require active involvement in concrete situations; (trial & error)
Divergers: require concrete learning situations & use imagination, reflection, & analysis from varying
viewpoints
Assimilators: thrive in abstract situations, prefer reflection, and choices to single perspective; love to
create theoretical models
Convergers: require active experimentation
(Perusse & Goodnough)
 DUNN & DUNN MODEL
OVERVIEW
Learning Style Elements Model

Heavy focus on how learning is affected by:

1) Environmental Stimuli (sound, light, temperature, and design)

2) Emotional Stimuli (motivation, persistence, responsibility, and structure)

3) Sociological Stimuli (Perception, intake, time, and mobility)

4) Psychological Factors (global/analytical, hemisphericity, and impulse/reflective)

*When learners preferences for these elements are met, the ability to master new/difficult
academic information increases

Example: I prefer low light and a quiet room when I study, whereas another student may
prefer bright light and background noise.
(Perusse & Goodnough)
 FLEMING MODEL OVERVIEW
(VARK)
Neil Fleming: VARK Model (Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, Kinesthetic) (Rolfe, 2012)
Based on senses: We communicate mainly with three senses Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic/Tactile
We all use all three of these, but have preferences and usually a dominant style that will show
through (Barbe & Milone, 1981)
Can be task dependent
For example: An auditory learner may have to use their visual or kinesthetic style when learning
a dance

Observed that we follow a pattern of education that follows VAK (Visual2011)

In elementary school educators tend to present information Kinesthetically
In middle school, visually
And high school, through auditory means
SURVEY
Discussion:
What is your learning style?

Were you surprised by the results?

 RESOURCES
1) Barbe, W., & Milone JR, M. (1981). What we know about modality strengths Educational Leadership, 378-380

2) Bidabadi, F., & Yamat, H. (2010). Learning Style Preferences by Iranian EFL Freshman University Students. Procedia Social
and Behavioral Sciences, 219-226. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.10.031

3) Gholami, S., & Bagheri, M. (2013). Relationship between VAK Learning Styles and Problem Solving Styles regarding Gender
and Students' Fields of Study. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 4(4), 700-706. doi:10.4304/jltr.4.4.700-706

4) Kodesia, S. (Ed.). (n.d.). Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic (VAK) learning style model. Retrieved September 18, 2015, from
http://www.jcu.edu.au/wiledpack/modules/fsl/JCU_090460.html

5) Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory- JCU. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2015, from
http://www.jcu.edu.au/wiledpack/modules/fsl/JCU_090344.html

6) Perusse, R., & Goodnough, G. (2003). Strategies for Academic and Career Development In Leadership, Advocacy, and Direct
Service Strategies for Professional School Counselors (1st ed., pp. 34-41). Brooks Cole.

7) Rolfe, A., Cheek, B. (2012). Learning Styles. InnovAIT, 176-181.

8) VARK Learn Limited. (2015). Retrieved September 17, 2015 from: http://vark-learn.com

9) Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic Learning Styles (2011, July 1). Retrieved September 14, 2015 from:
http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/styles/vakt.html

10) What is visual thinking and visual learning? (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2015, from :
http://www.inspiration.com/visual-learning