We humans are similar in many aspects yet differ greatly from each other. These individual differences point toward the behavioral, psychological and cognitive variations that set us apart from one another. Talking from an academic perspective, we all sense, interpret and make meaning out of things differently. Therefore, psychologists have identified some learning styles that distinguish a person’s learning capabilities from others’.
Learning Styles
Four major learning styles have been identified by psychologists, famously abbreviated as the “VARK Model”.
VARK stands for:
- Visual Learning
- Auditory Learning
- Reading/Writing Learning
- Kinesthetic Learning
Visual Learning
Visual learning is mostly concerned with the sense of vision i.e., seeing around. Visual learners tend to gain a major part of their learning through observing the phenomenon around them. Most commonly, they make use of pictures, diagrams and other written material to gain knowledge. This type of learning style is also called spatial learning. Such learners might draw, make lists or take notes in order to interact with and process information. If you love making notes in class in order to store information, you might be one of the visual or spatial learners.
Auditory Learning
Auditory learning, as the name implies, majorly involves the sense of hearing. Auditory learners make use of the sounds in their environment to gain knowledge. They make most of the information sense by listening to the lecture or hearing a recording instead of relying on note-taking. They tend to speak their thoughts out loud in order to grasp a concept more tightly and are also among the most talkative and participatory students in the class. If you are more inclined towards repeating what the teacher has said and reading the material out loud to make better sense then you are an auditory learner.
Reading/Writing Learning
Most often confused with visual learning, reading/writing learning is commonly involved with using the written word to gain knowledge. Such learners express themselves better through writing. They are fond of reading books and other material and have excellent writing skills. They are more likely to score better in subjective-type questions due to their sentence structure and written sense-making. If you desire more reading material and strive to gain knowledge from the written content, you are a reading/writing learner.
Kinesthetic Learning
Also referred to as tactile learning, kinesthetic learning involves learning through experience and by doing certain things, instead of just reading them out or writing them down. Such learners make use of their hands and bodies as learning tools to make most of the sense around them. They are also most likely to act out certain events or phenomena and make use of their hands while talking. If you are a good athlete, you might even be a kinesthetic learner because this category of learners is quite skilled at following the directions of a game using their body.
Why Identify Your Learning Style?
Identifying your learning styles helps you understand how you are better able to gain knowledge and learn new things. This in turn aids you in your potential knowledge creation and understanding yourself better to help retain information in an improved manner.
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