VARK ANAYLISIS PAGE 1

VARK Questionnaire: How Do I Learn Best
Darla J. Wilson
Grand Canyon University NRS-429V Family Centered Health
11/30/2013

VARK Analysis Paper 2 The results from the VARK Questionnaire reported my learning style as “multimodal”. (VARK 2013). The results were surprising at first. After reading through the helps sheets and obtained more information, the learning style began to fit my learning style quite perfectly. My scores were: Visual=8, Aural=12, Read/Write = 13, and Kinesthetic=8. Although the scores are quite close, the majority of points scored were Aural and Read/Write. My family and I would say this is quite true as I prefer to attend classes and listen to seminars and tutorials online. In my past college experience I would record my classes, read my texts, listen to the lecture and take notes and then rewrite those notes while adding interesting ideas pertaining to the notes and listening to the lecture again. I home schooled my children for nine years and although I tried to teach each child according to their learning style I could not help by highlight and draw diagrams or even rewrite the questions to help them understand. The children were not pleased with my long explanations and diagrams. The children wanted the facts, not my long version. The multimodal learning style fits me quite well as a use many of the strategies under each learning style to help accomplish the learning goals. Learning is easiest when there are many different modes used to teach. I find that I get bored and lose concentration on the subject if I do not actively participating by taking notes or drawing diagrams. It is surprising that my visual score was not higher. Learning is quite easy and sticks when I can picture the procedure in my mind and perform the procedure in my mind. I can recall information best when I see it. According to Neil Fleming, Learning Styles Again: VARKing up the right tree (November 2006), VARK is meant to help people think about their learning style and give them ways to learn that they may not have thought of previously. He also states, “VARK tells you about how you like to

VARK Analysis Paper 3 communicate. It tells you nothing about the quality of that communication”. By knowing how one likes to communicate, one can be more articulate in communication and learning. The Learning styles described in the acronym VARK are V=Visual, A=Aural, R=Read/Write, and K=Kinesthetic. As I compare learning styles described in the study strategies for each of the above styles, I can identify many similarities in my learning and study habits. Learning is more than just taking in information and being able to retain it and spit it back out. According to an article by Dr. Bob Kizlik (August 12, 2013), learning is about communication and there are three parts: Conditions (describes the conditions in which the behavior will be performed). Behavior Verb (the action that can be observed in student behavior). Criteria (How well the student performs the behavior). Learning style depends on the atmosphere in which it is being taught as well as the subject that is being taught. My learning style for learning a new procedure would be more visual and kinesthetic. Being able to participate and demonstrate as well as see a demonstration is the best way for me to learn an action skill. On the other hand, if there is much information that needs to be learned such as, definitions, I