An Opinion on ‘Which Learning Style Works for You?’

That there are four predominant ways in which students might learn, is a well known theory in the education sector. This, however is not to say that a student will be completely incapable of making sense of the concepts if they were to be instructed in a manner not suited to their learning styles. Students might learn in, varying degrees, in either of the four ways- visual, auditory, reading/writing (abbreviated as VARK) but every student has one predominant learning style through which their learning is most effective.

To understand this, let us take the example of one of the most common algebraic identity, (a+b)^2 = a2 + b2 + 2ab. Even if a teacher simply repeats this identity to the class, students would certainly be able to identify it on seeing. However while there might be students who will have it committed to their memory just from hearing, there might be others who will be able to remember this better and easily if they see it written down on the board or on their notebooks. There might be still others who will need to be reminded again and again till they don’t practice it by means of say, some lego blocks.

And it is important for an effective learning experience for all students in the classroom, that there be means catering to all the learning styles. While micro-learning, whereby larger lessons are taught using short, manageable audiovisuals, can be used for the visual learner, hands-on activities and labs can be a good way to engage the kinaesthetic learner. Audio clips on concepts being taught can aid the auditory learner and clear, but informative word maps can assist the students with reading/writing learning styles. A teacher must ensure that the resources they employ in the classroom should be of a diverse nature and accommodate the needs of all kinds of learners.

To read the article on which the opinion piece is based, click http://www.edudemic.com/learning-styles/