Is Your Learning Style Right For Online Learning?

Written By Abena Sey

August 12, 2020

You will feel like an empowered learner when you are aware of your preferred learning style.  Knowing the strategies that help you best learn puts you at an advantage for achieving academic success.  With this knowledge, you will be able to incorporate study habits and routines based on your preferred learning style to help you study efficiently and increase your comprehension of the content.  Do you know your preferred learning style?  

The 4 Learning Styles 

Coined by Neil D. Fleming and Coleen E. Mills, VARK is an acronym used to represent students’ learning styles.  VARK stands for visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic.  

How do students best learn in each learning style?

Visual Learners

If you are a visual learner, you learn best when information is presented through visuals, graphics, or symbols.  You prefer charts and diagrams.  You gain the most understanding when instruction contains visuals as a summary of the information.

Auditory Learners

If your preferred learning style is auditory, you learn best when the information is presented vocally.  You focus solely on listening, and if you are required to take notes, it breaks your concentration to listen.  You benefit from cooperative learning experiences in which you are asked to vocalize the course content.  Reading aloud is an effective study strategy for you.

Reading/Writing Learners

If you are a reading/writing learner, you learn best when information is written.  Note taking is essential for meeting your learning needs.

Kinesthetic Learners

As a kinesthetic learner, you need hands-on participation to meet your learning needs. Skills-based instructional training is most engaging to you.  You also thrive in scientific subjects with lab components.  Study strategies, such as using flashcards, are helpful to you.

Still unsure of your preferred learning style?

**You can take The VARK Questionnaire to find your preferred learning style.  While some learners demonstrate a combination of learning styles, you may have a stronger preference for one over the other.  Take this helpful quiz to get clarity on this.  As I mentioned above, you will feel empowered when you know how you learn best, and with this knowledge you can achieve academic success.

considerations, Education, efficiency, goal setting, Graduate School, instructional design, learning, Online Learning, planning, productivity, skill building, strategy, twenty-first-century, Virtual Classroom, learning style, learning needs, VARKSey Education Solutionsonline learning success, online learning, learning styles, VARK, visual learner, auditory learner, reading/writing learner, kinesthetic learner, teaching strategies, differentiated instruction, empowerment, preferred learning styleComment