VARK for Teachers

I attended a roundtable discussion on the learning styles tool VARK led by Megan Way-Nicholson, Professor, Human Studies and Applied Arts, St. Lawrence College of Applied Arts and Technology, Ontario at the League Conference in Denver March 3, 2008.
VARK stands for the four categories of learners: Visual, Aural, Read/Write or Kinesthetic. Megan prefers VARK because it is less about personality and more about "how learners prefer to use their senses to learn." She provided us with the VARK Questionnaire that she uses for students in her criminal justice classes. She also had participants take the VARK and walked us through how to score the VARK. Megan does not share the VARK scores with other students but in discussion another participant pointed out the advantages in a class she was taking of knowing each other's learning styles in a class. This helps students understand each other as well as helping the teacher know how to work with students based on the number of learning styles in the classroom.
I thought the following was useful from one of the handouts (source: http://vark-learn.com/english/index.asp): "Using VARK Results to Study More Effectively:"

• If you have a visual learning preference, underline or highlight your notes, use symbols, charts, or graphs to displlay your notes, use different arrangements of words ont he page, and redraw your pages from memory.
• If y ou are an aural learner, talk with others to verify the accuracy of your lecture notes. Put your notes on tape and listen or tape class lectures. Read your notes out loud; ask yourself questions and speak your answers.
• If you have a read/write learning preference, write and rewrite your notes, and read your notes silently. Organize diagrams or flow charts into statements, and write imaginary exam questions and speak your answers.
• If you are a kinesthetic learner, you will need to use all your seneses in learning--sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing. Supplement your notes with real-world examples; move and gesture while youa re reading or speaking your notes.

Megan pointed out that she waits until week three of a 15 week semester to administer the VARK. It takes about one hour. She has found it to be very effective in achieving her course objectives. She had several anecdotes of students who continue to stay in touch with her and mention the impact of knowing their learning style on other aspects of their lives. It's good stuff.