Facilitating Learing: Using VARK to Assess Learning Styles

12/9/2013

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Facilitating Learing: Using VARK to Assess Learning Styles Melissa S. Medina, Ed.D. Presidential Professor & Assistant Dean of Evaluation & Assessment OUHSC College of Pharmacy

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Learning Styles Workshop

Melissa S. Medina, Ed.D. Presidential Professor & Assistant Dean of Evaluation & Assessment

OUHSC College of Pharmacy

Education Grand Rounds

September 20, 2013

12/9/2013

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Objectives

1. Identify your learning style preference using

the VARK 1. http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire

2. Describe the 4 VARK learning styles

3. Predict your students’ learning styles

4. Explore how to adapt learning materials to fit

students’ learning style preferences

Learning Style Importance

1. Understand learning (self and students)

We all have preferences for learning

• Although all benefit from learning using diverse

strategies

• Know your style because you will teach to it

• But must understand students preferences to help

them learn best

• Need to be aware of students’ preferences match

or mismatch with our preference

Need to accommodate differences

http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire



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Learning Question

• How do your students learn best?

• How do you learn best?

Learning Styles Definition

• Focus is on Preferences

• Way we choose or approach a learning

situation (Cassidy, 2004).

• Way we perceive, organize, process, and

remember information (Beebe, Mottet,

Roach, 2004).

• One measurement tool is VARK (others)

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VARK

• Preferences for communication modes

• V = visual

• A = aural/oral (auditory)

• R = read/write

• K = kinesthetic (experience & practice)

VARK intellectual property is used by permission of copyright holders.

Copyright Version 7.0 (2006) held by Neil D. Fleming, Christchurch, New

Zealand andCharles C. Bonwell, Green Mountain Falls, Colorado 80819 U.S.A.

What is your Dominant Style?

A. Visual

B. Auditory

C. Read/Write

D. Kinesthetic

Visual

Auditory

Read/W

rite

Kinest

hetic

25% 25%25%25%

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Are you Uni or Multimodal?

A. Uni-modal

B. Multi-modal

Uni-modal

Multi

-modal

50%50%

What do VARK Results Show?

VARK M JD MF KL BI SP DS MS RT JV CY

Visual 11 2 0 10 5 5 1 2 1 9 3

Aural 4 8 5 4 7 0 3 5 2 7 3

Read/

Write

3 10 9 5 10 0 10 2 12 12 12

Kines-

thetic

8 4 2 10 6 11 2 7 1 9 4

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VARK Interpretation

• Different learning preferences revealed

Results vary among our group

Uni-modal vs. multi-modal

Preference are not strengths

Change over time

• Influences how you teach or facilitate

Reflects your learning preference

Demonstrates need to teach material in

different ways

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Pashler H, McDaniel M, Rohrer D, Bjork R. Learning styles: concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2009; 9(3): 105-119. http://www.psychologicalscience.org/journals/pspi/PSPI_9_3.pdf


http://www.psychologicalscience.org/journals/pspi/PSPI_9_3.pdf


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VARK Styles Description

Understanding your style

Helping your students learn

Recall a time when you lectured

or presented information to

others



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Visual

Prefer a detailed diagram

Reflect on your most recent lecture

How many used slides

A. Yes

B. No

Yes No

50%50%

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How many talked majority of time?

A. Yes

B. No

Yes No

50%50%


How many explained big picture?

A. Yes

B. No

Yes No

50%50%

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Visual Style Questions

1. How many explain how components of talk fit together?

Overview slide

Need to see how pieces fit together

2. How many used slides

Did you use slides with pictures?

Need to visualize information as graph or picture

3. How many talked entire lecture?

Become impatient with extensive listening

1. Like multiple

formats:

•charts,

•worksheets,

•notes

2. Like

objectives

and concept

maps

3. Include

pictures or

tables in

notes

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Reflection Questions

• If you have visual preference

Do descriptions resonate with you?

• Provide an example


Auditory

You prefer to have this explained to you.

Written words not as valuable as those you hear.

You will probably go and tell somebody about this.

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Auditory Learners Preferences

• Learn through hearing and speaking

• Most common in post-secondary classrooms

• Skill & achievement-oriented

• Memorize well

• Clarify learning through articulation

• Learn from hearing others speak

• Written info means more when heard

Auditory Information Intake Tips

• Traditional lecture

Attend class, discussion groups

• Discuss topics with others

• Record lectures

• Remember interesting stories, examples

• Describe the diagrams or pictures

• Meet with instructor

• Phrase information several different ways

• Use mnemonics or jingles

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• If you have auditory preference


Discuss your own learning examples

Have I accommodated your preference?

• Telling information


Read/Write

Like to read about it

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Read/Write Learners Preferences

• Learn through words and lists

• Like reading information

Handout/text books/lab manuals

• Like handouts

Handouts and notes (often verbatim)

Lists with headings

Dictionaries/glossaries/definitions

• Write lists

• Write or read notes again and again

• Rewrite ideas and principles into other words.

• Interpret diagrams, graphs ... into statements,

e.g. "The trend is..."

Turn reactions, actions, diagrams, charts and flows

into words

Read/Write Studying Tips

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• If you have read/write preference




• Handout


Kinesthetic

You need to do/try things to understand

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Kinesthetic Preferences

• Use all senses to learn

• Like laboratories, field trips, exhibits

• Like lecturers who give real-life examples,

applications, hands-on approaches

• Most neglected at post-secondary levels

• Need opportunities for creative, hands-on

learning; interactions with concrete materials

Kinesthetic Studying Tips

• Remember "real" things that happened

• Put examples into summary

• Use case studies and applications to help with

principles and abstract concepts

• Do an activity about the content

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Kinesthetic Teaching

• Experiential learning activities: labs,

modules, educational games

• Simulations (interact with/apply concepts)

• Interaction via technology: audio, video,

computers

• Demonstrations/ role play/ case studies


• If you have kinesthetic preference




• Taking VARK

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Summary

Accommodating Differences • All have variety of learning preferences

• People learn best when material is presented in

a variety of ways

And when they study in a variety of ways

• One way to measure is VARK

Visual, Auditory, Read/write, Kinesthetic

• As a teacher, explore how well you present

information in a variety of formats

encourage students to learn using variety

Learning Styles Workshop

Melissa S. Medina, Ed.D. Presidential Professor & Assistant Dean of Evaluation & Assessment

OUHSC College of Pharmacy

Education Grand Rounds

September 20, 2013

Documents

Facilitating Learing: Using VARK to Assess Learning Styles