VARKLearning Styles Inventory

VARK

What it is

• It is about PREFERENCES

• It is about LEARNING• It is about YOU• Scores indicate how you

learn

What it isn’t

• It isn’t about STRENGTHS

• It isn’t about LEISURE• It isn’t about the

preference of OTHERS• Score doesn’t indicate

how you teach, train, or work

VISUAL

Intake

• Diagrams and Pictures• Videos, Posters and Slides• Flow Charts• Underlining or Highlighting• Reconstruct Images in

different ways• Use different spatial

arrangements• Redraw pages from memory

Output

• Draw things• Use diagrams• Write exam answers• Recall the pictures made

by your pages• Practice turning your

visuals back into words

VISUAL• Replace words with symbols• Look at your pages• Convert lecture notes into picture pages

VISUAL• You want the whole picture so you are probably holistic

rather than reductionist in your approach.. You are often swayed by the look of an object. You are interested in color and layout and design and you know where you are in your environment.  You are probably going to draw something.

AURAL (ORAL)

Intake

• Attend classes• Attend discussions and

tutorials• Discuss topics with your

teachers• Explain new ideas to others• Remember the interesting

examples, stories, jokes• Leave spaces in notes for

later recall

Output

• Imagine talking with the teacher

• Listen to your voices and write them down

• Spend time in quiet places recalling the ideas

• Practice writing answers to old exam questions

• Speak your answers aloud or inside your head

AURAL (ORAL)• Your notes may be poor because you prefer to listen.• You will need to expand your notes• Put your summarized notes onto voice recordings• Ask others to hear your understanding of a topic• Read your summarized notes aloud

AURAL (ORAL)• You prefer to have this page explained to you.

The written words are not as valuable as those you hear.You will probably go and tell somebody about this.

READING/WRITING

Intake

• Lists• Headings• Definitions• Handouts• Textbooks• Reading• Essays

Output

• Write exam answers• Practice multiple choice

questions• Write paragraphs,

beginnings and endings• Write your lists (a,b,c,

1,2,3)• Arrange your words into

hierarchies and points

READ/WRITE• Write out the words again and again• Read your notes (silently) again and again• Rewrite the ideas and principles into other words• Organize any diagrams, graphs into statements• Turn reactions, actions, diagrams into words• Imagine lists arranged in multiple choice questions

READ/WRITE• You like this page because the emphasis is on words and

lists.You believe the meanings are within the words, so any talk is OK but this handout is better.You are heading for the library.

KINESTHETIC

Intake

• Use all your senses• Labs• Field trips• Examples• Hands-on approaches• Trial and error• Collections• Exhibits, Samples, Photos

Output

• Write practice answers• Write paragraphs• Role play the exam

situation

KINESTHETIC• Your lecture notes may be poor because the topics were

not concrete• You will remember the “real” things that happened• Put examples in your summary• Talk about your notes with another person• Use pictures and photos to illustrate an idea• Recall the experiments, field trip

KINESTHETIC• You want to experience the exam so that you can

understand it.The ideas on this page are only valuable if they sound practical, real, and relevant to you.You need to do things to understand.