Reimagining Student Learning Styles

Teaching today's students for today's society

Photo Credit: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Issue #387 Education Wednesday, September 27, 2023

I completed my two degrees in education so long ago that I don't remember if I was taught about "learning styles." I do know that I always knew that my middle and high school students were primarily either visual learners or auditory learners.

I also knew that the American education system was slanted towards visual learners, and students who were not visual learners were at a disadvantage.

I was a visual learner. I learned to read at a very early age, and putting my thoughts into written form was easy for me as well. Unfortunately, many other students did not learn well that way.

One of my saddest days as a teacher was when I tried to help one of my 10th students, who was an auditory learner, pass the dreaded standardized test. I knew that he could tell me everything that was discussed in class, but he was not a good reader or writer.

We met with the principal and I begged her to let me read the questions and multiple-choice answers to my student. I knew that if he took the test orally, he'd pass. She was sitting right there and I promised her that she could watch me fill in the little circle however the student answered. The principal told me that was "not the way it's done" and my student failed the test.

The "learning style" theory has been around for a very long time, but

in 1987, developed the acronym, VARK, which stands for visual, auditory, reading, and kinesthetic:

• Visual learner (movie, pictures, graphs)

• Auditory learner (music, discussion, lectures)

• Reading and writing learner (making lists, reading textbooks, taking notes)

• Kinesthetic learner (experiments, hands-on activities)

I guess today I would have been a "reading and writing learner."

As much as the "VARK" theory has been incorporated in many classrooms, it is becoming increasingly evident that most students learn best with a combination of learning styles instead of being labeled as one type of learner.

There are several additional teaching styles that can help as many students as possible in the classroom:

• Building on the student's prior knowledge.

• Teaching the students to think about "thinking," including reflecting on personal habits.

• Incorporating group work or social learning: Much better than keeping students in straight rows by allowing them to learn in groups and adjusting the classroom environment to be more social. I really loved teaching this way. My students understood that different people learned in different ways, and by cooperating and helping each other, they all learned more and better.

• Applying knowledge in new and different contexts. The students often don't even realize they're doing this, but it is quite successful.

By understanding and applying the various types of teaching and learning, teachers can help all of their students develop skills in all areas, becoming more successful and more well-rounded learners.

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