Learning styles and methods differ from one person to another, as we cannot imagine how some of us think and what are good learning styles for him, but with the development of psychology there was the emergence of certain learning styles divided and arranged, that can be exploited in the educational process, whether school, academic or practical Here, we will explain to you the most important learning styles, so follow the following article with us.

What is meant by learning styles?

Learning styles or different learning methods mean the best way in which a person receives information and is able to understand and assimilate it, as each person has a preferred way in which he likes to receive information in order to understand and understand it, and since people vary in their strengths and weaknesses in their mental abilities, it was necessary There should be different styles and methods of learning to suit all personalities.

And with the advent of theories of learning styles, these succeeded greatly, especially because these styles and theories will help students to learn better if they are taught according to their preferred educational style. Indeed, more than one educational system has been developed to suit these patterns, according to some students’ questionnaires.

What is the vark model of learning styles?

Learning styles and styles occupied a large part of the thinking of scientists in psychology, in order to come up with the best ways to teach different people, hence the innovation of the “vark” model for learning styles, at the hands of a New Zealand professor called “Neil Fleming”, through this model he wanted to explain the different methods by which students learn, and it is considered one of the most popular learning models to date.

This model includes four basic styles of learning, which are suitable for a large group of people, whether students or employees, and other groups whose lives depend on learning and gaining experiences. These patterns are:

• visual learning.
• Auditory learning.
• Sensory or motor learning.
• Learning by reading and writing

How do you define your preferred learning style?

Indeed, there is a method developed by “Neil Fleming” to explain to the learner what type he is, what is his preferred educational style, and how is his ability to understand and absorb information? This is done through a self-report or questionnaire, with a set of different questions and situations, and according to the person’s answer to these questions, his learning style is determined.

For example, you may find a question about ways and how to perform any new skill, be it cycling. The questions are about any pattern or method you would like to learn this skill with, and the results are satisfactory and encouraging for you, are:

• Would you love to see a group of pictures of people doing this same skill and how they do it? visual style.
• Would you love to hear a lecture or a specialist explain how this skill can be done? auditory pattern.
• Would you love to read about this skill in some books and how to master it? Reading and writing style.
• Or would you love to watch someone else perform this skill in front of you and try it yourself? Sensory style.

Learning styles according to the “vark” model.

According to the “vark” model, learning patterns can be explained as follows.

Learning style by seeing “Visual Learners”

This style is in which people depend on visual learning through looking and seeing, by showing them graphics, whether graphs, charts or illustrations, in addition to video clips, all of which are considered one of the most important tools used for the visual learner in order to perceive and understand information. Also, these people have a great ability to visualize and imagine.

If you belong to this style and believe that you are a visual learner, try to answer these questions and keep them in mind:

• Is aesthetics as important to you as the various arts?
• Does just imagining information in the form of pictures and graphics in your mind make you learn and remember it better?
• Is it better for you to see the information in order to have the ability to remember it?
• Do you have interest in body language?

If you answered these questions, or most of them, yes, then you may really be a visual learner, and this will help you understand and gain information and experiences afterwards by relying on pictures, charts, animations, and graphs while you learn something new. These questions will also help education officials to understand the student in front of them and the best ways to communicate information to him.

Aural learners style

During this style, the person prefers the auditory method in learning anything new, as they learn and receive information better by listening to it, so you find that they have the skill of attending lectures and remembering the information that was said in them well.

If you think you are an auditory learner, answer these questions and keep them in mind:

• Are you trying to create songs with information, to help you remember them?
• Do you remember information better if you read it out loud?
• Do you prefer to listen to lessons and lectures instead of reading them in books?
• Do you like to listen to recordings of lectures instead of reviewing information and notes for the lesson?

Answering yes to all or most of these questions shows that you follow the auditory learning style, so audio books and recorded information may be better for you if you learn anything new after that.

Reading and Writing Learners

Children of this style rely on reading and writing to perceive, understand and remember information, as they prefer to take information through texts and words, so if you think that you are literate, try to answer these questions:

• Do you prefer to create presentations and prefer to read and make lists?
• Do you like to take your own notes during explanations and while reading books?
• Do you prefer reading textbooks or external books as the best way to receive information?

If your answer is yes, then you really prefer this style and it is the most appropriate for you while learning a new thing or skill, so you have to write down all the information well and organized so that you can understand, learn and remember it as well.

Kinesthetic Learners

During this style, learners prefer that the acquisition of information be about the method of movement or the sensory touch of things, and practical experience helps them to receive information better and faster. If you think that you are a kinesthetic or sensory learner, ask these questions to yourself:

• Are you good at applied activities such as sports, drawing, cooking and other sensory skills?
• Do you like to carry out your tasks by directly dealing with materials, objects and information?
• Do you like to practice and try a new skill or thing first in order to learn it better?
• Do you find it difficult to sit still for long periods of time?

If your answer is yes, then you are a first-class kinesthetic learner, so try to use the applied method while learning or acquiring new information or skill.

Criticisms of learning styles models

Although learning styles took a lot of research and study due to their importance in the educational process, the “vark” model has been questioned with other learning styles theories, because they divide students according to one learning style and a specific learning style for each of them, and this may Be a major obstacle in the face of students or others in front of learning.

Because some students or people seeking to learn something new or new information may have their own learning patterns that combine two patterns, for example, of learning patterns such as visual and auditory learning together equally, and sometimes more than two patterns.

That is why they questioned this “vark” model despite its wide spread and criticism since it began to be relied upon and applied, and the tools and questions that were developed to determine a person’s learning style were also subject to doubt and criticism. They said that the effect of this model is very little or no on the results of the educational process, but it remains the most famous and attractive model for learning styles.