Understanding how your learners learn, is your success !

 VARK Theory

Probably the easiest to understand and implement in your training programme. This theory is based on the FOUR main learning preferences your learners will have.

VISUAL - learners who would like to see it on the whiteboard, flip charts, walls, graphics, pictures, colour. They are probably your creative students, love using different colours in their workbooks, want to make their pages look pretty etc

AUDITORY - learners who would like to sit back and listen. They don't make a lot of notes

READ/WRITE - learners who need to read the information for themselves and they take a lot of notes

KINESTHETIC - learners who can not sit still for long, like to fiddle with things.They like to be actively involved in their learning.

It is important that you understand your own learning preference as you will be delivering in that preference as well. Click here to find a VARK questionnaire and more info on VARK. If your preferred learning style is visual, you will deliver in a very visual way as that suits you, but does it suit your learners? When planning your session, check that your delivery techniques have covered all of the above preferences otherwise some students are missing out on learning opportunities.

Please note that the VARK model is also known as VAK however many educators prefer to have the R added to the model.

In the Revision section the need for repetition has been explained. On average you will need to repeat information that you want learners to retain at least 6 times. So if you cover all of the above learning preferences you automatically cover the same material 4 times already.

Now have a look at your preferred learning preference and the way you deliver as a facilitator

As a VISUAL Learner  I  prefer	As a AUDITORY Learner, I prefer
to use colourful posters and illustrations to use an OHP or PowerPoint to use the Internet to use video/DVD/Television to use graphics, diagrams, pictures to use a range of different colour pens students to produce posters/brochures Don't like using workbooks or organise any practical experiencing by the students as it is all nicely displayed around the room.	to use my voice to explain things to use a lot of group discussion to use role play activities to tell stories and jokes to use music in the training room to have learners do presentations verbal revision Why organise a lot of paper work as it is just as easy to discuss every thing with the students.
As a READ/WRITE Learner, I prefer	As a KINESTHETIC Learner, I prefer
to read from workbooks to provide handouts to give written activities to do to write important words on whiteboard to have closed book tests written tests/exams/quizzes All the information is in the book, so no need to arrange extra activities or create diagrams etc.	students to experience for themselves to use stories and metaphors to make students do all the work the spend little time behind the desk to use up beat music in the room to demonstrate open book tests Why spend type reading and writing while students learn so much more by experiencing.

Hopefully, you have identified yourself.  Now of course it is possible that you are strong in more than ONE learning preference. This is called Multi Modal and your students can be multi modal as well.

But now imagine that you have a very strong Kinesthetic preference and your class preference is 80% Read/Write. How do you think you feel if none of the students like to get involved in your practical delivery? You probably call the students boring while the students dislike coming to your class because they have to do all these activities, while all they want to do is read the book and write an essay!I

f you have done the VARK test today, I encourage you to do it again in 6 months time. Most trainers preferences seem to shift as they learn to appreciate the other learning preferences, especially if you were very strong in just one, you will find as you start getting better at incorporating all 4 that you become more Multi Modal. What ever you are, be assured there is no good or bad preference. It is an awareness that will help you with your delivery and ultimately your classroom management.

Training room application

For the VISUAL Learners , I need to	For the AUDITORY Learners , I need to
use lots of colour provide interactive handouts draw diagrams, pictures, flow charts ask students to create posters and charts use visual aids like DVD, OHP use photographs etc for illustration use mind maps	explain everything verbally provide class discussion time organise group discussions provide group work activities do group presentations Think-Pair-Share brainstorm with groups read from the workbook
For the READ/WRITE Learners, I need to	For the KINESTHETIC Learners, I need to
allow students to read from the book use the whiteboard a lot use written case studies ask students to write journals/essays do written quizzes do written revision make written logical lists	provide role play activities use three dimensional models have fiddly toys on tables have "get of your seat" activities use up-beat music during activities have learners prepare presentations

From the above table you will find that one activity could cater for different learners at the same time. The small group activity could be: read page 10-20, create a poster summarising the contents and present to the class.

• Visual - create the poster- they probably do all the creative stuff, and want to use lots of colour
• Auditory - need to listen as ideas are put forward as to what to put on the poster. Will listen to the presentation
• Read/Write - will actually read the pages and feedback to the rest of the group. Will want to do the writing on the poster
• Kinesthetic - will put the presentation together and want to make it fun

Sumit Tripathi

Trainer

ACF-SEDI

Jaitaran ( Raj )