Institute/Session Summary:

CRLA’s Position Statement on Rights of Adult Readers and Learners (2003) notes that today’s students in post-secondary institutions are a large yet diverse group with differing goals, styles, skill levels, backgrounds, and experiences. In order to maximize students’ success at the post-secondary level, instruction should incorporate these differences in learning, with the goal of developing independent, responsible, and lifelong learners. It is widely recognized that the more cognizant students are about how they learn—that is, their learning styles—the more they are able to effectively implement reading and learning strategies in the variety of educational settings that they encounter at the college level.

One tool to assess how students learn is the VARK Questionnaire (2006). The VARK is an informal instrument measuring how individuals prefer to take in and give out information via visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic modalities. Results indicate an individuals’ dominant modality according to:

• Visual learners, who rely on spatial images when learning. They learn best when they can “see” information in their mind and often are proficient at identifying relationships among objects and ideas. When learning information, they prefer graphic formats, including the use of color and design.
• Aural learners, who learn best when the “hear” information. They tend to be proficient at listening, verbalizing, and discussing new knowledge. When learning information, they prefer to listen to tapes/CDs and to talk aloud.
• Read/write learners, who prefer learning by reading (texts, handouts, directions) and writing (lists, notes, answers to exams). They often rely on rereading and rewriting information, organizing ideas into statements, and turning illustrations into words.
• Kinesthetic learners, who prefer to learn by “doing.” They rely on sensory feelings and prefer physical activities, such as manipulating objects, dramatizing, and labs or field trips. They favor videos and other medium with real-life scenarios.
• Multimodal learners, who tend to be more flexible and better able to adapt to learning situations. They prefer using multiple strategies when learning information. Between 50-70% of people are multimodal learners. Using results of the VARK, college students can reflect on how they learn, how information is presented to them in their courses, and how they can use this knowledge to enhance their academic success.

Therefore, the VARK Questionnaire is a useful tool for practitioners in the field of college reading and study skills because:

1. It is short, simple, and accessible.
2. It assesses popular and easily applied preferences according to modalities.
3. It focuses on strategies that can lead to success in a college setting, thus is appropriate for college-level reading and study skills courses.

The purpose of this presentation is to: 1) introduce the VARK Questionnaire to participants, and 2) share practical strategies and multiple examples of ways to integrate the VARK into college reading and study skills instruction, including vocabulary acquisition, content-area reading, and learning strategies.

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will:

• Be familiar with the VARK and its assessment of learning modalities (visual, auditory, read/write, kinesthetic, and multi-modal).
• Have an increased understanding of how instructors present information to students and how that relates to students’ learning styles or modalities.
• Realize the need for students to understand how they learn and ways to adapt their dominant learning modality to various learning situations.
• Be able to assist students in determining and understanding how they learn.
• Identify specific instructional activities to use in their courses and institutions.

Participants in this session will take the VARK and will receive information about how to obtain permission for classroom use. The presenters will demonstrate and share information about how they use the VARK in the classroom, including how students can utilize knowledge of learning modalities to enhance their learning in a variety of courses and academic situations. Participants will explore a variety of instructional strategies and will share their experiences and ideas.

This information will be delivered through overheads, handouts, demonstration, and discussion. Participants will take the VARK Questionnaire, experience and receive directions for teaching strategies to use in classrooms, and be engaged in a discussion of how they learn, use of learning modalities, and how this information is applicable to their students.

Materials for the presentation include copies of the VARK, handouts describing scoring and the five types of learning modalities, and handouts describing practical learning strategies that match VARK modalities and that can be used in college reading and study skills courses.

Both presenters have done research and writing on learning styles, including use of the VARK Inventory, and have much experience with classroom applications. Dr. Lipsky trains and supervises peer educators and has addressed the issue of learning styles from both the stand point of the peer educators themselves as well as how they integrate learning styles into their peer-led sessions. Dr. Hamer uses learning styles throughout the semester in both the critical reading and learning strategies courses. 

References:

Angus, K. B. & Greenbaum, J. (2003) Position statement on rights of adult readers and learners. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 33, 122-130.

Fleming, N. D. & Bonwell, C. C. (2006) VARK Questionnaire, version 7.0. Copyright held by Neil D. Fleming, Christchurch, New Zealand and

Charles C. Bonwell, Green Mountain Falls, Colorado 80819 U.S.A.    www.vark-learn.com.

Presenter1 Name: Sally A. Lipsky
Presenter1 Institution: Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Presenter1 Bio: Dr. Sally A. Lipsky is professor in Developmental Studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is coordinator of peer assistance, reading, and study skills programming and teaches freshman module courses.  She is author of the text College Study: The Essential Ingredients and is past-chair of CRLA’s Learning and Study Strategies SIG.

Presenter2 Name: Arden B. Hamer
Presenter2 Institution: Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Presenter2 Bio: Dr. Arden B. Hamer is associate professor in Developmental Studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She teaches critical reading, learning strategies, and freshmen experience programs.  She has co-authored two vocabulary textbooks, Basic College Vocabulary Strategies and Building College Vocabulary Strategies, with Darlene Pabis, Westmoreland County Community College.