VAK Learning Styles

When carrying out training and development sessions for the employees in an organization, it is important to identify which learning style the learners will utilize the best to grasp the information. Learner’s experience related to the scope of work, intelligence and personality drive him towards a prominent leadership style within him (Sreenidhi and Chinyi, 2017).  We discussed about some learning styles in the earlier post and now we will discuss about another group of Learning styles which are very common among all age groups and all fields of professions. 

Neil Fleming introduced “VAK Learning styles” which describes another group of how learners absorb the information and process (Cherry,2019). VAK is an acronym for Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic. These styles use the main sensors in human body to gather information. Shreenidhi and Chinyi (2017) also says that even most people have a blend of all 3 learning styles where one style can have a stronger influence or all the blended styles have equally shared properties. Fayombo (2015) says that learners with a blend of learning styles from the 3 mediums in VAK are the ones who achieves the highest achievements in their learning programmes. Hence, he further iterates that it is important for the trainer to identify the significant learning styles of the learners at the beginning of the training programme and to compose his training accordingly.

Figure 1: VAK Learning Styles

(Whitfield,2019)

According to Sreenidhi & Chinyi (2017) and Moayyeri (2015), a brief description of the VAK components and it’s characteristics can be laid down as follows.

• Visual – Note things down and keep the notes displayed around the workplace
- Sits in the front rows of the classroom so they can clearly see the trainer and the board         so they can copy what’s there easily
- Use mind-mapping to remember vast details 
- Use highlighters, videos to study
- Scores well in essays, mapping, describing processes 

• Auditory – Prefers listening to recordings of the trainings over reading notes
- Eagerly take part in discussions and ask questions
- Repetition and read out loud
- Put information into mnemonics to remember information.
- Scores well in writing, questions in lectures and oral examinations

• Kinaesthetic -  Like to create models for principles
- Practice techniques
- Participates in hands-on activities and simulations
- Scores well in MCQs and fill in the blanks

Vaishnav (2013), upon his research says that out of his subject participants, 33.5% are more towards Visual style, 28.5% are towards Auditory style and the majority, a 38% are prominent in Kinaesthetic style. However, it is important to an organisation that the trainings conducted for the employees should be compiled in a way that the group of learners will have the maximum absorption out of it. Hence, understanding the preferred learning style among the learner group is important to reap high productivity from the training programme. Fayombo (2014) highlights that factors such as gender, age, level and mode of study needs to be considered when selecting the learning strategies to achieve the desired outcome.

In the organisation I’m employed in, which is a leading airline in the country, the Aircraft Maintenance Department has identified these learning styles and have a fair share on all 3 learning styles incorporated in the training programmes. Each training session will use one prominent training style with a blend of the rest. The Aircraft Type training comprises of the Theoretical and Practical elements which includes classroom training (Visual), referring to various manuals (Visual & Auditory), hands on experience on aircrafts (Kineasthetic), ACT ( Airbus Competence Training) trainer sessions (Visual, Auditory & Kineasthetic). 

Figure 2: Use of Airbus ACT Trainer

(Airbus, 2015)

Click here to check which type of Learning Style suits you in your organisation (Anon, 2019)

<https://www.businessballs.com/self-awareness/vak-learning-styles-self-test/> 


References 

Anon (2019) VAK Learning Styles, Business Balls [Online]. Available at <https://www.businessballs.com/self-awareness/vak-learning-styles-self-test/> . [Accessed on 12 September 2019].  

Airbus (2015) Simulation Maintenance Avion, Airbus SAS [Online]. Available at <http://www.lyceeairbus.com/simulation-maintenance-avion/>. [Accessed on 16 September 2019]. 

Cherry, K. (2019) Overview of VARK Learning Styles- Which Learning Style Do You Have? Very well mind [Online]. Available at <https://www.verywellmind.com/vark-learning-styles-2795156>, [Accessed on 25 September 2019].

Fayombo, G. (2014) Enhancing Learning Outcomes in Psychology through Active Learning Strategies in Classroom and Online Learning Environments, International Journal of Learning & Development, 4(3), pp. 114-130.

Fayombo, G. (2015) Learning Styles, Teaching Strategies and Academic Achievement among some Psychology Undergraduates in Barbados, Caribbean Educational Research Journal, 3(2), pp. 46-61.

Franklin, S. (2006) VAKing out learning styles – why the notion of ‘learning styles’ is unhelpful to teachers, International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early years Education, 34(1), pp. 3-13.

Moayyeri, H. (2015) The Impact of Undergraduate Students’ Learning Preferences (VARK Model) on Their Language Achievement, Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 6(1), pp. 132-139.

Sreenidhi, S. K., Chinyi, H. T.(2017) Styles of Learning Based on the Research of Fernald, Keller, Orton, Gillingham, Stillman, Montessori and Neil D Fleming, International Journal for Innovative Research in Multidisciplinary Field, 3(4), pp. 17-25.

Vaishnav, R. S. (2013) Learning Styles and Academic Achievements of Secondary School Students, Voice of Research, 1(4), pp.1-4.

Whitefield. G. (2019) Upon this rock I will build my Instructional Design, GP Strategies [Online]. Available at https://www.gpstrategiesltd.com/learning-lab/upon-this-rock_5.shtml . [Accessed on 15 September 2019].