VAKR Learning Styles: Exploring Model, Criticisms & Effectiveness

This essay delves into the VARK model, a popular framework for understanding learning styles. It discusses the four primary learning styles within the model: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and reading/writing, detailing how each style processes and retains information differently. The essay explores the characteristics and strategies associated with each style, such as using diagrams for visual learners, verbal discussions for auditory learners, hands-on activities for kinesthetic learners, and written assignments for reading/writing learners. Furthermore, the essay critically examines the VARK model, highlighting its limitations, such as oversimplification, lack of empirical evidence, and potential hindrance to self-directed learning. It concludes that while the VARK model can offer insights into individual learning preferences, its restrictive nature and lack of validation warrant caution in its application.

INDIVIDUAL ESSAY

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Discussing four learning styles included in the VAKR model....................................................3
Explaining some criticisms of VAKR model .............................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Learning comprises acquiring knowledges for understanding various skills, beliefs,
attitudes, skills. This is being acquires by various individuals for improving day to day lives.
This is being regarded as the process. Learning aids various individuals for better understanding
of various topics and develops abilities through knowledges which aims for achieving desired
goals. Earning for individuals are very important assist helps in increasing income and provides
various opportunities to individuals for grasping better career options. Effectively learning assist
in increasing confidence and motivating individuals for achieving the desired goals. Learning
styles are those which is being adapted by various individuals for retaining and remembering the
information being communicated to them. This essay will provide details relating to four
learning styles included in VARK model, also explaining some criticisms of the VAKR model.
MAIN BODY
Discussing four learning styles included in the VAKR model
Learning styles are popularly being considered and adopted by various individuals as it is
regarded as the way for retaining and remembering information. VAKR model helps in learning
effectively to visual learner as it uses various charts, diagram, maps, tables and graphs which
helps in remembering concept of topics to various individuals. The VAKR model helps in
emphasizing mainly about the learners are of four types. Visually, visual learners are those
individuals who prefer learning information through seeing of graphs, diagrams, charts, maps,
photos, also various pattens and shapes will helps in learning and predicting about the
information being communicated (Alkooheji and Al-Hattami, 2018). These tool will help an
individual in learning and understanding the information being communicated in classroom
through teachers or other individuals.
These learners mainly prefer learning about various topics and concepts by visually
seeing it. This earning style will helps in better learning and retaining information. the students
using this style for learning will prefer strong bright colours and drawing various diagrams for
remembering information of content being communicated in classroom. For visual learning it is
better to use sketch notes which helps in attaining and generating more meaning to the content.
Also, colour coded notes can be used for making more effective information to visual learners.

Furthermore, Auditory learners are those which learns and understands information by hearing
and listening properly. These learners mainly focus on tone and gather input of information by
listening it carefully. This learner mainly prefer for retaining words, reading aloud will helps in
building better experience of learning. main characteristic of aural learning style mainly includes
these learners aids in acquiring good speaking and listening skills, also aids in recalling
information (Li and Alduais, 2018). Various strategies can be used for adopting this learning
style effectively includes verbal directions, participating in frequently group discussion, also
reading aloud talking and solving for problems. These learners listens lectures properly instead
of taking notes of various topics being communicated. Remembering various songs while
listening will helps in learning affectively in the classroom. By adopting this learning style will
helps in reducing the visual approach of learning for retaining information, this style helps in
better communicating skills by discussing on various issues being arise from topics being
communicated in classroom. Kinesthetic learning style aids individuals for learning by doing
practically by touching things (Understanding VARK, 2022). Experiencing practically by doing
things on own will aids in learning effective and tends to create better understanding of
information and concepts. Students adopting this learning style will aids in creating and making
content by using posters or in the form of charts.
As for instance students while learning practical computer subjects, various concepts of
using systems and applying the knowledge will be done practically by learning an experiencing
on their own. Until the students does not get practical knowledge of using the computer software.
This learning styles aims at imposing and acquiring new knowledges by individuals. Various
strategies can be adapted for learning and adopting this style by students as engaging student in
role-play, dancing activities, dramas, field trips, practically performing of various task for instant
learning and doing practical experience for the concept or knowledge which is to be
communicated to various students. Various cooperative activities must be organised in the
classroom for students in order to provide specific knowledge and feedback to students which
aims at increasing participation in different activities which is being organized in class with team
working (Sharma and Wadhwa, 2018). Also various visits for performing projects must be
organized in order to provide and adopt this style of learning by the students .
Furthermore, Reading and writing learning style emphasises on writing information in
written form by using various colour pens . By adopting this learning style, students will aims at

for performing and submitting various assignments in written forms also in notes. This style is
adopted for understanding and learning certain lesson of various topics. Various diagrams ,
charts can be used in written statements for specifying about various topics which is being given
in assignments. By using and making various presentation is being done by reading and writing
learners as this will aids in better understanding of information. As the learner adopting this style
will read an write the information being communicated or dictate in classrooms. Detailed notes
specifies for learning better way (What are VARK Learning Styles?, 2022). Student adopting this
style learns from various boos, notes. Various handouts, essay writing, assignments for topics,
story writing on various topics will helps in maintaining and easy learning approach for reading
and writing learners which aids in remembering important information.
Explaining some criticisms of VAKR model
This model is categorizing individual into most simplest manner. As it does not offer
enough learning options to individuals. Also, it is restrictive in nature as it does not fits to all the
categories of individuals for making them understanding and providing effective learning
options. This model hinder learning opportunities for various students as labelling students in the
classroom used with this model will hinders learning capabilities of students in classroom. As
this model also lacks proper evidence which creates hurdles in various achievements of students.
By using this model also aid in limiting the self learning approach of students which will be less
beneficial and will not aids in achieving beneficial goals. By using this model does not validate
the learning styles being adopted by individual there is lack of validity in the concept of adopting
a particular learning style for understanding and retaining information by students (Smyrnova-
Trybulska and et.al., 2022). As by adopting this model will aims at reducing the chances for
adopting difficult concepts of learning and understanding various difficult knowledges and
concepts which will aids in reducing time for adopting a particular concept for the learners in the
classroom.
Furthermore, this model does not emphasize mainly on implementing for understanding
particular concept it lacks specifications which must be ascertained for developed effective
learning style for all the students. Also, the learning styles are not consistent for students to learn
various model and does not provide consent attributes to students which hinders the learning
process and results in unreliable style for learning. there is no proper accommodation for
adopting this learning model as it has not given any evidences which has proved that these

learning styles will improves an aids in learning and better understanding of various facts which
are being communicated by teachers to students in classroom. Also, by adopting visual learning
style by students will hinders students by various distractions being caused in environment while
learning about different topics for this intense focusing on the particular areas for learning
effectively with adopting this style. This model does not provides evidence for supporting
content which results in lack of real benefits
CONCLUSION
From this essay it can be concluded that learning helps student for retaining knowledges
about certain aspects being communicated in classrooms. Various styles are being adopted by
students for learning, as it is the way for grasping and understanding information being
communicated by teachers in classroom. VAKR mode provide for learning styles which mainly
emphasizes on learning and understanding various topics to students. This model aids in learning
effectively to students, it mainly comprises visual learning style, audio learning style, reading
and writing style also kinesthetic learning style. This style of learning does not require any
additional skills it is mainly related to acquiring and interesting various knowledges and
information which will constitutes in positive attitude. There are some criticising factors which
generally discourage and disregard model as this approach is very restrictive for learners, also
time-consuming for students. It also aids in labelling students learners with particular style are
many more styles which can be adopted by students for effective learning the concepts and aids
in better understanding information being communicated by teachers in classroom.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Alkooheji, L and Al-Hattami, A., 2018. Learning Style Preferences among College
Students. International Education Studies.11(10). pp.50-63.
Li, M and Alduais, A., 2018. A study on learning styles and their possible effect on academic
performance among university students in Glasgow. Научный результат. Социология
и управление. 4(2). pp.27-44.
Sharma, A. and Wadhwa, A., 2018. Learning Styles of First Year Students of Dentistry And Its
Application In Second Year Microbiology Teaching-Learning. National Journal of
Integrated Research in Medicine.9(2).
Smyrnova-Trybulska, E., Morze, N. and Varchenko-Trotsenko, L., 2022. Adaptive learning in
university students’ opinions: Cross-border research. Education and Information
Technologies. pp.1-32.
Online
What are VARK Learning Styles?. 2022.[Online]. Available
through:<https://blog.definedlearning.com/blog/what-are-vark-learning-styles>
Understanding VARK. 2022.[Online]. Available through:<https://teach.com/what/teachers-
know/learning-styles/>