Using Your Dominant Learning Strength(s) in Physics
(and other classes, too)
By Dr. J L Tracy, Jr
(and other classes, too)
By Dr. J L Tracy, Jr
VARK – Learning Your Strengths
Many people have a dominant learning style, owing to the unique nature of human brain an how it works. In some people, the various sensory regions of the brain may have a slightly increased development and/or connection with other regions, compared to another brain. As a result, these centers of our brains are slightly more dominant than the others, and some people notice a mild advantage in receiving information via Visual, Audial, Read/write, or Kinesthetic methods, or some combination of two or more. This is similar to being right-handed or having a ‘natural’ singing voice, having a knack for mathematics, etc.
One way to find out your general strengths is to take the VARK Questionnaire, which can be found at
http://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/
Or by googling “VARK questionnaire” and clicking on the first result.
- 16 questions
- You can choose more than one answer that fits a question
- Each style, V, A, R, K, will be given a rating out of 16;
- anything above an 8 can be considered a prominent strength,
- anything over a 12 can be considered a dominant strength.
- anything above an 8 can be considered a prominent strength,
*It should be noted that you are not likely only one of these four, but a fluid combination of two or more (a combination of two is most common).
**Also, different strengths are stronger in different situations – e.g. you may tend to utilize more visual during ‘core’ lecture classes but use your kinesthetic strength more during artistic/creative activities.
***Finally, this is not a definitive, permanent description of your strengths; you can develop strengths in areas where you may desire to do so!
VARK: Tools and Techniques for Physics
Once you know your principal learning styles, you can enhance your learning experience by applying specialized learning techniques which work most effectively with your most dominant learning styles.
After each set of prominent characteristics, you will find tools and techniques which will help you enhance your use of this learning path to improve your reception, retention, and recall of information you experience in the classroom!
Reference: http://www.lonestar.edu/23203.htm
Prominent Traits And Tools
Visual StrengthCharacteristics of Visual Strength
Approximately 65% of people show this as their single dominant strength. The visual area of the brain lives in the back side, called the Occipital Lobe. For someone with a preference for visual learning, this part of your brain gets top priority when seeing and observing things, including pictures, diagrams, written directions and more. |
If you have a strong visual side, you may experience several of the following qualities:
This is also referred to as the "spatial" learning style. Students who learn through sight understand information better when it’s presented in a visual way.
For better or worse, visual learners tend to need the least amount of guidance or assistance utilizing the VARK advice. It is unclear why this is (perhaps a picture really is worth a thousand words for these brains?).
Tools for Visual Strength
- Tend to be fast talkers
- Exhibit impatience and tend to interrupt
- Use of words and phrases which evoke visual images
- Generally decent-to-good quality handwriting
- Find color coding a helpful tool for sorting or distinguishing details
- Tend to be doodling students, your list makers and your students who take notes.
- Often have good dress/fashion sense and color-coordination.
- If you are a visual learner, you learn by reading or seeing pictures. You understand and remember things by sight. You like to see what you are learning, and you can picture what you are learning in your head.
- You are likely (but not exclusively) neat and highly organized. You often close your eyes to visualize or remember something, especially if you are receiving information through another path (Audio or written).
- You will find something to watch if you become bored. You may have difficulty with spoken directions which does not ‘show’ you something familiar (e.g. you need a landmark when given directions). You are attracted to color and to spoken language (like stories) which is rich in imagery.
This is also referred to as the "spatial" learning style. Students who learn through sight understand information better when it’s presented in a visual way.
For better or worse, visual learners tend to need the least amount of guidance or assistance utilizing the VARK advice. It is unclear why this is (perhaps a picture really is worth a thousand words for these brains?).
Tools for Visual Strength
- Location! Sit near the front of the class – movement of students in your field of vision may be distracting. Also, avoid visual distractions during study times (television/movies/sports).
- Visualize! Try to visualize the physical principles we discuss and the examples/homework problems. Draw lots of pictures.
- Colors! For you, this may seem obvious, but use color coding (colored pens, highlighters, etc) to distinguish sets of formulas, important data, or key words
- Draw! Drawing pictures takes the images in your mind’s eye and puts them onto the paper, so that you can make better sense of the problem at hand.
- Organize! Make sure that as you work problems, you write each step of the problem-solving process in its place and ensure that your handwriting is legible and easy to understand.
- If you have the discipline, take photos of notes during lectures and then copy later so that you can watch the lecture
Audial StrengthCharacteristics of Audial Strength
Approximately 30% of people show this as their single dominant strength Strong development of the auditory center(s) of the brain results in an individual whose memory tends to retain more efficiently when the subject matter is introduced or reinforced through sounds. Under ideal conditions, you might be able to retain up to nearly 75% of information experienced through hearing. This leads to students who would much rather listen to a lecture than take down written notes; you often use your own voice to reinforce new concepts and ideas. When writing out notes, you’ll find that you either say what you are trying to write out or you listen to your internal voice saying what you want to write. |
because This is an obstacle for audially-strong learner, you then experience what I call input conflict: you prefer to listen but are trained to write, so that when you are writing you cannot retain anything said out loud by someone else.
If you have a strong audial side, you may experience several of the following qualities:
People may think you are not paying attention, even though you may be hearing and understanding everything being said.
You may find that school is frustrating in general simply because you have to find ways to compensate learning the things the professors said that you missed while taking notes.
The audial centers of the brain include the actual hearing processing, which takes place in the middle temporal lobe, and the language centers: Broca (creating) and Werneicke (interpreting) areas in the frontal and parietal lobes (respectively).
Tools and Techniques for Audial Strength
If you have a strong audial side, you may experience several of the following qualities:
- Easily distracted by various noises, often leading to frustration. It is difficult for you to concentrate on listening to someone talking with sounds, music and other talking in the background
- These are the students who like to read out loud to themselves,
- Asks lots of questions by comparison to other learning styles (they want to hear the answer so they can incorporate the information most efficiently)
- You need to have the steps laid out clearly, in order, or else you will feel confused
- You may be slower at reading
- You may have a paced, steady speech pattern
- You may find yourself repeating things a teacher tells you.
- Emotion can play a major role in memory construction, retention, and recall
- As an auditory learner, you probably hum or talk to yourself or others if you become bored.
- Aren’t afraid to speak up in class and are great at verbally explaining things.
- Use repetition as a study technique
- Benefit from use of mnemonic devices
- Colors of things or color-coding may not seem terribly important as distinguishing qualities
- Likely will give you the most encouragement, verbally expressing interest, enthusiasm
- Often follows directions without needing to be reminded of the order of the steps
People may think you are not paying attention, even though you may be hearing and understanding everything being said.
You may find that school is frustrating in general simply because you have to find ways to compensate learning the things the professors said that you missed while taking notes.
The audial centers of the brain include the actual hearing processing, which takes place in the middle temporal lobe, and the language centers: Broca (creating) and Werneicke (interpreting) areas in the frontal and parietal lobes (respectively).
Tools and Techniques for Audial Strength
- Preparation! Ahead of time, read/skim the section out loud and make notes of key details in the sections to be covered at the next lecture. This exposure to the material will free you to simply listen to the discussion of the notes given during class while enhancing likelihood of retention.
- Streamline! Take photos of the lecture notes rather than writing them down during class (disengagement) so that you can focus on listening and asking questions. Write them out later, and say what you want to write. THIS CAN BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOL WHICH MAKES THE MATERIAL MORE ACCESSIBLE AND UNDERSTANDABLE.
- Read by Ear! If an audio version of the textbook is available (iTunes, Audible, etc.) consider purchasing or renting the audio copy and “read” your text book by listening to this copy. If none are available, listen to Youtube channels which discusses the topic at hand.
- Out Loud and In Order! As you work each homework problem, say your thoughts and reasonings aloud to engage the audial learning route in your brain. This reinforces your preference for in-order steps, and thus further develops your problem-solving process for exam-time.
- More Out Loud! Read directions, notes, and problems out loud while studying. Consider flash cards.
- Record and Listen! Use your phone to record definitions, in your own words, and then listen back to them repeatedly. This reinforces your existing understanding by refreshing it through your most efficient pathway – your ears!
- Earplugs! During tests, bring and wear earplugs in order to block out unwelcome, distracting sounds
- Try to develop a mnemonic if possible for certain material that needs heavy memorization
Read-Write StrengthCharacteristics of Read/Write Strength
Percentages not well known (apocryphal); tends to overlap with visual strength While there is some overlap with visual learning, these types of learners are drawn to expression through writing, reading articles on the internet, writing in diaries, looking up words in the dictionary and searching the internet for just about everything. |
If you have a strong read/write side, you may experience several of the following qualities:
Read/write strengths are comparatively rare among the strengths.
Read/Write Learning Techniques
- Copious note-takers or avid readers
- Tend to write, write and rewrite your words and notes.
- Have very neat, clear, organized handwriting
- Tend to like lists.
- Prefer handouts with lots of words and bullet points, and prefer to communicate by text and email.
- Do best on Multiple-choice section of the test
- Skilled at translating abstract concepts into words and essays
- Reword main ideas and principles to gain a deeper understanding.
- Organize diagrams, charts, and graphic organizers into statements
Read/write strengths are comparatively rare among the strengths.
Read/Write Learning Techniques
- Lists! Make or request lists (from me) of problem-solving steps
- Handouts! Obtain copies of powerpoint presentations
- Rewrite! Rewriting your notes from class and incorporating your own voice helps to increase retention of the material.
- Preview! Read the pre-published notes ahead of class to get a sense of the topic that will be discussed.
- Make your own glossary of terms for the chapter(s)
- Rewrite formula sheets, making your own copy of the formulas, which aid in retention and recall
Kinesthetic StrengthCharacteristics of Kinesthetic (learn by doing) Strength
Approximately 5% of people show this as their single dominant strength Most complex of the learning styles, due to simultaneous emphasis of most/all senses to engage learning (uses motor cortex and cerebellum)! ***Kinesthetic Strength is frequently a strength which overlaps with either Visual or Audial. |
Kinesthetic learners’ brains are wired to process information simultaneously from the A, V and motor centers of the brain, leading to an inherent slowdown which appears to present as a student who talks somewhat slower (by comparison) or more deliberately. Alternately, the student may feel like other students “get it” more easily, or that the professor teaches too fast.
Kinesthetic learners or "tactile" learners learn through experiencing or doing things. You like to get right in the thick of things by acting out events or using your hands to touch and handle in order to understand concepts.
If you have a strong kinesthetic side, you may experience several of the following qualities:
Kinesthetic Learning Techniques
Kinesthetic learners or "tactile" learners learn through experiencing or doing things. You like to get right in the thick of things by acting out events or using your hands to touch and handle in order to understand concepts.
If you have a strong kinesthetic side, you may experience several of the following qualities:
- Need to take breaks frequently when studying
- You might struggle to sit still over long periods, or find that you fidget a lot
- Handwriting tends to be ‘poor’ or sloppy (the act of writing is more important to internalization than the resulting writing).
- You may struggle with articulating definitions, despite having a good intuitive understanding of the meaning of the concept. (comes from how your brain packages information for storage)
- Some classes may feel like the teacher ‘goes too fast’
- Kinesthetics like to count things as a mildly entertaining way to pass the time (like steps on a stairway or tiles in a ceiling, etc.)
- You'll often be the ones shuffling and fidgeting during a presentation, or antsy in lengthy meeting.
- Tend to be the slowest talkers of all styles, as your brain is processing what you say as you speak
- Higher likelihood of athletically inclined; may be good at sports or like to dance
- Often have high energy
- Quick to react, have sharper reflexes
- Often times it seems difficult to separate the ‘parts from the whole’. A thing is a ‘thing’, its individual details are part of the whole and not obvious to identify or describe when asked.
Kinesthetic Learning Techniques
- Simplify! Practice and make sure you use the same procedure for solving every problem you encounter. This the becomes one less thing you have to figure out during a test.
- Organize, organize, organize! Keep your notebook(s) and paperwork organized. What you do with your hands, you do in your head. Disorganized notebooks, disorganized mind!
- Take Breaks! Frequent, brief (1-3 minute) breaks allows your brain to ‘empty its cache’ and make room for new data. This is critical to retention.
- Rewrite! Rewrite the formula sheet in your own handwriting (ahead of test if possible, during the test if necessary) so that the equations become more ‘alive’ in your mind and easier for you to access and process during a test
- Draw! Draw pictures of the problem and examples. The picture is not the key here, as it is for Visuals; the key is the act of drawing itself!
- Preview Labs! Being a hands-on learner, you will want to make extra care to review the lab manuals ahead of the activities so that you can focus better on applying the physics in the labs.
- Incorporate! Kinesthetics use more areas of the brain simultaneously for information intake and retention to memory. Use of techniques advised for visual and audial (particularly) can enhance this learner’s experience.
- Engage! You are very likely also either a Visual or Audial, to use this to your advantage!: As you work a homework problem, say your thoughts and reasonings aloud to engage multiple learning routes in your brain do further develop your problem-solving process.
- Chewing gum and walking around can help during studying and reading,
- Create flash cards
- Recite the notes you write while you record notes
Combinations of StrengthAs mentioned above, VARK scores above 8 on a 16-point scale indicate a learning strength. However, it is common for a student to have two strengths. As a result, this leads to some informative insights for students who possess these combinations.
A few combinations are quite rare, and as such there is limited data on the impact of these particular combinations. Listed below are the most common combinations and the impact these combinations have on the students who have them. |
COMBINATIONS: Visual-Kinesthetic (VK) Strengths
The combination of the visual-kinesthetic strengths has some interesting results. The visual strength can go a long ways to strengthen the weak areas seen in Audial and Kinesthetic brains.
- VK brains tend to have better handwriting with higher Visual scores.
- VK students, while experiencing the pitfalls of Kinesthetic minds, tend to be less impacted by the obstacle presented by kinesthetic tendency to process all sensory inputs simultaneously. Thus, they don’t quite feel as though things go too fast
COMBINATIONS: Audial-Kinesthetic (AK) Strengths
The combination of audial and kinesthetic strengths can lend to the most challenging path for a student. In addition to the challenges each strength experiences separately, AK learners struggle with what I call “input conflict”.
This is an obstacle for AK learner, as your kinesthetic side relies heavily on your audial side to provide information to be written down/drawn/etc. If your audial side is disrupted (e.g. by someone talking while you are writing), your ability to retain information from either pathway is heavily compromised.
In short, you are therefore faced with a decision: choose a pathway and disengage the other, in order to be able to recover your ability to retain information. The easiest way in this scenario is to disengage the Kinesthetic and defer to your Audial strength. See below for more details.
COMBINATIONS: Visual-Audial (VA) Strengths
This is a very rare combination on its own. When your mind has VA strength, it very nearly always has strong Kinesthetic factor as well, which nearly always becomes VAK. If you have VA strength with limited to very low Kinesthetic influence, take care to utilize the tools above in the best way that works for you.
Techniques for Strong Combinations
Review the tools for each single strength, and find those that you feel work best for you. Try different combinations until you find what works for you.
Review the tools for each single strength, and find those that you feel work best for you. Try different combinations until you find what works for you.
Preliminary VARK Statistics
Summary of Application of VARK in the Physics Classroom
By James L Tracy, Jr
March 15, 2020
By James L Tracy, Jr
March 15, 2020
Abstract
A preliminary set of VARK data for two semesters’ worth of lecture and laboratory sections is presented and analyzed. Very clear strength profiles emerge for course sections, both for class-based and learning strength-based analyses. Specifically, Electronic Engineering and Bachelor-track Physics classes exhibit distinctly different profiles than Life-Science-track classes. Kinesthetics (hands-on) appears to be a significantly-dominant strength for most students in the classroom environment. A survey of several students who have employed VARK techniques report high satisfaction with the techniques learned from the VARK learning methods, as well as increased classroom success. Recommendations are also included based on these preliminary results.
Overview and Data Gathering Method
The way a student learns is a unique and impactful factor in the success of the student in a structured learning environment. Understanding the way students process, understand, and recall information can have a notable impact on both their academic success as well as their enjoyment of their learning experience. The goal of this analysis is to demonstrate that there are measurable factors which influence a student’s classroom experience, based on their dominant learning style(s).
Each student is asked to answer a questionnaire of 16 questions of various types of information exchange (e.g. asking for directions), each with four options derived from a visual (V), audial (A), read/write (R), or kinesthetic (K) preferential style. The student is able to select more than one option per question, leading to a scale of 0 – 16 for each information-exchange style. Values of 8 – 10 are treated as ‘strengths’ meaning that the student’s brain is assumed to give that pathway some priority for information exchange. Any values above ten are considered ‘dominant strengths’, meaning the brain is presumed to give significant priority to the pathway over lesser-scored values.
The questionnaire used to compile the data reported in this summary is found at:
https://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/
All students were informed that the score data would be dissociated from their personal identification and used for analytical purposes in educational development.
Below are some summaries of statistics acquired over the course of two consecutive semesters of physics courses.
A preliminary set of VARK data for two semesters’ worth of lecture and laboratory sections is presented and analyzed. Very clear strength profiles emerge for course sections, both for class-based and learning strength-based analyses. Specifically, Electronic Engineering and Bachelor-track Physics classes exhibit distinctly different profiles than Life-Science-track classes. Kinesthetics (hands-on) appears to be a significantly-dominant strength for most students in the classroom environment. A survey of several students who have employed VARK techniques report high satisfaction with the techniques learned from the VARK learning methods, as well as increased classroom success. Recommendations are also included based on these preliminary results.
Overview and Data Gathering Method
The way a student learns is a unique and impactful factor in the success of the student in a structured learning environment. Understanding the way students process, understand, and recall information can have a notable impact on both their academic success as well as their enjoyment of their learning experience. The goal of this analysis is to demonstrate that there are measurable factors which influence a student’s classroom experience, based on their dominant learning style(s).
Each student is asked to answer a questionnaire of 16 questions of various types of information exchange (e.g. asking for directions), each with four options derived from a visual (V), audial (A), read/write (R), or kinesthetic (K) preferential style. The student is able to select more than one option per question, leading to a scale of 0 – 16 for each information-exchange style. Values of 8 – 10 are treated as ‘strengths’ meaning that the student’s brain is assumed to give that pathway some priority for information exchange. Any values above ten are considered ‘dominant strengths’, meaning the brain is presumed to give significant priority to the pathway over lesser-scored values.
The questionnaire used to compile the data reported in this summary is found at:
https://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/
All students were informed that the score data would be dissociated from their personal identification and used for analytical purposes in educational development.
Below are some summaries of statistics acquired over the course of two consecutive semesters of physics courses.
Summary of Raw Scores
The data was accumulated from classes designated as follows:
The data was accumulated from classes designated as follows:
- Phys 112 - Introductory Physics I (algebra-based)
- Phys 122 - Introductory Physics II (algebra-based)
- Phys 125 - Physics for Electronics Engineering Technology
- Phys 200 - Relativity and Modern Physics
Table I summarizes the averages of each of the raw VARK scores for each lecture or laboratory type (laboratory sections are indicated with “-L”). Observations from Table I include:
- For V, A, and R strengths, Phys 112 and 122 (both Lecture and Lab) students tend to reflect an average influence on their learning;
- For K strength, Phys 112 and 122 classes (thus predominantly Life-Science students) tend to reflect a dominant kinesthetic strength of information exchange;
- Kinesthetic strengths seem to be a less-prominent factor for students who are Electronics Engineering or Bachelor-track;
- Bachelor-track physics students on average appear to rely fairly equally on each learning strength;
- Not enough Electronics Engineering students participated to apply deeper interpretation to the results.
Table II displays the percentages of participants who exhibit a given learning strength. As mentioned, a strength is identified by any value of 8.00 or higher. Observations from this data shows the following:
- Students across nearly all classes have a high probability of exhibiting a kinesthetic strength;
- Phys 112-Lab has more participants but a lower participation percentage. This group shows a higher probability of a strong Audial learning style, while the lecture group from the previous semester has a comparable number of Visual and Audial. A larger sample size may resolve which trend is more likely for Phys 112 students;
- Audial strength seems to play a higher role for more students in Phys 112-Lab, Phys 122-Lab, and Phys 200 lectures;
- The zero value for Phys 125 further illustrates the fact that an insufficient number of students participated for reliable analysis to be applied.
Preliminary Recommendations
Although the sample size is relatively small (80 total participants), a few recommendations can be supported based on these preliminary results:
- Kinesthetic students rely more heavily on spatial comprehension and putting their hands onto things in order to understand them. Bringing objects to pass around the class during lecture may help strong K students connect better and more readily able to comprehend the material at hand;
- Although the class averages from Table I lie below the prescribed “strength” level of eight, students are more likely (according to Table II) to have an Audial strength as well, leading to “A-K” students. A-K students tend to be more likely to see their physics class as one they “aren’t good at”. VARK intervention techniques can help restore the students’ confidence in physics;
- Hands-on techniques, while always advised in lectures, would seem to have a lesser impact on Electronics Engineering students or Bachelor-track Physics students. Classroom time can be managed more efficiently by also investing in delivery styles that play also to Visual, Audial, or Read/write techniques.
VARK Effectiveness Feedback
Several students who were introduced to VARK learning techniques were later given a survey about their VARK experience. Again, a low sample size hinders a robust analysis of the data, but a preliminary analysis is feasible. Table III organizes these results.
It should be noted that these respondents tended to be A-K students, meaning they had strong- to dominantly-strong Audial and Kinesthetic learning strengths. These are the students who initially likely found Physics to be a class they could pass, but would not be something they would consider themselves ‘good at’.
Observations from Table III:
It should be noted that these respondents tended to be A-K students, meaning they had strong- to dominantly-strong Audial and Kinesthetic learning strengths. These are the students who initially likely found Physics to be a class they could pass, but would not be something they would consider themselves ‘good at’.
Observations from Table III:
- Not only did these students find their VARK scores interesting, they were surprised by the result;
- Most of these students applied techniques recommended by their instructor, and those students found their classroom experience to be notably affected by the VARK intervention advice;
- All respondents would recommend using VARK to improve one’s physics classroom experience;
- Respondents rated VARK techniques as 85% effective (4.25/5), including applying them to other classes.