Learning Styles: Why You Shouldnât Rely on Them and What You Should Do Instead
Youâve probably heard before that people take in new knowledge more effectively through different mediums. In other words, people have different learning styles.
The most common classification of âlearning stylesâ is the VARK method, which stands for Visual, Auditory, Reading, and Kinesthetic. It classifies people based on how they prefer to learn new material.
Instructors use these classifications to help their students understand new material. Students rely on them to identify their learning needs and find more efficient ways to study.
I often receive questions along the lines of âhow can a [insert learning type here] learner study for [insert subject here]?â or âwhat study methods work best for [insert learning type here]?â Although I understand where youâre coming from, there are some problems with pegging yourself to a certain learning style.
Why You Shouldnât Rely on Learning Styles
Thereâs No Scientific Evidence
Firstly, thereâs no scientific evidence supporting the theory of learning styles. Teachers who adapt their lesson material to different learning styles donât see an improvement in performance from their students. Students who believe they fit a particular learning style donât do better in tasks associated with that learning style compared to their peers who identify with a different learning style.
Learning Styles are Preferences
They donât tell you whether you receive information better a certain way. This is one of the flaws of the VARK questionnaire - it uses phrases like you would, you learn best by, you prefer, and you like. This only tells you the things you already do and the habits youâve already formed, not whatâs best for you and yields the best results.
Plus, the fact that these questions are self-reported undermines the reliability of the results of the questionnaire. Even if you think youâre extremely self-aware and can identify a single medium through which you receive information most effectively, adhering to a single medium will result in major drawbacks, which Iâll explain later in this post.
The Theoryâs Inconsistent with Neuroscience
The idea of learning styles is also inconsistent with findings in neuroscience: the brain is an interconnected organ, so when you utilize one learning method, other learning methods are activated as well. For example, when you read a certain piece of text, your brain would then find a way to visualize what you read or to sound it out in your head.
What You Should Do Instead
Use All Learning Methods
Because our brain is so interconnected, it would be best to utilize all learning methods so that you can learn the material as comprehensively as possible. This was a method my seventh-grade science teacher taught me, and itâs been more helpful than I was aware of.
For example, when studying a relationship between two variables in a graph, you should
- Study the physical attributes of the graph. Remember axes, units, the general shape of the graph, and outliers. This will help you understand the general correlation or relationship between the two factors. (Visual)
- Read the explanation of the graph and rewrite it in your own words, either in the form of notes or a paragraph, so long as there is logical consistency. Also, redraw the graph. (Visual, Reading)
- Explain (out loud) whatâs going on in the graph and the explanation/theory behind it, while only looking at the graph you redrew. Do so by walking around. (Auditory, Kinesthetic)
Focus on the Material
The most important thing when it comes to studying is to focus on the material. The way that information is best processed by your brain depends on the type of information youâre receiving much more than what learning method you prefer to use. So, you should adopt as many of the learning styles as you can, focusing on what best suits the material youâre studying.
For example, you wonât understand geometry as comprehensively if you donât visualize the shapes. You wonât be able to speak a different language without hearing how the correct accent is supposed to sound. You wonât be able to do math without actually doing the problems - just reading through sample questions and answers isnât very effective.
In short, it doesnât help to obsess over learning styles and only base your study habits on what style youâre classified into. Instead, you should utilize all learning styles and focus on study methods that work best for the content of what youâre studying.
My math teacher only uses the auditorial and kinesthetic so i struggle in class a lot. Jn classes where all learning methods i do a lot better. I ligit only understand mayne 5% of our current unit. Whats worse for it for me personally is i want to know the reasons behind why were doing things where as he just puts a question on the board and tells us to solve it without even telling us how to solve it and why certain steps are important.
Sometimes teachers donât know that theyâre not doing what you expect them to, or they forget, so maybe just pointing it out and asking would help. e.g. you could ask them to write down important information on the board, or like general steps to solve a certain type of question
