After taking the VARK Learning Styles Test and the Soloman and Felder Learning Styles Questionnaire, I have gained much insight about my personal learning style and how to best apply this information while pursuing an education. A learning style is a preferred way for an individual to gather information, including visually, aurally,linguistically, and kinesthetically. The VARK Learning Styles Test focuses on these four aspects and scores the test taker on each. The higher the score, the more useful the style. According to this test, it is possible to use more than one type of learning efficiently. On the other hand, the Soloman and Felder Learning Styles Questionnaire uses a sliding scale to determine four different types of learning, including active and reflective, sensing and intuitive, visual and verbal, and sequential and global.
The test score I received for the VARK Learning Styles Test was VAK, meaning I can most effectively learn kinesthetically, visually, and aurally, respectively. Although, I scored very low in the read/write category. This basically means that I am best able to learn by actually trying, seeing, or listening and have a harder time reading or writing out directions. In addition, on the Soloman and Felder Learning Styles Questionnaire I dramatically leaned toward action and visual and only slightly leaned toward intuitive and global. These results correspond and agree with the VARK Test as well. It concluded that I can best learn when I can physically try and see and that I enjoy innovation and new concepts and am able to see the big picture but cannot always explain all of the details. I find these results to be quite accurate. It has always been easiest for me to learn when I have something physical to use and assist me. Also, I tend to be very observant and consider myself to be a critical listener. Often times I am able to grasp new concepts but cannot express the smaller details.
These tests are designed to assist and improve one's ability to learn and understand. Personally, there are many things I can do to improve my learning abilities. As far as the highest score I received, kinesthetic according to VARK or action according to Soloman and Felder, I must find a way to physically do something with the information I am given. For me, when I study I find making note cards the best way to retain the information. Because I am able to touch and move them to study, I am actively involved in remembering the information. The next highest score I received was visual or vision. To best assist me in learning, maps, charts, diagrams, ect. can be used to my advantage. My personal technique to best learn during a lecture is to use arrows to make connections between things in my notes and color coding of my notes, whether it be with the ink or the highlighter I use. Finally, I received a rather high score in the aural aspect. One way to improve learning is to record lectures or information and play it back. Also, listening closely during a lecture can be very helpful. This score immediately made sense to me because when I watch Jeopardy, I have to hear Alex read the clue out loud rather than reading it to myself. Unfortunately this makes me terrible at Jeopardy, regardless if I know the answers, because others have read the clue and have shouted out answers and Alex and I haven't even gotten through the clue yet!
The area that I scored low on according to the VARK Test is the linguistic style. This means that I should stay away from lengthy written descriptions or notes. Also, on the Soloman and Felder Questionnaire, I only slightly leaned to the innovation and global side, meaning I was rather balanced in those areas. I like new ideas and abstract concepts, but am not opposed to seeing how something fits into the real world. I tend to grasp the big picture first, but following a logical step-by-step process is possible for me as well. Although I sway to one side, it is not drastic. Overall, I feel like taking these tests will assist me in everything that I do. It is especially important now because I am constantly learning new information and having to apply it on tests; however, I will always be learning and can use this information to my advantage later on in my life.
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