Every student has a unique learning pattern. Some students are visual learners, others are audio learners and still others are hands on learners.
Other modalities of learning include: Visual (spatial), Aural (Audio-Musical), Verbal (Linguistic), Physical (Kinesthetic), Logical (Math), Social (Interpersonal), and Solitary (Intrapersonal).
Visual and Audio learners like to watch videos and listen to audio to learn new material. Instead of explaining how to navigate a classroom or how to use a new piece of software, visual/audio learners watch a video on how to do something. For purely visual learners, infographics, charts, helps these learners visualize what they are learning.
Verbal learners like to interact with the class and interact with the professor to discuss the class topic to reinforce what they are learning. In an online class, this would mean verbal learners learn best during the class' weekly live session meetings where students and faculty discuss topics in real time.
Physical (Hands-on Learners) learn when they can physically interact with the new class topic such as in doing a web project or writing a research paper. Hands-on learners learn best when they collaborate on a project with others and they learn by doing.
Social (Interpersonal) learners like Physical learners like to interact with others on a project or interact with others in a discussion like Verbal Learners to learn the new topic.
Logical (Math) learners like analysis, so logical learners like to take an idea apart to examine all its parts to see if how logical the parts make up the whole. For Logical learners, projects or papers that have analysis is how these learners learn best. Also, if the teacher asks questions in the forums that has students doing analysis then Logical learners learn best with analytical questions.
The teacher needs to integrate her curriculum based on the different modalities of her students. In an online class, it is always good to have a variety of materials for students such as videos, texts, audio, charts, infographics, projects and papers to suit the different modalities of her students.
If students want to find out if they are a visual, audio, or hands-on learner, they can fill out this VARK questionnaire to find out!
https://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/
Once students find out what kind of learner they are, the teacher can tell students to group themselves with learners who are not like themselves and discuss with those learning what kind of learners they are. For instance, a student who finds out he/she is a visual learner would join a group of Physical learners to discuss what their learning modalities are and how they are different. They can also learn from each other. Physical learners can learn to be more like visual learners and vice versa. Students love learning what their learning modalities are so that they can better adapt their learning style and study habits to that modality.
If a student finds out he is a visual learner, then that student can watch more videos to learn new material. If a student finds out he is a audio learner, he can listen to more audio tapes. It is always fun for teachers to make the time in their class to have students take the VARK questionnaire so students can find out how best they learn!
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