VARK Analysis Paper
Family Centered Health Promotion

VARK Analysis Paper
VARK is a commonly used learning style that describes the way people take in information, store, process and recall what they have learned. Since people are individuals, they have their own type of learning. VARK is an ACRONYM that stands for (Visual, Aural, Read/Write and Kinesthetic). The purpose of this paper is to analyze, describe and list my preferred learning styles and strategies using the VARK analysis. As this assignment demands, I completed the VARK questionnaire and the results I obtained are listed below. This was my first time filling out the VARK questionnaire and it was an eye opening exercise for me. It reminded me of what I always suspected of my learning style but did not have any scientific evidence to back my suspicions until now. My scores are as follows
Visual 2
Aural 6
Read/Write 15
Kinesthetic 10
The above results of my VARK analysis showed that I fall with in the multimodal study preference. Multimodal is a combination or choice of two or more strategies. About 60 % of the people have the multimodal study strategy. This means that these types of people have multiple strong points in areas of reading, writing, aural and kinesthetic strategies. The people that fall within the multimodal study strategy have the ability to meticulously gather information and multitask in their daily lives. The highest score I obtained is the Read/Write learning style with a score of 15. I was not really surprised that I scored the highest in that category simply because I come from a third world country where resources are scarce and students depend mostly on notes dictated by the teachers. There is also a shortage of textbooks, which leaves 5 to 6 students to one textbook. So you don’t only have to be good at note taking but you have to be able to maximize the use of the textbook when it is your turn to use it. The Read/Write learning strategy focuses on making list of words or ideals using dictionaries, looking up definitions and applying what you have learned to your daily work of life. I credit this learning strategy for my quick learning of the English language and my quick assimilation into American society. I used this learning style to read, write, spell and pronounce unfamiliar words in the English language. To this day I am using this learning style to survive at my place of work. This strategy is also helping me in my pursuit of higher education at Grand Canyon University. As a Read/Write learner, I have to be opened to other forms of learning in other to strengthening my overall ability of learning. I am becoming of late more of a visual learner because I have noticed that I have been using more visual images like maps, diagrams, graphs and pictures to learn things. Instead of using words, I have tried to break down information into pieces so that it is easier to understand that is why the highlighter is my friend especially when reading a textbook. I can visualize what I highlighted and can come back to it at a later time. Despite I am getting familiar with the online class and loving it, I still prefer seeing my teacher face to face, watch his or her body language and facial expressions so that I will be able to pick up some clues about how the class is going.
Aural learners are people who consume information by listening to other people talk or listening to what is going on around them. These are people who are always on time for class, like to sit in the front role so that they will not miss a single thing that the teacher is saying. They like to participate in discussion groups and social organizations. They prefer reading loud to themselves instead of silent reading. These are the people who bring voice recorders to class so that they can record lectures and play it back at a later time. With these people, written information does not mean much to them except it is read loud. Listening is their own way of processing and retaining information.
Kinesthetic learners are people who rely mostly on their senses to obtain information. They learn best by employing hands on approach on information gathering. These are people who seldom buy things on line because the prefer to see it, feel it and touch it before they can buy it. They are incapable of sitting still for long periods of time. Kinesthetic learners like to explore the world around them by taking field trips, build things and taking them apart. These are people who are very skeptical of things and need proof before they can believe you. They learn best using real life examples and role-play sequences of events. They fit very well in Hollywood setting rather than a classroom setting. Conclusion
The research I did preparing to write this paper proved to me that most people including myself fall within the multimodal strategy. It became quite clear to me that no one learning style is more superior to the other, it all depends on how you absorb information and turns around and uses it. The visual learning style focuses more on using pictures, videos, posters, slides and different color highlighters. This form of learning is more beneficial in the classroom settings mostly used by teachers and professors. Despite I fall in the multimodal learning preference, my dominant learning strategy is still Read/Write learning strategy. I like reading and taking notes. It is just a way of life for me. The aural and kinesthetic learning styles will subconsciously creep into my learning style and make me a better learner. The VARK analysis is a great tool to help achieve the goals I have set for myself of graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Grand Canyon University. It will assist me in functioning comfortably in my nursing career and in life as a whole.