Vak learning Styles Self-Assessment Questionnaire

Auditory learning strategies transfer information through listening: to the spoken word, of self or others, of sounds and noises. People who like these strategies will often use phrases such as ‘tell me’, ‘let’s talk it over’ and will be best able to perform a new task after listening to instructions from an expert. These are the people who are happy being given spoken instructions over the telephone, and can remember all the words to songs that they hear!
People who learn well from auditory strategies often talk to themselves a lot. They also may move their lips and read out loud. They may have difficulty with reading and writing tasks. They often do better talking to a colleague or a tape recorder and hearing what was said. To use this style of learning you might:

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  Work with a partner and provide a brief explanation of what is coming. Conclude with a summary of what has been covered.
  
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  Use the Socratic method of lecturing by questioning your partner to draw as much information from her as possible and then fill in the gaps with your own expertise.
  
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  Try various auditory activities, such as brainstorming, discussions, or verbal game shows like Jeopardy.
  
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  Actively participate in debrief activities and ask questions. This allows you to make connections of what you’ve leaned and how it applies to your situation.
  
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  Develop an internal dialogue about what you are learning.
  
  
  

Kinaesthetic learning strategies rely on physical experience - touching, feeling, holding, doing, practical hands-on experiences. People who like these strategies will often use phrases such as ‘let me try’, ‘how do you feel?’ and will be best able to perform a new task by going ahead and trying it out, learning as they go. These are the people who like to experiment, hands-on, and never look at the instructions first!

Kinesthetic strategies rely on touching and moving. There are also two subchannels here - kinesthetic (movement) and tactile (touch). People who benefit from these strategies tend to lose concentration if there is little or no external stimulation or movement. When listening to lectures they may want to take notes. When reading, they like to scan the material first, and then focus in on the details (get the big picture first). They typically use color highlighters and take notes by drawing pictures, diagrams, or doodling. To integrate this style into the learning environment:

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  Use activities that get you up and moving.
  
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  Play music, when appropriate, during study and activities.
  
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  Use colored markers to emphasize key points on flipcharts or white boards.
  
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  Take frequent stretch breaks (brain breaks).
  
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  Use toys such as Koosh balls and Play-Dough to give yourself something to do with your hands. 
  
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  Use highlighters, colored pens and/or pencils to highlight your notes and handouts.
  
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  Transfer information from handouts and notes to another medium such as a keyboard or a tablet. 
  
  
  

As you develop your own learning strategy, blend these three approaches into a learning strategy that works for you.