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Kimble
24 October 2016
What is VAK?
The VAK assessment can be traced back to the work of 1920s psychologists to classify
how people learn. VAK is an acronym which stands for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic, and the
model shows that most people will vastly prefer one method over the other two. An individual
who is visual retains more information when it is presented in pictures, diagrams, movies, etc.
Auditory learners learn best when they hear the information being presented, whether it be on an
audio tape, though lecture, group discussion, or hearing their own voice as they repeat
something. The kinesthetic learner learns through experience; it is vital they touch, use, build, or
experiment in order to retain information. The information from a VAK exam can help the
student choose learning activities that suit their preferred method. Instructors can also use
knowledge obtained from a VAK assessment to custom tailor instruction to a particular student
or group of students. While the VAK shows our preferred learning method, it is best to
remember that we can, and do, learn using all three styles. Failure to expose students to all three
The realm of education is rife with learning theories. This overabundance at times can be
quite confusing due to the amount of overlap from one theory to the next. Many theories are just
a previous theory reworked or tweaked a little bit. The work of individuals such as Kolb,
Gardner, and Fleming have expounded upon the original VAK concept (Chapman, 2016).
his findings, there are seven types of intelligence. The seven types he identified are linguistic,
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understanding others. Gardners work showed that an individual can be very high in multiple
types of intelligence while being extremely low in others. Gardner has been praised by some and
admonished by others. His critics feel his categories are not measuring intelligence but refer to
them as talents instead. It is still important to note that his work can be viewed as a more in-
depth form of VAK, and when used correctly, can be used to benefit both students and educators
(Knowles, 2015).
In 1984, Kolb published the learning styles model, which works on a four stage cycle of
experience, reflection, conceptualize, and test. This cycle provides four unique learning styles
which can accommodate various styles of learning. Kolbs theory relies upon learning abstract
concepts through an experience as part of a learning cycle. The cycle consists of a concrete
The LSI is used to determine which of the four learning styles an individual can best learn from.
The four styles are accommodating, diverging, converging, and assimilating. Those who prefer
the diverging style learn best by watching and through emotional response. The assimilating
style is for individuals who like to watch and then think about the outcome or results, much like
the work performed by a scientist. These individuals like solid explanations over experiences.
The converging style is for those who like to do and think. These type of people are typically
problem solvers. Finally, the accommodating style is the hands-on style for individuals who
like to use their intuition rather than logic. These individuals often use information provided by
Neil Fleming, an educator from New Zealand, created the VARK model, which is simply
the VAK with the addition of a reading/writing learning style. The addition of reading/writing
adds depth to the visual modality. This is important because while reading and writing are forms
of visual learning, they are different than symbolic forms such as maps and charts. Flemings
VARK is used, like a traditional VAK test, to determine a learners preferred method of learning.
As with other learning models, the test outcome is not the only way a student learns, but rather
learning takes place using all four areas of VARK. It is important to make sure that VARK,
along with all other learning models, is used to create a conversation about learning styles, not to
group students or define how all education should take place (Fleming, 2006).
My VAK score was V=9, A=3, and K=18. My scores show I have a very strong
preference toward the kinesthetic learning style. My scores also show me that I do not learn well
auditorily, or simply stated, by listening. I would agree that my scores are valid, though I am
somewhat surprised by the extreme variance in scores. The reason I agree is because the
kinesthetic style is a style in which an individual learns best through hands-on experience. I
know that in my own personal experience, once I do something a few times I am able to do it; for
example, learning how to lay out a stair stringer. If I listen to someone tell me how to do it, I am
lost. If I watch someone do it, it makes sense but I quickly forget. If I watch someone lay out a
stair stringer, then lay one out myself, I will learn the skill. Sometimes I have to do the task a
few times to truly master it, but the only way I can learn it is by doing. One part of the results
that did surprise me was the extreme gap between my scores. I know that I learn best
kinesthetically, but I thought I also learned through visual means. It was a surprise to see that
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big of a gap between scores. Taking into consideration that the vast majority of classes I have
taken, from grade school through my undergrad, have been taught through lecture, I was
extremely surprised to see how low my auditory score was. Upon further reflection, the fact that
I have always had trouble comprehending in the traditional lecture setting supports the findings
of the VAK. The only disagreement I have with the assessment is the fact that some of the
answers were not really appropriate answers that I would use, thus resulting in choosing one that
I feel is the closest. There is a slight possibility that this could cause a slight exaggeration in
scores, which makes me wonder if perhaps a longer, or more tailored test would be appropriate
The results of this test will have some impact upon my role as an educator. The
kinesthetic learning style is also apparent in my teaching style. I prefer to demonstrate and allow
students to perform the required task instead of trying to teach it in front of a classroom. I often
find myself saying, here let me show you, when a student asks a question. Some things I teach
warrant being taught in the classroom, but the majority of the skills taught through my program
require students to produce a product or demonstrate a skillset. Now that I know and can
properly identify the style I am using, I can find ways to incorporate attributes of the other two
learning styles into my classroom, in order to adequately educate my students and prepare them
identifying a students particular learning style, it could make it possible to provide extra help to
struggling students in a way they can easily comprehend. The knowledge of a students learning
style could also be used to pair students to ensure they learn; for example, if two students share
the auditory learning style and one understands a concept, perhaps he would be better equipped
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to help the other student who is struggling. With all the advantages of the VAK, it is still
important to remember it is not the end-all-be-all of education. Just like with every other
educational theory, it has its time and place. The best use for the VAK is to get an understanding
of your students and how you can reach them. It isnt going to make them desire to learn, it isnt
going to make the skills easier, but maybe, just maybe, it will help you help them and find that
spark that ignites their interest and enables them to truly learn.
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References
http://www.businessballs.com/vaklearningstylestest.htm#standard-copyright
Fleming, N., and Baume, D. (2006) Learning Styles Again: VARKing up the right tree!,
Knowles, M. S., Holton III, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2015). The adult learner: The definitive
classic in adult education and human resource development (8th ed.). Burlington, MA:
Routledge.