Learning styles are different ways that a person can learn. Most people favor some particular method of interacting with, taking in, and processing stimuli or information. Psychologists have proposed several complementary taxonomies of learning styles.

Visual, Aural, Kinesthetic (VAK and VARK)

Although the theorists may disagree on the vocabulary to describe the four basic types of learning style, the following are representative categories:

• visual (learn by seeing)
• aural or audial (learn by hearing)
• reading/writing (learn by processing text) (This category is not always listed.)
• kinesthetic or practical (learn by doing).

Multi-modal learners are people who have more than one strong learning style.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a popular survey based on four sets of preferences:

• Extroverted/Introverted
• INtuitive/Sensing
• Thinking/Feeling
• Judging/Perceiving.

Gardner's Multiple Intelligences

Howard Gardner's work indicated the existence of multiple intelligences that people (and animals) use, frequently with some abilities dominant. Gardner's intelligences are:

• Verbal/Linguistic
• Logical/Mathematical
• Musical
• Spatial
• Bodily/Kinesthetic
• Interpersonal
• Intrapersonal
• Naturalist
• Existentialist.

Other Styles

The DiSC assessment (Carlson Learning ) and the Kolb Learning Inventory (David A. Kolb ) are other models of learning styles.

Assessments

Learning styles can be determined using tools like social psychologist David A. Kolb 's Learning Styles Inventory (1974, 1985) or Neil Fleming 's VARK Learning Style Test, among others.

Related topics

• Education
• Montessori method
• Learning

References

• Learning Styles (by Don Clark)

External links

• David A. Kolb Homepage
• David A. Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory (1974, 1985)
• Infed's David A. Kolb on Experiential Learning
• VARK: A guide to learning styles (Online Test)
• online VARK Learning Style Test
• Learnativity: Learning Styles
• Funderstanding: Learning Styles
• American Society for Training and Development Reading List
• Introduction to learning styles by Ann Harris, Ferl, Becta
• Ageless Learner
• Encyclopedia of Educational Technology
• Big Dog's ISD Page
• [http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html NC State University (Online Test)
• REACHING THE SECOND TIER LEARNING AND TEACHING STYLES IN COLLEGE SCIENCE EDUCATION
• LEARNING STYLES AND STRATEGIES Richard M. Felder
• University of Minnesota resources on learning styles
• Myers-Brigg and learning styles
• Tutorial on learning styles
• Indiana State University learning styles site
• Paragon learning styles inventory
• James Madison University learning styles site
• University of South Dakota learning styles resources
• Children's Learning Styles