Business
Foundation
Assessment 1 - Individual essay
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The essay is based on the discussion of the VARK model. All the modules of the essay will provide every aspect related to its significance. The essay would be responsible for the explanation of learning styles of the VARK model and further, it will move on to the part of the criticism, despite having so much of benefits in learning the VARK model, how it still has some loopholes that are getting criticised at some points, and lastly, the essay will proceed to the conclusive statements.
The VARK model plays a vital role for a learner and therefore it becomes a necessary part of the Student’s culture (Amaniyan et al., 2020). The student’s life always keeps moving to learn and making their journey easy with the learning, the VARK model becomes very crucial.
Generally, the concept of the learning styles have become so popular in the subject of psychology, knowledge and education and it is continuously getting intended towards the identification of the best procedure of learning so it the learning module could become easier for people, and here the VARK model takes place(Amaniyan et al., 2020). The VARK model is one of that technique, method or way that is intended and responsible towards making the learning procedure easy for either it is student, professional or anyone. The VARK stands for Visual, Auditory, Reading or Writing, and Kinaesthetic (Amaniyan et al., 2020). The concept of ideal learning and implementing the ideas that students prepare in their mind takes place because of the teaching method or style, they learn from in their schools. In other words, when one learns the things that suit his approach, strengths, preferences or style, the procedure of learning becomes very easy. Although, there is some research exist that explains that the subject of personal learning preferences has no effective influence on the part of learning results or outcomes.
There are different methods of differentiating the learning modules or styles, but specifically, the VARK model of Neil Fleming has always been very popular since the model came into existence (bin Ismail et al., 2020). Mr Fleming introduced the VARK model in the year 1987, according to Fleming; he designed the model for providing help to the students from his side to make their procedure of learning easy, the VARK model also helps in the part of learning preferences of individuals. As per the VARK model, the learners get identified by their preference for visual learning, auditory learning, writing or reading or for kinaesthetic learning (bin Ismail et al., 2020). The part of visual learning includes the help of pictures, movies or diagrams similarly auditory learning includes its sub-modules such as discussion, lectures or music
Since different students and learners have their preferences and style of learning and by the time they proceed with their way, the entire procedure becomes very easy for them, it takes half of the time when someone starts to proceed with his strength or skills (Covaci, 2019). But for that, they must identify what type of learning their mind would prefer, and what kind of learner they are. To proceed with the identification of self-learning preferences, Fleming has developed a module called self-report for inventory. The self-report inventory is responsible for providing a series of situations and conditions. People who have enrolled in this procedure must select the appropriate answer and proceed to the preferred way or approach. For example, one is imagining about learning bike riding, what would be the best preference for him to learn it ideally. By looking at the pictures, and videos who are performing the activity, Listening to the practitioner and expert who share their experience regarding the bike riding, Reading about the articles in which the techniques of bike riding is given, or by himself performing and practising the bike riding(Covaci, 2019). Visual learning refers to the preference that majorly focuses on that part of learning that proceeds with watching displays such as illustrations, handouts, diagrams, charts, videos, etc. These modules would be very helpful for those learners, who prefer the visual style of the VARK model.
Auditory learning could be identified if one enjoys the learning process by creating songs of information, reads aloud to remember the information, instead of watching notes prefer listening to those class notes, all these modules helps in identifying that one has a preference towards auditory learning. Those who preferred reading and writing learning proceeds by enjoying making to-do lists, reading discussions and definitions, writing thoughts of their learning, etc. And lastly, the Kinaesthetic preferred people go with the part of implementing and executing things, they do not consider reading the things before preceding it actually, it is their preference that makes them directly proceed for the execution.
They focus more on the practices and exercises and keep on continuing with the approach until they do not find themselves good in the section. The kinaesthetic preferred people can generally be identified in those professions, in which requirement of practice and physical activity is needed, such as different sports and hobbies, for example, painting, swimming, gardening, etc. All these professions and hobbies cannot be completed by only reading, watching, listening or writing. One has to put himself actually in the section of practising it physically, only after that he/she can make sure regarding the learning the required modules of that profession(bin Ismail et al., 2020). It has been seen in kinaesthetic preferred people, that they cannot hold themselves longer in sitting at one place; they find it difficult in attending the seminars kind of things. The reason is they do not like to involve in such kinds of activities that stop them from doing something. They are designed in the way that they proceed manipulating the objects and materials directly from their initial stage. Hence, it can be considered that all the learning styles of the VARK model have their importance and method for proceeding and it is all on an individual that which approach and preference he chooses and which preference exactly suits his learning skills (Maxamadjonovna, 2022).
The concept and validity of the VARK model including different learning models and theories have been criticised and questioned over time. Various critics suggest that labelling the category of students having only one style for learning could act as a hinder or obstacle in the complete procedure of learning (Maxamadjonovna, 2022). In other words, the models like VARK and other similar theories could stop the student from exceeding their learning towards the subject. The VARK model has always been very popular among the learners especially in students and educators despite having this much criticism. The student might feel drawn to a special style of learning, but other people could get their preference of learning to lie in the process. The people may get this thing that their personal learning preference is quite helpful in the way of learning new things (Medina et al., 2018). And somewhere, this theory is not wrong too, it sounds appealing when one wants to proceed by watching the things so it cannot be denied that the visual style of the VARK model has provided help to that person. So criticising the VARK model or any other similar kind of theory of model on this point of view would be completely wrong. There is other similar model like VARK that is Kolb’s learning styles. This model was given by Psychologist David Kolb (Medina et al., 2018). It consist four learning styles such as: The Converger, The Diverger, The Assimilator, The Accommodator.
The Converger can be defined for the people who are highly skilled in the practical application of the plans and ideas. The Diverger can be defined for those people who have the ability of experience, observation (reflective) (Maxamadjonovna, 2022). The Assimilator could be defined for the people who are skilled in the area of abstract conceptualisation. These people are not quite concerned with the application of those theories. The accommodator could be defiled for the people who generally rely for experiments in the way of better learning. They do experiments by themselves for better learning.
The VARK model can take inspiration from the Kolb’s model in order to focus more on the part of experiments. The experiments are one of the major parts of the learning process (Maxamadjonovna, 2022). The Kolb’s model has more influence on experimental and practical learning modules.
The best recommendations for improving the VARK model could be that it must focus on the practical learning more than the theoretical learning. Except the kinaesthetic learning module, there is no other learning module in the VARK model that focus on the part of practical learning. Hence by focusing on the experimental practices modules of the Kolb’s model, the VARK model could be improved.
One cannot criticise every aspect of the model but still, there are some loopholes and problems that exist with the design and mechanism of the model that acts as a hindrance, but the model has more advantages than having disadvantages, so there is no issue in using the VARK model for better learning.
By the research of the essay, it could be concluded, that the VARK model has had different styles and factors that provide great assistance to proceed for better learning. It not only helps in better learning but also provides huge help in making the learning procedure faster. People have different learning preferences, one cannot proceed ideally with other one’s preference, as it has been discussed that it would make the learning procedure slow, by the time he/she would identify and adapt his/her preference with the help of VARK model, it would completely make the procedure different and will make that person’s learning effective and efficient.
REFERENCES
Amaniyan, S., Pouyesh, V., Bashiri, Y., Snelgrove, S. and Vaismoradi, M. (2020). Comparison of the conceptual map and traditional lecture methods on students’ learning based on the VARK learning style model: A randomized controlled trial. SAGE open nursing, 6, p.2377960820940550.
bin Ismail, S.M. and Haniff, W.A.A.W. (2020). Education 4.0: The Effectiveness of VARK Learning Style towards Actualising Industrial Revolution 4.0. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 10(3), pp.52-52.
Covaci, M. (2019). The Vark model investigated at the students from PPPE. Journal of Education Studies (JES) Volume I, (1).
Maxamadjonovna, S.D. (2022). Types of Learning Styles. International Journal of Culture and Modernity, 12, pp.18-21.
Medina, A.M., García, F.J.C. and Olguín, J.A.M. (2018). Planning and allocation of digital learning objects with augmented reality to higher education students according to the VARK model. IJIMAI, 5(2), pp.53-57.
Mirza, M.A. and Khurshid, K. (2020). Impact of VARK learning model at tertiary level education. International Journal of Educational and Pedagogical Sciences, 14(5), pp.354-361.
Stowe, K. and K Clinebell, S. (2019). An Empirical Investigation of Learning Modalities. Journal of the Academy of Business Education, 20.
