Learning styles are defined as different ways people take in, understand, express, and remember information. The four most common learning styles are: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and reading/writing. These 4 styles comprise the VARK system, established by Understanding your learning style is beneficial because it helps encourage metacognition, or the process of learning about one’s thinking. There are many resources online available to explore your learning style and understand how to utilize it to your advantage. 

Visual: 

The visual learning preference includes the depiction of information in maps, charts, graphs, flow charts, and symbolic shapes to represent what could have been represented in words. The visual learning style does not include pictures or photographs, movies, videos, or Powerpoint. This style utilizes designs, white space, patterns, shapes, and formats that highlight and convey information. When a whiteboard is used to draw a diagram with symbols for the relationship between different things, this is helpful for visual learners. 

Auditory: 

The auditory learning preference describes an approach to learning where information is received best when heard or spoken. Learners with this preference learn best from lectures, group discussions, radio, email, podcasts, and speaking. This preference can include talking out loud as well as talking to oneself. Often people with this preference will talk through things first, and may say what has already been said or ask an obvious and previously preferred question. They learn by speaking and repeating things their way. 

Reading/Writing: 

The reading/writing preferences is for information displayed as words. Many teachers and students have a strong preference for this, given the natural environment of education. This preference includes text-based input and output, reading and writing in all forms including manuals, reports, essays, and assignments. Reading/writing preferred learners often utilize Powerpoint, the internet, lists, diaries, dictionaries, quotations and  words. 

Kinesthetic: 

The kinesthetic modality refers to the use of stimuli to learn. This can include demonstrations, simulations, and videos of “real” things. The key is the reality or concrete nature of the example. Things that can be grasped, held, tasted, or felt will be most appealing to learners of this style. People with this learning style place less value on the experiences of others, and prefer their own experience. 

Multimodality: 

There are circumstances where one mode of learning isn’t enough, so a person might have a preference for a second learning style. If you do not score with a preference for one area, you  might be described as multimodal and have equal preference for multiple learning styles.