Visual Study Strategies
If you have a strong preference for learning by visual methods (as indicated by your “V” score), use
some or all of the following suggestions. Add more techniques from your own discoveries.
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Visual is different from looking at words and reading. That’s read-write. What we mean here is
other visual images, which include charts, graphs, diagrams, time-lines, idea maps, geographical
and topographical maps, even physical gestures, and demonstrations, even the use of
picturesque language, and even the use of color in anything. These tools help our brains answer
the question, “What does this look like?”
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Many textbooks today do a good job of including helpful visual aids like these. But, for those of
you who are Visual, if you are in a course without such a textbook and if your teacher isn’t
helping by supplying visuals, then you will have to create them for yourself.
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Suggestions for visual learners: Find images as learning aids. On the computer, go to Google
(www.google.com). Select “Images” in the top left corner. Then put in the word to search
images for. You’ll get a wealth of them. See also www.Yahoo.com. Select “images” there,
especially for Anatomy & Physiology.
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See HowtoStudy.org. Go to Resources page, then “Processing/visual organization.”
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Use the Software, “Inspiration” in the LSC lab for building visual maps/concept maps.
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Highlight important points in your text and in your study notes. Do this in color. Create your own
system for color. Ex. Red for main points, green for supporting points, yellow for examples. Use
color in any context whenever you can. Try using a certain pen color for a subject: math in all
green. History in purple, etc.
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Make study cards. Write key words on the front. Try to remember the information in your own
words. Look at the back to check your answer. Separate cards into two piles: the ones you know
and the ones you missed. Keep reviewing the ones you missed until you can recite them all
correctly. Repeat several times during the week.
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Create concept maps to illustrate a point.
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Take visual images presented in one format, such as a chart, and recreate it as another image,
such as a drawing.
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Use post-it notes for visual reminders
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Try replacing words in your notes with symbols.
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When you study, try recalling the pictures and drawings you have made.
Aural Study Strategies
If you have a strong preference for learning by Aural methods (as indicated by your “A” score), use
some or all of the following suggestions. Add more techniques from your own discoveries.
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Be sure to attend all classes. More than other students, you will need to hear the presentation
of the material. Force yourself to ask questions in class.
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If you strongly prefer the aural mode, you may not be a good note-taker. Talk to others after
class about what they captured in their notes, and augment your own notes. Work with a
Learning Specialist to improve your note-taking skills.
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Try, even once as an experiment, to tape record one of your class sessions, especially a lecture
class. Then play it back (even while you’re driving a car). You may choose to play it many times.
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If you have a reading assignment, see if you can get the book on tape to hear it.
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Seek out discussions and tutorials. See out an opportunity to talk to the teacher about the
material, perhaps during the teacher’s office hours.
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Make study cards and speak out your answers when you are quizzing yourself. Try to recite
information to a “beat,” maybe as a rap song. Create mnemonic devices and say them out loud.
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If you’re not sure how to solve a problem, try talking it out with someone. Even if the other
person is not an expert. In the process of talking, you may find your way to the solution.
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Seek out opportunities to explain the materials to others. Find someone who would be
interested to learn about it from you. But if you have no such person, it can be just as effective
to speak out the points to an empty room. There are always empty rooms on campus. Find one
and give a lecture to the empty chairs. The sound of your own voice will help you learn the
material. Seek out classes that include collaborative learning, small group activities and
discussion.
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Tape-record yourself reading your notes or the summaries that you make from your notes. Play
back these tapes.
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When studying, try to be in an especially quiet place. (You may be more easily distracted by
noise than others.) Quiz yourself and “listen” for the answers as they come to you.
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See materials on the site HowtoStudy.org. In its “Resources” section find “TakingIn”/”Listening.”
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When taking the test, it may help you to imagine that you are speaking the answer to the
teacher, even if you are, in fact, writing your answer.
Read-Write Study Strategies
If you have a strong preference for learning by read-write methods (as indicated by your “R” score),
use some or all of the following suggestions. Add more techniques from your own discoveries.
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People with a high “R” score on the VARK prefer taking in and giving out information through
reading and writing. Since most college courses are geared toward reading and writing activities,
these people normally feel at ease with the teaching methods (though not necessarily the
content) of their courses. However, these students still need to pay attention to strategies that
can help them, especially when the course is geared more toward experiential learning or relies
mostly on spoken lectures, or is filled with images such as charts and graphs rather than text.
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Be sure to do all assigned reading. Reading a textbook chapter before the class will be most
helpful. If confused, try finding additional, supplemental reading materials.
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When dealing with visual images such as charts, graphs, timelines, drawings, or even
photographs, try to write out for yourself the story that these tell. “This chart shows that…”
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Create mnemonic devices when possible.
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Take thorough class notes, then write summaries of them. Rewrite ideas and principles into your
own words.
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Practice asking test questions of yourself, then writing the answers.
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Use Library Resources a Lot.
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Keep a Journal.
Kinesthetic Study Strategies
If you have a strong preference for learning by kinesthetic methods (as indicated by your “K” score),
use some or all of the following suggestions. Add more techniques from your own discoveries.
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Try to use all of your senses when studying. Try associating the flavor of a particular gum or
lifesaver while studying a particular topic, then chew the same gum or lifesaver while taking an
exam in that subject.
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Pay attention to lab work; this may be your best learning opportunity in a science class. Look for
opportunities for field trips, tours, projects that would let you interview others. Seek out real
world examples of principles, and also applications of those principles. Use Google to search on
key words and find articles and websites that point you to these applications and examples of a
topic. Ask your teacher for examples when you are confused. In a writing class, ask the teacher
for past papers so you can see examples of what the teacher considers to be good work.
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Try to create models, designs, experiments, anything concrete to illustrate the course’s main
points. (Perhaps your teacher will give extra credit for it or even allow it as a major project for
the course.) Ask your teacher if you could earn points by doing a skit in class to demonstrate a
major point.
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Recognize that your class notes may be poor because the material wasn’t “concrete” and so
didn’t seem relevant. Do take notes because the act of moving your hand will help to focus your
attention. Fill in your notes with more from conversations with classmates. Work with a
Learning Specialist on note-taking techniques.
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Writing is a small muscle activity. Construct large or small concept maps to illustrate points. You
may wish to find an empty classroom and write on several blackboards.
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When you study, move. Squeeze a ball in your hand. Rock in a rocking chair. Study while on an
exercise bike. Take frequent breaks while studying, get up and walk. Consider a typing table
designed for typing while standing up.
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When you have a writing assignment, having a single idea is all you need to get started. Write
down your idea as soon as they strike you, even on a napkin. Then, as soon as possible, sit at a
computer and start “free writing.” Only when you feel you’re going somewhere should you
review and consider organization. Trial and error may help you.
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Kinesthetic learners can be procrastinators. Break large projects up into small doable parts.
Schedule each part on a time-line. Begin each part with a small physical ritual, ex. Sharpening a
pencil or quickly tidying your desk. Take a walk and think about the assignment before starting.
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When restless at a desk in class, wiggle your foot or squeeze a squeeze ball. On exams, be aware
that you may become restless and want to leave too early. Take your time; don’t rush.
Multimodal Study Strategies
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To be “multimodal” means that you got roughly the same score on 2 of the scales (for example
Visual and Aural) or on 3 of the scales or on all 4 of the scales. The majority of the population
(about 60%) is multimodal.
Multiple preferences give you more choices of modes for giving out or receiving information.
If you have 2 strong preferences, then take home and read the handouts that apply to your
strong preferences. If three strong preferences, take home the sheets that apply to all three
strong preferences. If four, take four. Also consult this sheet for Multimodal Study strategies.
There are really two groups of multimodals. Which group are you in? The first group usually has
a total score of less than 25. This group may act like those who have a single preference. They
can choose a mode of taking in or giving out information that seems appropriate to the situation
and go with that. They have the flexibility to switch from mode to mode.
The Second group of multimodals has a higher total score, usually above 30. This group tends to
be uncertain about any learning that comes in only one channel. You’ll need to reinforce what
you learn in one channel (such as reading) with other channels (listening or doing) in order to be
certain that you’ve got it. These people may be cautious and slow in making decisions. They
have to gather information in many ways and examine things from many perspectives. Usually
these people insist on learning something very well, not just half-way. These can be good
qualities, but this group may have to work a little harder to “get it” and be able to use what they
get.
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Some learning centers report that a high percentage of their students are multimodals on the
VARK. These students often complain that they did not get enough teaching or there was not
enough variety in how they were taught.
Pay attention to how you learn to see if there is a pattern to the sequencing. If you always
prefer to read about something before you try it yourself, you may have a primary preference.
And leading with that primary preference, when you can, may be good (although you may still
need all preferences). To get clear on whether you have a primary preference, you could re-do
the VARK questionnaire and select only one answer per question. It may make the primary
preference stand out more.
Advice for Everyone
Although everyone can benefit by favoring their preferred learning mode(s), it is also
true that everyone can benefit from using ALL of the learning modes, when possible.
Why? Because our unfolding understanding of the brain shows us that the more
pathways we build in gaining knowledge of something, the better we remember it and
the more we can use it.
For example, if you read about riding a bike, your brain builds one set of pathways to
the idea of riding a bike. If you hear about riding a bike, your mind builds a separate set
of pathways to the idea of riding a bike. If you see someone riding a bike, you get a
separate set of pathways to the idea of riding a bike. And if you ride a bike yourself, then
you build a separate set of pathways to the idea of riding a bike. If you do all of those
things, then you have separate streams of pathways, which all communicate with one
another to inform you about what it means to ride a bike.
If you have used all of these means to understand the idea of “riding a bike,” then your
understanding is fuller, and it will be much harder for you to ever forget what this
means.
This is true in every aspect of learning. The more modes that you use to gain
knowledge about something, the better you know it. This is true regardless of what
your preferred modes are. This also dovetails with the traditional advice given by
learning centers to their students: be active. The difference between a great student
and a poor one comes down to only this: A great student is an active student, a poor
student is a passive student.
How do you become an active student? There are special (and simple) techniques for
becoming active in note-taking, reading, memorizing, managing time, and taking tests.
You can learn about those in our Student Success Seminars and also in sessions with a
Learning Specialist. But you can also begin to become a much more active student by
following at least a few of the suggestions given on the sheets for each mode.
When you learn any new subject, find ways to feed your eyes a picture of what this
knowledge looks like. Find ways to feed your ears the music of what this sounds like.
Feed your mind the information through the symbols we’ve become accustomed to
through reading and writing, and manipulate the material in ways that let your body
know what this knowledge feels like.
In this process of learning, try to lead with and to favor your preferred learning mode,
but don’t leave out the others.
Here’s some general advice for being an active student that all of you can use
immediately:
1) Always take notes in class. Even if the teacher has provided notes, make your own.
It’s especially important for kinesthetic people, because the motion of your hand
helps you learn. But it also helps the read-write sense to see your words, and the
visual sense to see your symbols on the page. Note-taking is good for everyone.
2) Always mark up your textbook. Again, this is good for visual learners, read-write
learners and kinesthetic learners.
3) Always look for opportunities to create charts, graphs, diagrams, flash cards. It
forces us to summarize knowledge by identifying the essentials. This is especially
helpful for visual learners. But it helps the kinesthetic people too. If you’re visual,
try to get color into it. You might use a whiteboard and colored markers.
4) Always find an opportunity to speak out what you are learning to someone else (or
to an empty room). It activates your knowledge, but also gives you a chance to
move your vocal cords (good for kinesthetic learners),and to hear your own voice
(good for auditory learners).
To take the VARK, go to www.vark-learn.com and select “questionnaire.” To learn more
about how you can use the knowledge you’ve gained about yourself from the VARK
inventory, make an appointment with a Learning Specialist in the Learning Success
Center. Together, you can create a Personalized Study Plan.