Does Knowing Your Learning Style Help You Learn Better? Science Says No

Do you consider yourself a visual learner or a verbal learner? Perhaps you’re neither and instead you absorb information best by reading texts and taking notes on what you’ve understood. No matter which mode of instruction you prefer, you probably rely on techniques that suit your individual learning style.

Although there are more than 70 different learning style frameworks, the most prominent one is the VARK model. Introduced by Neil Fleming in 1987, it categorizes learners into four main types: visual, auditory, reading and writing, and kinesthetic.

On the surface, it makes sense that catering information to suit an individual’s preferred method will improve learning outcomes. However, the concept of learning styles is one of the most widely believed neuromyths, or misconceptions about how the brain functions, within education. In reality, they may have little to no actual influence on learning and their practical application has yet to be demonstrated.

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