The document discusses learning styles and presents different models for conceptualizing how individuals process and organize information. It describes the VAK (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) model, global/analytic processing model, and mind organization model. A variety of classroom activities are provided that aim to engage different learning styles by appealing to different sensory channels, cognitive processes, and forms of organization. The document emphasizes that understanding learning styles can help teachers design lessons to reach more learners and encourage students to develop new strategies.

1. Marjorie Rosenberg
21 November 2015

2. ‘I never knew there were
different ways of learning. I
thought I just couldn’t learn
a foreign language.’

3. What are learning types?
 Perceptual filters
 Strategies to perceive, store and recall material
 Cognitive processing
 Organisation of perceived material
 Approaches used by individuals
 Patterns of behavior

4. Learning preferences
in the classroom
 Most classes have variety of learner types
 Teachers often teach in the way we learn
 Mix of methods can reach more learners
 Help learners stretch out of preferred styles
 Encourage learners to develop successful strategies
 Harmonise and challenge learners
 Metacognition of styles gives learners more insight
 Tolerance grows from acceptance of other styles

5. What preferences are not
 An excuse
 A way to pigeon-hole
 Right or wrong
 A limitation with no possibility of stretching
 An indication of competence
 Judgemental

6. Three models
 Sensory-perception: VAK
 Cognitive processing: Global-Analytic
 Behavioral: Mind Organisation

7. VAK Model
 Visual
 Auditory
 Kinesthetic motoric
 Kinesthetic emotional

8. VAK
AV
K
VA
AKVK
Standard VAK Model

9. Visual Handwriting Example

10. Visual Handwriting Example

11. Auditory Handwriting Example

12. Kinaesthetic Handwriting Example

13. Visual Learners
 need to see things written down
 write out words to check spelling
 usually take notes in class
 like visual materials and handouts
 generally have good handwriting
 like to use colours and highlighers
 may draw ideas to remember them
They need to rearrange material and learn it again.

14. Visual Teachers
 learn and teach through seeing and observation
 often make use of visual aids
 like visually stimulating environments
 take time creating visually pleasing handouts,
presentations
 may use colour-coded systems to explain ideas
 may use mind-maps to explain concepts or vocabulary

15. Auditory Learners
 need to listen or speak to remember
 may sub-vocalise or move in rhythm while learning
 do not usually take notes
 like class discussions
 often listen to music while learning
 can repeat back what they have heard
They need to write down what they have learned aloud.

16. Auditory Teachers
 learn and teach through speaking and listening
 many rely on their voice or other auditory input to get
ideas across
 enjoy using music, rhymes, raps to teach
 encourage class discussions
 may work intensively on pronunciation
 make use of story-telling in the classroom

17. Kinaesthetic Emotional Learners
• feel comfortable in a group in which they like the people
• need to connect learning with positive feelings
• often personalise their learning materials
• may need to find their own reasons for learning
• like the freedom to be creative
• need to be able to ask for help
They need to learn to put their emotions aside.

18. Kinaesthetic Emotional Teachers
• learn and teach using feelings and intuition
• use activities which encourage personal and/or emotional
input from learners
• are sensitive to moods in the classroom
• make use of creativity
• may use personal stories to teach
• strive for harmonious atmosphere in class

19. Kineasthetic Motoric Learners
 like to move about
 may play with small objects
 need to try things out for themselves
 learn by doing and real-life experiences
 learn well with manipulatives and things they can touch
They need to write down whatever they learned while
moving about.

20. Kineasthetic Motoric Teachers
 learn and teach through movement or physical activities
 rarely sit while teaching
 make use of mime, role plays, simulations, etc.
 demonstrate concepts or vocabulary physically
 relate learning material to real-life experiences
 make use of manipulatives in the classroom

21. Global / Analytic Model
 Global
 Analytic

22. Global Learners
• remember the entire experience rather than the details
• prefer to try things out rather than read detailed explanations
• perceive information holistically
• are relationship-oriented in groups
• like to please others
• value feelings over facts
• tend to be spontaneous
They need to learn to take criticism without attaching emotions
to it.

23. Global Teachers
• may give general rather than specific goals
• tend to give concrete and/or personal examples while
explaining concepts
• value student-centred classroom and group work or
cooperative learning activities
• have a plan for the lesson but stay flexible and
spontaneous
• encourage discovery or inductive method

24. Analytic Learners
• perceive information in detailed way
• remember specifics
• may prefer to work alone
• are generally self-motivated
• are task-oriented
• value facts over feelings
• can usually take criticism more rationally
They need to work on creating an overview and not get
caught up in the details.

25. Analytic Teachers
• tend to give specific goals
• put emphasis on reflection and analytical reasoning
• prefer deductive approach and give rules first
• may put emphasis on accuracy
• generally follow their plan/syllabus carefully
• may make use of logic puzzles or problem-solving
activities which require critical thinking skills
• may prefer more individual work in the classroom

26. Mind Organisation
Perceive
concretely
Organise non-
systematically
Organise
systematically
Perceive
abstractly
Power
Planner
Expert
Investigator
Radical
Reformer
Flexible
Friend

27. Power Planners
 are organised and plan ahead
 are hard-working
 are perfectionists
 work step-by-step
 need exact instructions
 like routines and structure
 like to know what is expected
They need to learn to accept change and other peoples’
points of view.

28. Power Planner Teachers
 like to set out a plan and follow it
 may note how long activities should take
 are well-organised
 try to ensure handouts are error-free
 give exact instructions and expect them to be followed
 keep the goal of the lesson in mind

29. Expert Investigators
• are logical and systematic
• are sensible, objective and rational
• enjoy research
• are thorough and exact
• may be skeptical
• like to gather information
• understand abstract ideas
• need time
They may need to learn to work with others.

30. Expert Investigator Teachers
• enjoy doing research for lessons
• may use abstract explanations
• generally enjoy complicated or difficult questions from
learners
• make use of critical thinking activities
• explain language rules carefully
• need to feel they are experts in their fields
• take time to prepare lessons carefully

31. Radical Reformers
 are risk-takers and adventurous
 are curious and creative
 may be competitive
 can be strong-willed
 value uniqueness and change
 are persuasive and inspiring
 need real-life experiences to learn
They may need to learn to fit in while maintaining their
individuality.

32. Radical Reformer Teachers
 often look for new and unusual ways to present material
 may deviate from a course book or syllabus when
possible
 enjoy competitive classroom activities
 like being in leadership positions
 notice uniqueness in learners
 try to be inspiring teachers
 make use of real-life experiences in the classroom
 enjoy a challenge

33. Flexible Friends
 are ‘people people’
 are creative and imaginative
 are sensitive and compassionate
 are spontaneous
 are flexible
 are enthusiastic and idealistic
 make decisions with their hearts
They may need to learn to concentrate less on personal
relationships.

34. Flexible Friend Teachers
 show personal interest in learners
 make use of personalised and imaginative activities
 place value on sharing feelings and emotions
 show compassion in the classroom
 enjoy working with other colleagues
 express enthusiasm and idealism
 strive for harmony in class and with colleagues

35. A complete profile
 Which of my senses do I use to perceive information?
 How do I store and recall information?
 Do I prefer abstract ideas or concrete situations?
 Do I use emotions or logic to understand?
 Do I organise systematically or non-systematically?

36. What makes activities appeal to
different learner types?
 Use different sensory channels
 Make use of different cognitive processing
 Accept different forms of organisation
 Help learners make use of strengths
 Create possibility to discover new strategies
 Accept how students learn
 Give feeling of progress

37. Activities

38. VAK Activities

39. What have I changed?
 Put learners in pairs.
 Have them look at each other.
 Ask them to stand back-to-back and change
something about their appearance.
 Have them look at each other again and find
out what has been changed.
 Extension: first in pairs, then walk about to
music, find each other – what has they
other changed.
Sandy Millan
www.eltpics.com

40. The Statue
 Call learners up one by one.
 The first makes a pose as a statue.
 The second adds to the statue.
 This continues until several learners have created a final
statue.
 Have them sit down and recall what happened.
 Extension: Write out the sequence of what happened.
@dfogarty
www.eltpics.com

41. Can you describe the drawing?

42. Global / Analytic Activities

43. What would you do if ...?
 Send two people out of the room and choose a topic.
 Bring the two people back in and have them ask the
others ‘What would you do if this happened to you?‘
 Based on the answers they get, they should try to guess
what happened.
************************************************
it began to rain ice cream?
You had to come to work in your pajamas?

44. The Yes-No Hotseat
 Ask for a volunteer to think of an activity.
 Have the others ask questions to try and guess what the
activity is.
 The person answering is not allowed to say ‘Yes or No‘
but must find alternative ways to answer.
 If the person says ‘Yes or No‘ they tell the group the
activity and another volunteer is chosen.

45. The envelope game
 Brainstorm jobs.
 Hand out envelopes and small pieces of paper to each of the
learners.
 Have them write their names on their envelopes.
 They then pass their envelopes to the person on their right
who writes a job on a piece of paper they think the person is
suited for and puts it in the envelope.
 The envelopes are passed around till they come back to their
owners who take out the jobs and look at them.
 The learners discusses the jobs they feel they are suited for
and why.

46. Mind organisation activities

47. Can you sell it?
 Brainstorm persuasive language.
 Discuss USPs.
 Divide the group into buyers and sellers.
 Tell the buyers that they can buy a total of three different
products.
 Tell the sellers to look around the classroom and find an
object they can sell.
 Give them a time limit and then debrief to find out who
was successful and why.

48. My personal mindmap
Marjorie
UB
o
1975
voice
Opera
Camarata
1981
NLP
Santa
Cruz
adult ed
Graz
University
methodology
business
Englishteacher
training

49. Activities
 What have I changed?
 The statue
 Can you describe the drawing?
 What would you do if …?
 The ‘yes-no’ hotseat
 The envelope game
 Can you sell it?
 Personal mindmaps

50. Where do learning styles fit in?
 A way to raise awareness
 Learners take an active part
 Can increase motivation
 Learner-centred
 Help learners develop successful strategies

51. Time for Reflection
 Which activities would you enjoy doing?
 Do these activities reflect your learner type?
 Which activities will work in your classroom?
 Do you have any ideas for adapting the activities?
@val360
www.eltpics.com

52. Any questions?

53. Thank you for your
attention.
marjorie.rosenberg@tele2.at

54. Acknowledgements
Photos used
by Sandy Millan, @dfogarty and @val360 for
www.eltpics.com (crowd-sourced, Creative Commons
licensed photo resource by and for teachers)
Activities taken from
Spotlight on Learning Styles, Marjorie Rosenberg,
Delta Publishing 2013