VARK IT!
Main Topic
Mobility - Visibility of Youth
Additional Topic(s)
Empowerment and Inclusion – Diversity
Health - Mental
Solidarity - Participation
Solidarity - Social Activities
Health - Mental
Solidarity - Participation
Solidarity - Social Activities
Duration
2-4 hours
Implementation Mode
Indoor F2F
Goal(s)
● Familiarise with the various learning styles people learn through.
● Explore how to incorporate ways of learning for all VARK modalities
● Creative presentation of an idea/information
Expected Results
Upon completing this activity, youth workers will better understand the 4 learning styles detailed within the VARK framework and have developed their collaborative, presentation and creativity skills.
● Explore how to incorporate ways of learning for all VARK modalities
● Creative presentation of an idea/information
Expected Results
Upon completing this activity, youth workers will better understand the 4 learning styles detailed within the VARK framework and have developed their collaborative, presentation and creativity skills.
Overview of Activity
Everybody learns in different ways. You might read a lot and enjoy studying with just a textbook, you might enjoy learning by doing and working with your hands, you might retain a lot of information by listening, or you might prefer information given to you in the form of graphs, diagrams or pictures. All of these are valid ways of learning which we all practice to varying degrees.
Description of Activity
The acronym VARK stands for Visual, Aural, Read/write, and Kinaesthetic. These are the 4 sensory modalities that people use for learning information and is the foundation of this activity. Alongside this foundation, is to explore the relationship between how we learn and Covid-19. Many people saw the forced slow-down of life and lockdowns due to Covid-19 as an opportunity to learn, and now that the pandemic is over, people have an appetite to re-engaging with learning in a re-opened world.
This activity will have youth workers creating their own lesson/presentation of a chosen subject that incorporates elements from all 4 VARKs. In this way, youth workers can deepen their understanding of ways of learning and importantly investigate new ways of incorporating it in their teaching practice, especially in the slightly altered classroom environment since Covid-19.
1. As a group, watch this video about VARK (Visual, Audio, Reading/writing, Kinaesthetic) Modalities: What kind of learner are you? - The 4 different learning styles - YouTube (7 minutes)
2. Allow time after the video for anybody to share any insights or feelings on these learning styles. People can share what learning style they think is their most prominent, or if they think they learn through a mixture of these VARK modalities, or if they have any unique ways of teaching something visually, with audio, with reading/writing, or kinaesthetically.
3. Participants are now tasked with creating a presentation on a subject, and presenting it to the group.
The presentation.
Should incorporate all VARK ways of learning.
The main form of the presentation is flexible, whether it be a PowerPoint, Canva, Prezzi, role play, uses props, is interactive etc.
Be between 5 and 7 minutes (depending on how many presentations there will be)
Subject matter.
Can be anything.
It could be for example: ‘Brussels’, ‘German Food’, ‘Dogs’, ‘Cats’, ‘Dog vs Cats’, a historical event.
The facilitator can choose to limit this by deciding on a theme in which participants are limited by such as: The EU, or Animals.
Timeframe.
This activity will be completed over two sessions. The first session, of approx. 30 – 40 minutes, acts as a briefing session for the main activity. The second session, of approx. 60 – 80 minutes, is for all participants to present. The gap between sessions can be 1 week or 1 hour or anything in-between.
4. To close the activity allow time for reflection at the end about anything anybody learned from anybody else or themselves. Participants
This activity will have youth workers creating their own lesson/presentation of a chosen subject that incorporates elements from all 4 VARKs. In this way, youth workers can deepen their understanding of ways of learning and importantly investigate new ways of incorporating it in their teaching practice, especially in the slightly altered classroom environment since Covid-19.
1. As a group, watch this video about VARK (Visual, Audio, Reading/writing, Kinaesthetic) Modalities: What kind of learner are you? - The 4 different learning styles - YouTube (7 minutes)
2. Allow time after the video for anybody to share any insights or feelings on these learning styles. People can share what learning style they think is their most prominent, or if they think they learn through a mixture of these VARK modalities, or if they have any unique ways of teaching something visually, with audio, with reading/writing, or kinaesthetically.
3. Participants are now tasked with creating a presentation on a subject, and presenting it to the group.
The presentation.
Should incorporate all VARK ways of learning.
The main form of the presentation is flexible, whether it be a PowerPoint, Canva, Prezzi, role play, uses props, is interactive etc.
Be between 5 and 7 minutes (depending on how many presentations there will be)
Subject matter.
Can be anything.
It could be for example: ‘Brussels’, ‘German Food’, ‘Dogs’, ‘Cats’, ‘Dog vs Cats’, a historical event.
The facilitator can choose to limit this by deciding on a theme in which participants are limited by such as: The EU, or Animals.
Timeframe.
This activity will be completed over two sessions. The first session, of approx. 30 – 40 minutes, acts as a briefing session for the main activity. The second session, of approx. 60 – 80 minutes, is for all participants to present. The gap between sessions can be 1 week or 1 hour or anything in-between.
4. To close the activity allow time for reflection at the end about anything anybody learned from anybody else or themselves. Participants
Sources & Additional Materials
● Materials will depend on how participants decide they will present
● "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXx8Je1v6Xo">What is VARK? How to Use VARK to Find Your Learning Style to be a Better Learner! - YouTube
● "https://vark-learn.com/introduction-to-vark/the-vark-modalities/?utm_content=cmp-true">The VARK Modalities: Visual, Aural, Read/write & Kinaesthetic (vark-learn.com)
● "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXx8Je1v6Xo">What is VARK? How to Use VARK to Find Your Learning Style to be a Better Learner! - YouTube
● "https://vark-learn.com/introduction-to-vark/the-vark-modalities/?utm_content=cmp-true">The VARK Modalities: Visual, Aural, Read/write & Kinaesthetic (vark-learn.com)
Additional Notes
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