Education Learning Styles; Optimizing Learning Strategies for an Aural Learner

Different students may have different learning styles. The potential learning styles will favor particular aspects of the learning process which are most effective for any a particular student. Learning styles may be assessed in a number of ways; one useful tool is the questionnaire. The VARK questionnaire poses questions regarding preferred approaches and methods of learning. The answers are correlated in order to determine a learner's dominant or preferred learning style. There are four different styles; visual, aural, read/write and Kinesthetic (VARK, 2012). In completing the questionnaire it is unlikely that only a single learning style will be present, but one or two may be dominant. In this paper it is a dominant aural style which is examined; looking at the style itself, how strategies used by a student may be compared to the recommended strategies and the way in which the learning strategies may be improved.

The aural learning style is found in learners where auditory input is most likely to be effective. The learning benefits from mediums and approaches which provide sound the student can hear. This may be listening to sound in person, such as with a collage lecture in a classroom. It may also be seen with other forms of auditory delivery, including discussions, listening to radio and television as well as computer audio files, such as MP3 files and podcasts that are available...

It is also notable that while auditory input may be dominated by speech aural learners may are not limited to talking; audio input and also include other types of sounds which compliment leaning, or a combination of talking and other sounds.
The preferred strategies of a student are likely to reflect their dominant learning style but may also include less effective strategies. Learning strategies used by a student can be examined and assessed against the approaches which are recommended for their leering style; in this case the aural style. Examples of learning strategies utilized include ensuring attendance at lectures and listening carefully. However, a heavy focus on listening may detract from efficient note taking. It is possible that in the past the lack of note taking, or poor notes which were seen following a lesson, may have been perceived as lazy or lax by other students and even teachers. Another strategy which may be used is practice by doing, with increased understanding being gained from a 'hands on' approach. Reading may also have been used to make up for poor notes, as even the best listener is unlikely to remember everything they have heard in an entire lesson. This may sometimes pose challenges, finding the relevant knowledge in a book and reading it several times in order to retain that knowledge.

Examining the strategies which are recommended for aural learners there does appear to be some alignment between the practices and the recommendations. This may be explained by the natural gravitation towards aural strategies. However, not all of the strategies are those which are optimal for an aural learner.

There is a strong recommendation for all learning processes which focus on auditory input. The attending of a class to hear a lesson or lecture is recommended and seen in list of approaches which are advocated (VARK, 2012). It is also noted that aural learners may be ineffective at taking notes in class, so the symptom of poor note taking is also typical of an aural learning style (VARK, 2012).

The use of hands on strategy is usually associated with a kinesthetic, where learners benefit from psychically undertaking tasks; touching,…