There are many ways to think about how people learn. For most trainers and classroom teachers, Neil Fleming’s “VARK” model is an extremely useful tool for building curriculum and designing training modules. This model categorizes learning styles, factoring in how different individuals can best absorb and process new information and learn new skills. When we provide training that incorporates all these preferences, we go a long way toward ensuring it is engaging and effective for everyone, regardless of their preferred learning style.

 

VARK in a Nutshell

In the VARK model, Fleming identified four broad learning styles (or “modalities”). These are tied to how a person experiences the world through their senses: VARK is an acronym for Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic/Tactile.

• Visual learners rely on their eyes. They are keen observers, most comfortable learning by watching a video or demonstration. YouTube is a blessing for visual learners.
• Auditory learners are listeners. They are comfortable with traditional classroom settings that rely heavily on lectures. They prefer being told driving directions over being shown a map.
• Reading/Writing learners are classic “book smart” people. They read the instruction manual, thrive when given articles and textbooks, and excel at written tests.
• Kinesthetic/Tactile learners like to “get their hands dirty.”  They learn best by following a step-by-step process, hands-on exploration, moving through an exhibit, handling samples, or working on projects.

It’s important to keep in mind that VARK Learning Styles aren’t limitations; they’re preferences. For example, almost all “visual” learners can learn from reading instructions or listening to a lecture; they find visual stimulation the most engaging.

Relatively few people fit squarely into one style. According to Fleming, about two-thirds of all people are “multimodal” learners, preferring a mix of two or more instructional styles. When people do have a very strong preference, it tends to be for Kinesthetic/Tactile instruction (so-called “haptic learners”). About 25 percent of all people are primarily haptic learners. By comparison, only around two to six percent of learners would be categorized as strongly preferring one of the other three styles.

That said, almost everyone benefits from haptic instruction. According to experts, around 88 percent of learners are either primarily haptic or multimodal, with a mix of styles that includes kinesthetic or tactile instruction.

 

How to Include Kinesthetic/Tactile Instruction in Transit Operator Training

Traditionally, education in general has favored the Auditory and Reading/Writing learners by relying on textbooks, lectures, and written tests. This isn’t because these methods are ideal for most people. It was simply the only viable option for most topics. As video technology advanced and became more accessible through the early 2000s, Visual learners benefited enormously. We’re now seeing those benefits extend to all learners as simulation technology grows and expands.

William Cameron is Director of Safety and Training at Paul Revere Transportation. He previously spent 25 years in Operator training at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).

“Anytime that I developed a curriculum,” Cameron explains, “I always tried to meet all four of those learning styles. Throughout the years, it grew easier to do that. For example, moving from just written tests and lectures to PowerPoint presentations, and embedding video examples of actual roadway incidents into those presentations. But Kinesthetic was always the hardest. For a long time, your only good option was putting them behind the wheel of a bus out on the road.”

But behind-the-wheel training, while invaluable, also has limitations. That’s especially the case for trainees who are struggling with a specific element of a multifaceted skill. Cameron uses right-hand turns as an example. He recalled working with a trainee who struggled to develop a proper sense of how to set up their pivot point.

“You explain it,” Cameron says, “have them get out of the bus, show them the position of the curb and the bus, get back in, go around the block, and try it again. Over and over again. It’s really time-consuming and really disruptive to their learning.”

With simulation, Cameron can break the maneuver into its smaller components, help the trainee pinpoint where they are struggling, master that element, and then build it back into a complete maneuver.

 

Effective Training for all Learners Using Simulation

Simulation training has expanded the options for many instructors and trainees. “Traditionally, kinesthetic is the hardest to incorporate,” Cameron reiterates. “But with the simulator, it actually becomes the easiest.” Once they sit down in the simulator, the Kinesthetic/Tactile learner is automatically and continuously engaged.

For example, let’s go back to that Kinesthetic learner who is struggling with curb strikes. If they bump the curb during a turn in the simulator, you can instantly jump back to try again. Or you can change the view out the front windows, so instead of seeing the roadway, they are viewing the bus from above as it negotiates the turn, or seeing a curb-side view. In the sim, the trainee can see and feel how all the elements of that maneuver need to come together to complete a clean turn. This makes later behind-the-wheel training in the actual bus both safer and more productive, as the trainee can transfer their simulated preparation into real-world practice.

Using simulation to empower effective trainers is key to achieving the best outcomes for the widest range of learners. For more than 50 years, FAAC has provided hands-on training simulators for transit agencies, public safety, the military, and private industry, and is noted for advancing mass transit Operator training. Our solutions give trainers all the tools they need to plan lessons, put trainees through realistic driving situations, evaluate their performance, and keep them engaged.

Ready to fully engage every learning style with your transit training driver program? Contact us. Our team of experts looks forward to helping you make the most of every minute of training.