Learning Style Patterns of Students Who Possess Numerous Years of Dance Training

Authors

Hannah N. Alger, Grand Valley State UniversityFollow

Disciplines

Educational Methods | Sports Studies

Mentor

Brandi Angelosanto

Abstract

Dancers are frequently asked how they are able to recall choreography and memorize a variety of dance techniques. The potential difference of dancer’s learning style was exanimated using the VARK learning style test, among colligate level dancers, ages 18-25 years old with 10+ years of dance training in comparison to full time non-dancer students at Grand Valley State University.

A learning style is an individual’s consistent way of perceiving, processing and retaining new information. The VARK (visual, aural, read/write, kinesthetic) contains only one dimension of the complex combination of preferences that make up a person’s learning style. According to Neil Fleming (educator and researcher at Lincoln University, New Zealand) designer of VARK states there are four measures for learning information, Visual, Aural, Read/write, and Kinesthetic sensory. Visual learning includes, depiction of information in maps, spider diagrams, charts, graphs, flow charts, labelled diagrams, etc. This learning style does not include movies, videos or PowerPoint. Aural refers to information that is heard or spoken, examples include lectures or group discussion. Read/write is described when information is displayed as words, this includes manuals, reports, essays and assignments. Finally, kinesthetic style is “learning through concrete personal experiences, examples, practice or simulation” (Fleming & Mills, 1992, p. 140-141).

The purpose of this study is to describe the potential difference of dancer’s learning style compared to the average non-dancer’s learning style through Fleming & Mill’s VARK (Verbal, Aural, Read/write, and Kinesthetic sensory) learning style test. It is hypothesized that dancers will possess a kinesthetic learning style compared to a non-dancer.

ScholarWorks Citation

Alger, Hannah N., "Learning Style Patterns of Students Who Possess Numerous Years of Dance Training" (2017). Honors Projects. 666.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/honorsprojects/666