How to Improve Online Learning with VARK^®

Online learning changes how learners engage with content.

Some approaches become easier—such as reading and accessing visual materials—while others, like discussion and hands-on experience, can be harder to replicate.

VARK provides a simple way to restore balance. It helps learners stay active by exploring different ways to learn, adapting when their usual approach isn’t available, and taking more control of their learning.

Online learning tends to shift the balance of how content is experienced:

• Read/write ? often increases (notes, articles, instructions)
• Visual ? remains easy to provide (diagrams, charts, slides)
• Aural ? reduced unless deliberately built in
• Kinesthetic ? reduced unless actively designed for

The challenge is not to replace classroom learning exactly, but to ensure learners still engage actively.

Practical Strategies for Each VARK Mode

• Use diagrams, maps, and structured layouts
• Highlight relationships between ideas
• Encourage learners to create their own visuals

• Include opportunities for discussion (live or asynchronous)
• Use recorded explanations and verbal walkthroughs
• Encourage learners to explain ideas aloud

• Provide clear written summaries and structured notes
• Encourage learners to rewrite, organise, and summarise content
• Use lists, headings, and prompts to guide thinking

• Use case studies, simulations, and real-world examples
• Ask learners to apply ideas to practical situations
• Encourage connections between theory and personal experience

The Real Lever: Variety and Choice

Effective online learning is not about providing everything in every format.

Instead:

• Use a mix of approaches across your course
• Avoid overwhelming learners with too many options
• Encourage learners to choose and test strategies

The goal is flexibility, not uniformity.

Build Connection Deliberately

One of the biggest challenges in online learning is the loss of natural interaction.

To address this, build in:

• discussion opportunities
• collaborative tasks
• regular chances to ask questions

Learners often gain as much from each other as they do from the teacher.
A sense of connection supports both motivation and persistence.

Practical Teaching Tips

• Use a mixture of modalities across your course – not everything has to be presented in each of the four modalities, but aim for a mixture of the four over the course as a whole.
• Keep materials clear, structured, and manageable, so that the key points are clear and learners don’t become overloaded.
• Support learners who are new to online learning – some will need to develop new self-study, time-management, and technology skills.
• Pay particular attention to Aural and Kinesthetic needs.
• Build interaction and engagement intentionally.
• Find alternatives to face-to-face communication, both between you and your students and between learners.

Using VARK with Online Learners

VARK works best when learners:

1. Complete the questionnaire
2. Reflect on their results
3. Apply strategies to real learning tasks

In online settings, this provides a structured way to keep learning active and personalised.

A Simple Way to Implement VARK Online

If you’re working with a group of learners, you’ll want a simple way to:

• deliver the questionnaire
• provide results and strategies
• guide reflection and follow-up

A VARK Subscription gives you a structured way to do this in one place.

Supporting Your Learners

Online learning requires new habits and skills.

You can support your learners by:

• helping them reflect on how they learn
• encouraging experimentation with different strategies
• providing guidance on managing time and staying motivated

You can also share practical advice directly with learners: