Hi Peter:
Great points. I think culinary is unique in some ways because the very nature of the training incorporates the senses by design, and most of the time is probably built into the curriculum.
Regards, Barry
At the school were I teach we use hands on displays of the components we are discussing. Some of the components are cut-aways so the students can see the internal workings and associate the operation with what we have discussed in the power-point. We also then go and see the component in action in the lab, this really helps the students achieve a full grasp of the system or component.
Hi Susan:
Using senses can be very creative, or simple and uncomplicated.
* Lecture: What did you HEAR me emphasizing?
* Discussion: How did you FEEL about what was said?
* Handout: What do you THINK is the primary message. Etc.
Regards, Barry
I also work in a culinary school and my comment to that statement is that the mind is a terrible thing to waste and throughout our lives we are constantly using our senses, some more so than others, so when we taste anything I ask them to recall in their minds if ,when and where they have tried any of the ingredients they have just tasted.
I also ask them in groups of 4 to 6 to close their eyes to visulize an ingredient and see if they get it right.
We Taste,touch and smell things to also see if it is right, and the most difficult one is for them to hear someone call 5 to 6 different food orders and try to remember all the different things that were orders.At the end of the exercise we ask them which ones they value the most and why.It is amazing that many students, just like the rest of us, use our senses all the time even though we do not pay too much attention to them and with our minds we do have total recall to things that are put in our memory..
I think it is best when you can engage the student fully. Listening, trying, and being part of the learning experience all brings them to that AHA moment.
Hi Julie:
Absoutely - engaging students, ivolving multiple senses and introducing variety into the lesson plan, and using multiple resources and media choices, these help keep the attention of student and reinforce their long term memory and retention of learned knowledge. Repetition and practice are key to this as well.
I believe the more the student is involved in their own instruction, the better they will remember and perform in their work or profession. Ways to achieve this involve group discussions, individual presentation of material, conducting research, teaching others and being tested by their peers. Just a few examples.
Regards, Barry
Hi Barry and class,
Adult learners learn more by using all their senses - as an instructor we should develop our lessons plans to incorporate as many senses as possible. hearing, seeing, touching......all important to adult learners. Our lessons should not be all lecture - hands-on, power point presentations, etc will help the adult leaner be able to apply what we are teaching.
Regards,
Julie
Hi Rhonda:
Another great example. Even studying outside of class, if students can re-write their notes, read their notes aloud, put on a fresh pot of coffee or tea and have someone read the notes back, these are just a few ways senses can inhance the learning process. Even reading the rewritten notes into a tape recorder, and play back the tape, hearing their own voice as they read the study cards, here's another example of multiples senses being applied.
BTW the coffee/tea thing: if a student can associate pleasurable with study material, that reinforces the retention of information as well.
Regards, Barry
Hi Rhonda:
Good example, Rhonda. For some, this would be a distraction. Others, relaxing. I think the more senses we can involve will simply reinforce the learning that much more. Don't need to add extra activity for the sole purpose of trying to incorporate a sensory stimulus. But if there's something we can do, or add that facilates learning, that's the ticket.
Regards, Barry
One way I incorporate the senses in my graphic design classes is during our student critique sessions. When viewing e.g., various color schemes, I ask students to think about what senses are activated with each choice. Advertisers continually capitalize on this very thing to sell products, and besides engaging my students in the critique process, it strengthens their understanding of how this works.
I work in a creative field and most of my students are highly visual. Something as simple as allowing them to listen to personal music (with headphones) during their work labs relaxes them as well as stimulating their creativity.
Hi David:
Good example and analogy. Senses contribute to learning. Whenever more senses are involved, it stimulates different parts of thye brain, and contributes to better information retention.
Of course, we are seeking long term memory. The best way for this is review - during the presentation, immediately after (as homework or review at home after class), review early the next day, then again in class.
That doesn't mean we can't quiz daily, but practice and review is very important towards long term memory retention. And students can use their senses in their study and practice as well - not limited to the classroom.
Regards, Barry
Hi Kimberly:
Using senses really just means thinking creatively about alternative ways for students to learn. I mean, we don't to do parlor tricks just so we can sauy we used "tactile stimulation". But many applications, especially dealing with medical, the body, or anatomy are great fodder for creative ways to teach new material to students. And these tend to be more memorable that just some more lecture notes or study cards. Experiment. Don't be afriad that something might not work. That's okay, just modify the next time.
Regards, Barry
It would seem to me that by using 2 or more senses during learning will increase learning retention. You can associate one sensation with another, allowing you to remember important information. For instance, if I hear someone tell me that I'm holding and orange while I'm touching it and looking at it, the three senses working together will trigger eachother in the future when I need to identify that orange again. I can close my eyes while touching the orange and visualize, in my mind, the picture of the orange.
When reading through this I read a lot of things that I found interesting. I never really thought about using the other senses. In medical assisting this might be a little hard to do but I'm going to look into it and see how I can incorperate this into the classroom.
Amanda:
Wow! Great example. Using senses with studying, writing papers, discussions can also utilize sense to inhance the learning process (in other words, not just in class or when demonstrating).
Regards, Barry
I teach massage school, we focus on the power of touch. So needless to say we have to help the students perfect the touch sensation. The other senses such as sight, sound, and smell are all part of the process and I do a lot of hands on and experience in class so the students get the feel of everthing in combination.
Andrew:
Wow! Mood - how important in so many things we do and the environments we live in. Great example!
Regards, Barry
I teach interior design and get students to think about the mood they want to create, and how design evokes the use of our senses.
Hi Penelope:
Good examples. Even with at-home study, more senses used result in better retention. Associating past pleasant sensory stimuli with current study can help students retain essential material. Of course, this works in the classroom as well.
Regards, Barry
