I use music in my Powerpoints, I always prepare a Prezi for visual change, and I love Youtube as long as it is relevant, current, and addresses my class objectives. In addition, I assign my students a video recording project to embed content with humor. Part of my review for a final includes asking my students to close their eyes and envision pertinent anatomical functioning, no speaking and no napping!
Patricia,
Great! We all use multiple senses every day in our work setting, incorporating general senses (vision, audible, tactile, etc) along with special senses (balance, pressure, hot/cold/ pain, etc) into the daily tasks and activities that are required for us to be successful for our employers. Bringing similar sensory experiences into our daily class routines will be just as beneficial.
Barry Westling
I like doing the same with my students. I find assigning students presentations on material helps solidify their learning experience. They get to practice research and presentation skills, both will serve them in the work enviroment.They become "expert" in the topic and gain self confidence and enthusiasum for their future career.
Tim,
Repetition with study and review with discussion usually assures students at least are receiving the needed information in class. By adding senses in the learning process, long term memory retention is more likely.
Barry Westling
I work at a Culinary Arts school and our classrooms are designed to effectively address all sensory learning styles. We discuss the topic, demonstrate the topic and then the students re-create the topic. One important thing for us is to re-discuss the results afterwards to summarize and re-affirm the material.
Kristen,
Longer classes especially can benefit from breaking up the class into smaller pieces, or "chunks" of time and activities. They even call this chunking, and by adding frequent variety, students stay interested and class is a bit more enjoyable as a result.
Barry Westling
I also like to do this! I like breaking the class up. Too much lecture makes them tired, and honestly it tires me out too! (hahaha)
Susan,
I agree -- review and repetition are among the important ways students transfer short term memory into long term memory. And I think most individuals rely on the auditory and visual senses, even if one is more dominant. If we're creative, introducing other senses into the instructional plan can only help the learning process, and probably make it more interesting as well.
Barry Westling
Cynthia,
Most instruction that has a practical application (labs, skills, clinic, extern) reinforces learning and helps cement the theory into the practical, especially as it relates to the work setting.
Barry Westling
I have used a simple questionaire to identy the learning styles of each student - most of us are predominately 2 types - according to the experts! I find that using more than one of our senses helps to imprint the new knowledge - that along with review and repetition.
In the field I teach in (dental hygiene) lecture is made more meaningful by following the sight (powerpoint etc) and hearing with the actual hands on (tactile) . When students are beginning to learn in their preclinic classes, they are given an enormous amount of information in the classroom to prepare them for the hands on experience in the lab or clinic. However I have found by adding the touch factor to the lecture the information is processed and seems to be retained better. For example, when learning about the parameters of vitals (blood pressure, pulse, temperature, respiration) it makes more sense to have them feel for a pulse, examine the stethoscope/cuff, watch a neighbor's respirations.
Christie,
Touch and sight are relied on so much, but other senses (balance, temperature, pressure, smell, pain, etc.) can be just as stimulating and assist with recall. I think about a smell and an instant memory from long ago is recalled. That always demonstrates how powerful some senses can be.
Barry Westling
In Anatomy and Physiology I find it is helpful to involve all of the senses to improve student understanding. Dissections certainly enhance learning but I believe after they have touched and examined a specimen they retain more of what has been taught.
Janelle,
Sounds great. Variety is always a better approach to take just because we know students will be more engaged, stay interested, and their focus is better maintained. And its a more enjoyable and interesting learning experience as well. By varying the activities we're bound to strike a good match with most of the different learning styles.
Barry Westling
One of the strategies that I use in teaching students is to get a sense of their preferred learning style; for some students this may be auditory, others visual or kinesthestic. Once the layout of the land is known, various exercises, group projects, mini-lectures, in class exercises, presentations, demonstrations, etc. can be incorporated into the lesson plan to engage the variety of learning styles present. The wide variety of tools is helpful to cement the learning in all learning styles as well and besides it is more fun for the instructor and the students!
Gail,
I would think that in mathematics, much of what is taught involves ideas and similar intangible concepts. Perhaps using tactile, kinesthetic, auditory and visual examples to help reinforce the lessons, theory and ideas may become more tangible, at least in the students minds eye.
Barry Westling
I teach mathematics, and find that I use a variety of senses in my delivery of the material. Of course, there are notes and examples to be seen on the board. The students hear my explanation of the examples, and I also like to give the students an opportunity to practice examples with each other. We occasionally use hands-on material so the students also have an opportunity to touch what they are learning.
Trinity,
Instructors are creative folks who can generate original ideas to utilize senses in their classes. I often cite the power of smell by the example of a smell or ordor that instantly brings back a memory, perhaps from long ago. Wow, that's powerful recall!
Barry Westling
I think this is a fun way to look at learning. How can I appeal to their senses. Visual, touch, and auditory we often find easy. Taste and smell are harder (unless you teach food classes.) I have seen a few: taste tests in a marketing class, using smell in creating an environment. These would be great studies, if you actually did it in class.
Jamey,
Like most people, I have experienced a smell that instantly brought to my mind a memory from long past years. I reflect on that to demonstrate the power there is in the senses and recall of important information. Not every lesson will enable an instructor to utilize all the senses, but having an awareness of their value and stimulating the senses where possible will be beneficial.
Barry Westling
