Because I am partially deaf, I feel the students gain a better knowledge by using their senses to see, hear, touch. This way any student will benefit in learning all ways.
Blake,
One idea is teams - teaming up stronger with weaker students when questioning. A variation is assigning these teams beforehand with homework, prepared to discuss the next day. Another idea is to "randomly" select students to come to the white board to be a transcriber, writing your words. Although weaker as an exercise, it's a way to engage the quiet ones, and involves multiple senses. If your class takes a break mid class, you could also require each student has to give a correct answer before exiting the classroom. Really anything you want to do, can be effective if you institute it with an attitude of fun, creativity and student learning and engagement as the motivation.
Barry Westling
A visual presentation of a skill topic just summarized verbally creates many of those 'aha' moments - verbal,visual,hands on - and reviewing. I use the white board extensively, but have also added poster boards (from the local hobby shop) with pictures of the subject matter I am discussing. I've also asked students questions regarding topics and invariably, a few students repeatedly answer, while most sit back and listen. I have also tried asking a student directly for feedback, but this sometimes turns into a 'delayed response' - or no response. Time management, being critical our class environment, doesn't allow for much of a delay. Any input on how I might better get a more broad participation.
Wayne,
Good practice, as you're engaging students by involving them and by necessity, involving multiple senses.
Barry Westling
I like to use a combination of Power Point, students reading out loud and lecture. I then ask what their critical-thinking views are and how these views relate to various situations. I also provide guides to prepare for weekly exams. I have found this technique beneficial to student learning, as it covers a wide variety of learn "types".
Jeff,
Multiple senses obviously improve learning. Simple activities such as the flip chart provide visual, tactile, and verbal senses by default.
Barry Westling
One strategy to get students to use their sense while learning is to vary the medium in which lecture is delivered. Also varying the type of assignments which the students have to complete. It is important to engage at least two sense as this will increase the retention of knowledge.
Frank,
I believe the sense of smell is very powerful to learning. The best example is detecting a scent that immediately takes one back to a memory long ago. Incorporating all the senses whenever we can can only help the instructional process.
Barry Westling
Although it might sound strange, the sense of smell can be used as a learning aid. In the medical/dental profession, smell can be an indicator of a spectrum of pathologies. For example, the sweet aromatic breath of a patient may be an indicator of ketosis a symptom of diabetes.
Andrea,
Great way to integrate senses and variety into your lessons.
Barry Westling
With the ease of using PowerPoints in lecture I see many instructors printing them and passing them out before each class. Many students then sit and passively listen thinking that everything they need to know is on the handout. Since there is such a clear link between using multiple senses and learning, I prefer to encourage my students to take notes so there is a link from the instructor through the ears, brain and hand! I then will make the PPs available online following the class.
Terry,
Good deal. Helping students know themselves can only help them in national examination credentialing.
Barry Westling
We encourage our students to test or seek out their learning style as they have a difficult national board exam and we can help them with study skillet when we know what type of learner they are
Don,
Assigning activities that provide the instructor insight to students is always a good idea (as time permits).
Barry Westling
Sometimes I like to have the students summarize a chapter or section of the chapter. I feel like it shows me how they are perceiving the information and it occasionally shows me new view points I have not considered.
Joyce,
I try to always have something to pass around, either to demonstrate, or just keep the interest of the class. Handling objects is just such a simple but effective method to keep attention and the flow of the class moving along.
Barry Westling
I personally learn by doing, so I incorporate varrious activities that are hands on in my classes. I also encourage verbal participation, games, and occationally craft type learning methods. I'm always looking for new ideas to keep it interesting. Joyce
Melville,
In a very general sense, anytime we can get students engaged, involved, participating, I believe we are using multiple senses as a matter of default. Smell and odor are very powerful (think of a smell that immediately takes us back to a memory decades earlier). Yes, more senses helps retention of information, but I don't always try to force it -- just engage the students.
Barry Westling
I love using different methods to appeal to different learning styles. Auditory and visual aren't too difficult to figure out, but beyond that how can one integrate those other types of styles, especially hands-on activities into classes on philosophical and political concepts? I use a few tricks like having them apply the hedonistic calculus formula to a social issue and to make a poster to demonstrate ethical issues in Brave New World, but I'd like to add new tactics for other concepts like Aristotle's Golden Mean, Plato's Theory of Forms, or Kant's Deontology. Are there any other Ethics instructor's out there willing to share some ideas?
Thank you,
Melville Petrosky
Marcos,
Yeah, mixing it up addresses more student needs, and also makes the class more interesting too.
Barry Westling
