Jan,
I think if we can strive to engage students, getting them to participate in their own learning, multiple senses will be a natural outcome.
Barry Westling
It has shown that learners will be able to retain 60 to 80% of what they have learned if more senses are engaged. By incorporating experiences with sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste in our content delivery will enhance the learning experience of our students. In presenting new knowledge to our students, we might want to incorporate PowerPoint presentation with narration, and we can follow up with actual demonstration.
Cynthia,
More senses, better retention of information.
Barry Westling
Showing videos,doing power points are some strategies for helping students to use their senses in learning
I was trying to think of ways to incorporate taste in some courses (like Criminal Justice, math or Business courses).
I do think that it's helpful to use as many senses as you can, to aid in the learning process.
Wenda,
It's really simple -- the more senses used increases information retention, recall, and application.
Barry Westling
I think it's important to get to know your students. Asking certain questions on the first day and listening to their answers is important. Are they visual learners, observing more from videos than lectures? Do they prefer hands-on learning, where they can touch and see a real-life model/ example?
I think that good PowerPoints can help engage them visual. They can also be used to engage their sense of hearing.
Sight
Touch
Hearing
Smell
Taste
- Depending on the subject matter, teachers can use 2 or more of these senses to promote effective learning (where students understand the material and retain the information).
Ellen,
It's so interesting how increasing sensory stimulation can improve memory and recall, and contribute to enhanced student learning. Sometimes, the sense is the focus, other times, it just accompanies the teaching aids and models being demonstrated. But in either case, learning is improved when facilitated by multiple sensory triggers.
Barry Westling
Scott,
Touching, handling, examining, texture, perhaps even odor can be strong reinforcements of memory and recall. Passing around examples of instruments, tools, parts, or items that the student may see in the work setting do stimulate multiple senses, assist learning, and provideforinteresting discussions.
Barry Westling
You can bring in food which is taste and smell. Easy for me since I teach Anatomy and Physiology. You can use models, videos for vision and hearing. Tactical is models also. Having a discussion is also using senses and many at the same time.
One of the things I like to do is have training aids that I can pass around the classroom, so that students can get their hands on some of the things we're discussing, rather than just looking at a picture of it, or watching a video.
Nicole,
There are many senses that can be used directly or indirectly, such as touch, balance, temperature (hot and cold), balance, pain, pressure. Isn't it amazing that an odor can stir up a memory, sometimes from even years ago? Sensory stimulation can just be a byproduct of learning sessions, and not necessarily the primary focal point.
Barry Westling
As a teacher in the field of media production, we do a very great deal of hands on learning. We have equipment and computer programs we have to train our students on. I do not struggle to find ways to make class "hands on". In fact, we shoot fake films in our classes just to nail down professional behaviors and conduct as well as learning the skill.
Then we take the work we did and we review it through watching the final product. That way, we are able to incorporate sight and sound as well.
What I do struggle with, however, is incorporating other senses such as taste or smell. What can I do ot incorporate the other senses?
michael,
These senses in particular are powerful. We've probably all experienced an odor or fragrance that immediately broght a memory, perhaps even many years past. Using senses in the classroom can contribute long lasting memory and recall of pertinent course information.
Barry Westling
My students learn herb identification through touch, smell and taste. They sample by touch, they rub the leaves to realease oils. THis also realeases fragrance. I then make them taste each one.
Phyllis,
Awesome! Tactile and sense of smell are two senses that I believe can be integrated into most classes or lessons in some way. They are powerful, as in the example of burnt fingers. And I know most have experienced a smell or odor that immediately brought back a memory, perhaps even from years past. Something like that is powerful, and instructors ought to look at methods to integrate even simple examples that will work to reinforce long term memory.
Barry Westling
Since I teach Phlebotomy, I teach my students to rely on their senses all the time. I let them watch me palpate a vein with my eyes closed, then have them try it. It is amazing to see their faces when they suddenly find a vein they could not find when they were looking for it or at it. I call it Zen phlebotomy.
Asha ,
Practical application through demonstration does really help students learn, understand, and remember. The use of senses contributes to this, and any time we can incorporate senses in the instructional plan, that's a good thing, and we should look for for opportunities to integrate senses into our daily lessons whenever possible.
Barry Westling
I think tactile swatches of fabric and fiber that show in my class speak a thousand words. It helps me make my point and students enjoy it at the same time.
Susan,
I think students like stories, and sharing past experiences, situations, or circumstances related to the course of study can be very effective in reconnecting with disengaged students.
Barry Westling
