Accommodating Learner Preferences
How do you plan your instruction to accommodate the different learning preferences of your students?
Dr. Meers,
It is quite easy for me to accommodate my students learning styles because of the field i teach. I perform both lecture and demonstration because the objectives are primarily practical application test. When i plan i have this in mind and dedicate a large portion of the class to practical trial and error teaching with mini lectures no longer than 10 minutes throughout the class.
Most of our students "learn by doing" I find that it is easier to lecture on a topic, get feedback, ideas, suggestions and answer any questions or doubts in the classroom then proceed to the lab and demonstrate the procedure, where the students will learn and practice what they just discussed and learning is easier.
At some point our student must be come hands on. (Driving a truck) this is were at times there maybe problems id the student doesn't have good coronation.
Careful deliberation is the key to accommodating different learning preferences for your students. A variety of teaching methodologies should be utilized to ensure that the most students get the most out of the lesson.
Sometimes I plan for it but sometimes I improvise in changing my teaching style. For instance, I might be set on lecturing on a topic but when I see that the students aren't very receptive/don't seem to get it I choose a demonstration or go the problem based route. Even though the answers they come up with are not always 100% accurate, this forces them to interact and gives me an indicator of what it is they don't understand.
A good instructor will accommodate many different learning syles in thier classroom to assure that every student will be able to understand the material that is being presented.
While I was in graduate school we quite often were required to use Kolb's Theory to create presentations. I still use this when possible because it does provide education to every student's learning style. I try to incorporate lecture with hands-on activities or mixed with case studies where the nursing students can use their critical thinking skills and apply previously acquired knowledge. Although, teaching to each students style can be difficult, if a student is struggling, often one-to-one tutoring or extra help can be modified to their preferred style.
I also use a pretest. With math the range of abilities varies so widely it gives me a better idea of the areas where students are weak. It also gives me a chance to review the material the students had in the preceding math course. I do like the idea of adding survey questions to understand the learning styles of the students and plan to implement that this coming quarter.
The didactic portion of our current curriculum is delivered primarily in lecture format. We traditionally incorporate instructional lectures that follow along with a Power Point presentation. Within the PPT, there are often video clips or web links directing us to other formats and expanded information. The students have also been given access to the Power Point in the form of a handout to familiarize them with the content ahead of time. That way we hope to reach both the auditory and visual learners. However, after taking this course, I can see that we need to find ways to insert other methods of instruction, such as group work, more case studies and hands on (tactile) opportunities if we are to be effective and hold the students' interest, especially with the amount of material we need to cover and the length of our classes (7 hours!).
To accommodate different learning preferences I try to incorporate different audio/visual elements into my lectures. Sometimes I will play a news story of a current event that relates to my subject. Other times I may screen a short documentary on a subject or part of a speech or lecture from another person on the subject. Other times I have my students guide me through the steps of a simple example.
I also try to do as much hands-on learning as possible. Labs and group activities are great for this and always bring up questions and even problems in a very organic way.
I would do a power point presentation as well as have students follow along in their books as I do a verbral presentation with added real life expr
experience to go along with the lecture. I feel it allows for each student to grasp the material.
I teach out of three different textbooks.
I lecture from a photo,diagram, youtube, and outline packed powerpoint presentation for one book (visual,auditory & written).Students get a copy of all powerpoint slides even when I don't lecture from them so that they have a summary to take notes on.
I lecture from another textbook and have students fill out varying Venn diagrams for another(visual,auditory & written).
I have coloring diagrams to accompany the delivery of the anatomy text lecture. I will reinforce these materials with jeopardy type games or students acting out physiology processes such as the flow of blood through the heart. Each student plays one chamber of the heart or a lung and the blood is passed through the heart in the correct sequence (visual & tactile). They roll their eyes when I first introduce this exercise but they get really into it. During their final exam I see them making physical motions to figure out the answers to the test questions. We have a great time!
I usually try to have as many as I can packed into one lecture. Not too long on each one but allow information pushed through multiple avenues. After I learn their styles I can then target their styles.
I try to plan out my instruction in a manner that addresses learners of all types, using a variety of teaching methods and the incorporation of technology. A typical class for me includes lecture with powerpoint and videos to accomodate visual and auditory learners. Then some gamification techniques to reinforce learning and increase student engagement. I also include a virtual clinical excursion or actual simulation in the simulation lab to include the tactile and kinesthetic learners. These are my methods for addressing learners of all types. I also ask students to ask for help when they get to the first concept that they do not understand. I make myself available to students for tutoring and other aid.
James,
Good for you. By knowing their learning styles you can create instructional delivery opportunities that will appeal to their preferences and thus get them more engaged in the course content.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I normally do an assessment of all students to determine learning styles, and then I target all students teaching to their styles.
I have recently implemented using YouTube clips to show demonstrations of what I am talking about as well as having a lecture and physical objects for students to see and pass around the classroom. For my lectures I have developed a PowerPoint and a study guide for students to complete in conjunction with their assigned reading to help them prepare for the weekly quiz in my class. I have tried to become very aware and appreciate that each person learns differently and try to implement the different learning styles into my course.
Norma,
You do have a great setting for student growth and effective instruction. Also, as know effective communication is an essential part of every career so you are helping your students to be better prepared once they graduate.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
As a writing teacher, I'm very lucky. The act of writing appeals to all learners. They write (tactile), read what they wrote (visual), hear what they wrote (auditory), outline before or after (spatial/picture). There are many ways to appeal to the various learners. Combining mini-lectures with writing activities, modeling writing myself, and then building in reflection are more ways to appeal to the various learners.
