One approach that I use to try to satisfy the needs of kinesthetic learners in a management program is through role play exercises. For instance, in regards to being a manager who needs to present a negative performance review, I will hand out a case study with the details for the students to review while I read it to them. I then ask the students to write out a step by step approach to presenting the negative review to an associate. When they are comfortable with their approach, I have the students role play with each other to get an understanding of how they would feel presenting a negative performance review.
Hi Mary - you are certainly running an active classroom! Susan
I create activities for class whichare short, 20-30 minutes, to keep the class moving quickly. I also ask the students to present their answers to the class and ask one another questions. This seems to help keep different types of learners engaged.
Thanks, I wish I had every day filled with such activities...always looking to incorporate more activities/ideas!
Hi Steven - Thanks for your post to the forum. The one-on-one feedback that you give is excellent!
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Jennifer - What a fun and interactive classroom you are running! Do they get syrup too? LOL! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I like taking things NON- dental to get my point across. The physical properties of dental materials like tensile strength. Having everyone hold a rubber band and a paper clip and tell me what the difference in the tensile strength between the two. In illustrating Flow, actually bringing in a griddle and making pancakes thin and thick demonstrating that both are pancakes, but notice how it changes with different consistencies and flow.
I teach technical subjects, getting students familiar with computers, networks and operating systems. These students mostly prefer to learn by performing tasks that accomplish meeting a specified goal.
Because one task is frequently dependent on a previous task being done correctly, I normally provide examples and instructions with both written words and pictures. This is what follows after I've lectured on the general category and discussed the specifics of what we're trying to achieve.
We'll go through this process for a couple of class sessions, then I'll have them repeat the exercise as one larger graded lab. The most important part seems to be having the student present at their laptop as I'm grading their lab, and point out what was right, and how to correctly do what wasn't quite right.
I look at the grading process as a way to fine-tune the instruction.
I start teaching digital layout with powerpoints and learning videos, but the most effective learning tool is the "classroom in a book" method. The hands-on exercises can be repeated and it gets the students to begin learning important steps and following direction.
You are very welcome, Romeo! (I liked your idea of using them in the future - maybe also as a tutor?) Susan
That's a great idea, a return demo. or a "teach back".
I might also inspire them that if they can do a good job doing this thing, I might consider them as a future lab. instructor.
Thanks Susan.
One approach is to operate in front of them and let do it them selfs.
Hi Robert - Thanks for your post to the forum. I agree that especially with the sort of classes that you teach - "doing" is essential! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Romeo - Thanks for your post to the forum. These learners love to practice active learning as you know. How about asking them to "teach back" or do demos themselves for the class?
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Jose- Thanks for your post to the forum. Having your students particpate in a realistic scenario that is essentially what they will encounter in their career is ideal! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Some of my instructional approaches for students that are kinesthetic learners are as followed:
We have a lab for our Anesthesia Technology program and our lab provides the environment of a real operating room. Here our students are to simulate different anesthesia technology duties while we create role play for our student as I am the anesthesiologist and I need the students to develop a plan of action or prepare supplies need for an anesthetic procedure that will be performed by the anesthesiologist. The student is given the case description and is required to assist in the hand on approach by setting up all required equipment and supplies.
So I have found that these students ability to put themselves in case scenario with guidance gives them the best learning methods and I am able achieve my ultimate goal and that is the objectives of the course.
Jon, I think its great that you have a passion for the subject you teach. After all, it all comes down to psych ! Susan's idea for You Tube is a great resource,, all you need now is the textbook. You Tube could demonstrate most, if not all, of the concepts of psychology. Thank you.
Stewart, I like your approach a lot because you allow them to apply and put the information into practice. For many learners and especially kinesthetic ones this enables them to grasp the skill physically and intellectually. Thank you.
Many years back when I was a school kid we had little books called " Think and Do"... I guess that helped shape my approach to teaching that encompasses the cognitive and kinesthetic domains of learning. Most students, myself included, respond best to this combination as it reinforces the concepts with action/ application. PRACTICE makes perfect ! I will often tell the students, OK, now lets put this into action and please demonstrate how you would practice a key element of infection control such as hand washing which is too often taken for granted or overlooked. Another example comes after discussion of a topic then I will ask the students to show me how you correctly test a glucometer for accuracy using the test strips and reagents. Also teaching the correct methods for taking a patient's blood pressure is a good way to combine the concepts and significance of what the data means if it is gathered correctly and accurately. These approaches have proven to give the students a solid foundation for their practice as medical assistants.
Kinesthetic learners needs to do it to know it. In my ultrasound laboratory, I normally give a short lecture with illustrations on how to scan the hospital-based protocol of an organ.Then I do a demo of the protocol. The kinesthetic learners loves to do it by themselves thereafter using my techniques and they start to practice their skills. I tell them to save all their sonographic pictures then I check them after they finish. Amazingly they can follow appropriately what they are suppose to do.
Is there any other method you can suggest to further improve this style of teaching to this type of learners?
