Jerry,
yes, when we introduce these elements we want to make sure we kind of ease the students into the experience, but kudos for being willing to experiment.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
They have recently repainted the classrooms in my facility from a one color all 4 walls to a 3 color room. What a difference it made. The students loved it and were more involved and they didn't even realize it.
Hi Dr. Meers,
I can speak on a recent effort I made to lesson delivery involving music. My class meets for three hours, twice a week, and one of those days is dedicated to hands-on lab activities. I added a very low volume track of classical piano concerto to play across the slides in a PowerPoint presentation. One student didn't like it because he thought it was "weird", but the majority of others said it was soothing. In hindsight, I see I should have experimented with the music during the lab session.
Sheila,
yes the use of multi-sensory aids can be a great way to engage students in the larning.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
After reading this section, I plan to incorporate music into the classroom setting. I an excited to see if the results of the information will be duplicated in the classroom. I firmly believe that many people are visual learners and the use of color on posters, in projects, and on displays is very important to learning.
Combining color and quotes on the whiteboard each day is helpful.
Given that the majority of my teaching is done in a hands on lab with very specific needs and time restraints I am unable to do a lot of these kinds of environmental changes. I focus on using visual aids that will create an ease for understanding concepts, but that is about all I am able to do.
Tammy,
the different colors of paper are a great way to shift attention as well as to help students distinguish between topics, ideas, etc.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I am limited in my decoration and layout of my classrooms but try to incorporate audiovisual elements wherever appropriate. During lab activities I highlight important notes or time limits using red or blue ink on a whiteboard, with all other notes in black.
I am excited by the thought of incorporating relevant quotes... perhaps even inviting students to submit their own favorite quotes that apply to the lesson to be posted on the board.
I have multiple homework assignments for my students and after reading this section I think it would be benificial to assign different colors of paper to each individual homework assignment. I had never thought to use music in the classroom but I am going to try to incorporate some into my powerpoints for break periods, to begin with.
Not all classes can utilize the above recommendations but when a0pplicabel I try to simulate the actual work situaton to increase the learner's retention.
For example, in denonstratin radiographic duplication I take students into our good-sized darkroom/lab which can accommodate 10 to 15 students at a time. After 10 minutes of lecture, I tern off the light (the student's favorite part) and let their eyes adjust to the dark. In the darkness I let them see the UV light and feel the difference between the duplication film vs. pano film etc about 5 mimutes. Total session takes about 30 minutes but when I later refer to this experience the students remember it (with a smile across their faces) and, in the long run, saves time and makes my teaching more effective.
We already have learning posters on the walls and student work as well. I use colored markers to write on the whiteboard, a different color for different topics. I also have motivational quotes related to the topic in my lesson plan to write on the board as well. When I need new quotes, I will ask the students to search for quotes related to a given topic. When they see their quote used in a future class, they very proudly claim it as their contribution. I think it makes for a fun activity. I have also brought in fabric to hang on the walls to change the color of the room or parts of the room, especially when the walls are battleship gray.
Multi-sensory learning is about catering for the different needs and learning styles of learners. People have different ways of processing and retaining information. Some tend to be more visual; others more auditory, while others still are predominantly kinaesthetic, i.e. they learn by doing. Most people, however, learn a new skill or knowledge best by using a combination of the visual, auditory and kinaesthetic senses. SO diffrent formats should be utilzed even when the purpose id to change the "vibe" of the teaching environment.
My classroom is laid out as in the computer lab scenario. We have a technically natured course in which the students sit on the outside of benches arranged in a horseshoe shaped fashion. As the instructor I give lecture with the students at the benches before releasing them to the vehicle lifts placed along the outside of the walls.
jason,
this is a great technique that is inexpensive & can really help certain parts of information off from others.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
taking several different color dry-erase markers into class, coding each color for a different aspect of discussion
Fantastic, currently I am incorporating music into my presentations. Each class period is 4 hours and having acoustic and visual stimuli to help maintain student focus will prove most beneficial to the student as well as myself.
Tracy,
there really are many ways that are inexpensive that we can use to help with the learning environment.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I already use music to improve my learning environment and I have had very positive results. I have never tried using a seating chart, I have always let the students sit wherever they want. I did not realize until this course that is not the preferred method. Math homework is never very fun, so to copy the homework on light blue paper can perhaps have a calming effect for an apprehensive student. Visuals on the walls, such as posters or quotes can create peripheral learning, each day I write a new quote on the board to stimulate the brain before class begins.
DANIEL,
and the best way to determine this is to ask the students for feedback.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
