How do we find out?
Dr. Meers, with so many students, and so many from varying backgrounds, how does an instructor find out our students learning intelligences. I mean, we canot just ask them, right?
Ernest,
This is a general observational assessment that has been used by many instructors. Your steps are right on and in just seconds you an have an understanding of learner preference. This exercise is intended to give an overview as one is starting a new group of students. There are a number of very good more comprehensive assessments available on the websites should you want to go more in-depth. The key for instructors is to gain the insight needed to engage students and plan instructional delivery around what their needs are.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I believe that at one point in time, I read that you can gain insight into whether a person is a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner by asking them a question that they do not know the answer to. If I recall correctly, a visual learner will direct this eyes upward and an auditory learner downward (?) as they process the question. As for Kinesthetic, I can't remember what it was the article said but I would assume that it would involve some kind of movement.
Has anyone ever read/heard about this method of quickly assessing what type of a learner you are dealing with?
Laura,
Great website. Thanks for the reference. I know it will be of great help to other instructors.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It is very important to find out about our students intelligences and learning preferences so that we can facilite effectively. There are a number of assessment tools online that instructors can use or tweek. Use these tools on the first day of class.
Evan,
I would suggest that you talk with your Student Services office and see what assessment they gives students on intake. They may have a profile developed for each student that would give you the information you need about the intelligences and learning preferences of your students. If the office doesn't do any testing you might want to do some searching on the internet and see if you can find an assessment that you could give your students that would give you this information.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
