Leading Student LearningLearning ModesLead them to Water
Learning StylesGet them to Drink
Thank you, Mark.Im very pleased to be with you this morning. I
love talking about students and how they learn. I will share with
you today some of what Ive learned about students and how they
learn and how that information impacts teaching design.
This information is what I use to design successful instruction
whether its a one-time instruction session or a semester-long
course. This information is a key component of my teaching
philosophy and I use it to drive my interactions with students.So
first lets talk about delivery of information and how students
learn. Im going to focus on auditory, visual, and kinesthetic
learning. And let me say that its important for you to know how YOU
prefer to receive information as a learner because that influences
the decisions you make when you teach and deliver information.
LEARNING MODALITIES or modes is the common term for auditory,
visual, and kinesthetic learning. [These are modes for getting
information into your working memory so that you can perceive and
process the information.]
An Internet search will give you a multitude of websites on
learning modalities many of which will include a brief assessment
of your preferred learning mode. Most of them are decent but you
know yourself well enough to determine your model preference. Lets
go through a quick overview of each mode.
Auditory learners through hearing. They enjoy lectures,
recordings, group discussions, oral instructions, and they often
read aloud or benefit from reading aloud. These students will
volunteer in class to read aloud. They often ask questions and will
be most likely to engage in conversation with you. If you have a
student who talks with you during an instruction session as if it
were only the two of you present, that is most likely an auditory
learner who engages the information through discussion. The
auditory learner may also be the student who whispers to the person
seated next to him or her during your presentation. They like books
on CD and want ebook readers with good quality sound features.
Choose a podcast when available. Like videos and webinars but focus
on the audio portions. These learners prefer oral instructions. May
say just tell me rather than wanting a set of written directions.
[Those of you who have a strong preference for auditory learning
will ask someone to give you directions to a location orally rather
than drawing you a map. Sounds are important to them. They may
often say things like I hear that. I remember the teacher said,. .
. . . . That sounds about right. tell me what you mean.
Might benefit from voice recognition tools and text-to-speech
features. 20 30% of the populationVisual learners learn by seeing.
Often remembers information by using imagery remembers a picture
usually enjoy presentation software they can focus their attention
on something to see while listening. Lecture without visuals is
difficult.Visual learners typically enjoy reading, charts/
diagrams/ videos (sound can sometimes be distracting might turn off
sound if possible), Like flow-charts and overviews showing
connections among ideas mind maps. Like quiet study space. USE
COLOR highlighting, font colors, colored index cards, file folders
Use graphics features in software programs.
Visual learners take lots of notes because they have to see it
to hear it. They will often ask you to repeat information that
might seem insignificant of inconsequential to you they are trying
to hear what you said by writing it down and then the visual
learner will see whether the information is important or not.
Visual learners will often mention being able to see information on
a page in the text, in their notes, on a handout, etc.
About 60% of populationWill often use comments like: I can see
that. Can we look at that from another perspective? I cant quite
picture that Show me what you mean.
Kinesthetic learners learn by doing, through body movement and
often through touch tactile learning. Kinesthetic learners remember
what they do.
They learn best when they can do experiments, play games,
experience field trips, real-life problem solving, use physical
props related to what they are learning or tied to studying writing
index cards, creating diagrams, charts, posters, etc.
They take lots of notes that they may not read. The movement
while writing is helping to connect the information to memory so
re-reading the information may not be necessary.
Walking while studying, exercising while reviewing information ,
etc. movement is important. These students fidget when they have
been without movement for too long. Volunteer to write on board to
pass around handouts, etc.
10 20% of population often tied to visual learningKinesthetic
language includes That feels right. I follow your point. My gut
tells me
Most of us are able to write with our left hand or our right
hand but we have a preference in using one over the other. When we
start to write something, we dont say HMMMMM. I can use either hand
to write with which one will I use today? We have one that we
prefer to write with.
In fact, lets just see how that works. Take out a piece of paper
and something to write with and write your name and address with
your preferred hand and then with your non-preferred hand.
How did that feel to you?
These are commonly used descriptors when people complete this
exercise.
Handedness is a good way to conceptualize PREFERENCE. Key
concepts and ideas should be delivered with sound, visuals, and an
opportunity to do or move or touch when possible. When I design an
instruction session, I like to identify the 1 3 things that I want
to make sure that students will remember when they leave the
session. I will then be purposeful to make sure that those 1 3
things are delivered in each learning mode.
You do not need to know which students or how many students are
of each mode when designing instruction -- use all modes.
Sometimes in a one-on-one session, a student will indicate or
even ask directly for you to use one mode more than another and
definitely follow that lead.Have student create their own
handout.
This is a great assessment/feedback tool when you have the
opportunity to meet with the same group of students more than
once.
When they develop their own guides, they will focus on their
modality preferences and you can provide feedback on the content,
sequence, etc. of what they have prepared.100 years ago we lived in
a much more auditory society. Literacy, -- education immigrants,
radio, silent films
Talking movies, TV, computers, video games, Learning style as
defined by David Kolb is the perceiving and processing of
information. Its what we do with the information once it has been
delivered to us. [some overlap with modes] We know that learning
MODES alone do not result in comprehension. Just because an
auditory learner hears, it doesnt mean that she understands the
information. Just because a visual learner reads the information ,
it doesnt mean that he can explain to someone else. Even doing
something doesnt mean that it has been integrated into the learners
abilities or knowing. If that were the case, we could simply
determine what delivery mode a student prefers and deliver the
information via that mode, and understanding would result.
We know that there is something more and well call that
something more learning and this morning look at learning styles as
developed by David Kolb and Bernice McCarthy.
Willing to be wrong do not mind changing their mind
Beginning of a learning cycle
They like to like their teacher appreciate respect, caring,
supportLike to learn from someone who will start where the student
is at
Carroll Botts instruction sessionCompetitive
Like organization prefer a teacher who is organized
Like to learn from an expert
Follow through with Carroll Botts example
They like a teacher who is a coach helps them when they need
assistance but are also willing to let the student try on his/her
own.
These students do not mind getting it wrong the first time. They
learn from trial and error. Like to solve problems.
Follow through with Carroll Botts exampleVery willing to try to
figure it out on their own.
They like a teacher who serves as a facilitator someone who is
there to guide them when needed.
Carroll Botts example.
