Learning style applied.
I instruct at a adult lab environment. I usually start with some introductory lecture time and I soon see who are my audio learners and visual learners and even my Hand on leaners. I just have to be creative enough and aware of each of the students while interacting with them.
I find this very helpful in delivering knowledge and thus the reward of teaching.
I incorporate the Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthics (VAK) Teaching style. I find this style of teaching is inclusive and meets the needs of every student.
Visual learner: PowerPoint's, graphs, films
Auditory Learner: Lecture, Open forum, group talk
Kinesthics Learner: Applied learning, projects, role play and group class-assignments
Teresa Keith M.A.
General Studies Instructor
I will mix up the styles of teaching, and I find that it keeps things interesting and enjoyable for the students.
I teach at a design school. I can quickly tell which students are visual learners and mathematical learners. Visual learners do extremely well with the computer drawing and sketching as well as color, whereas my math people don't do so well in this area but score high in the drafting and technical courses...other adapt.
Shannon,
Good way to read your students and start to see how the different learning preferences are represented in the course. This gives you the understanding you need to customize your instruction to meet their learning needs.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I teach in a lab environment (welding.) The whole concept is to teach the relationship between hand, eye coordination. It is all visual and is easy to determine quickly who have skills right off and who might be my challenges as an instructor. I find very few students that struggle if they follow my weld puddle and occasionally when they need be hand held.
This is one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching adults. Mixing up instruction makes learning more fun and helps students retain information.
When your class consist of 36 student the instructor cannot pick 36 individual learning mode for them. As your article states " people differ on taste and flavors>" At some point the instructor realize that students differ on ways they receive information. Therefore we as instructors should teach the learning preference each student grasp. I like the experience given how you train cats and dogs. Per the learning preference, knowing the difference of student learning style will help the instructor to provide the knowledge needed to get the student prepared.
Pandora,
With your understanding on how individuals learn and use their learning preferences you are in a great position to offer instructional variety and change of pace to keep students engaged. Students have their preferences but they also need to be able to take in information via other venues because in the workplace their communication will not be formatted into the method they prefer.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I also incorporate visual, auditory, and kinesthetic instruction. I have a lot of students who do not really know how to study and organize the material to better retain the information. I use the pruning method described but didn't know it had a name.
I also incorporate visual, auditory, and the kinesthetics teaching styles. I am still learning a lot about teaching students which seems to be never ending!
It does help to know how many students you have are visual,which are auditory,and which are kinesthetics.It sort of gives you a map as how you should proceed.
