Seven Different Learning Styles

1. Visual: Representing information spatially through pictures, models, or colors.
2. Kinaesthetic: Doing things physically and following a hands-on approach.
3. Aural: Retaining information after hearing it.
4. Verbal: Understanding through words such as acronyms, tongue twisters, or rhymes.
5. Logical: Using numbers, calculations, or structure.
6. Social: Participating in study groups and testing one another.
7. Solitary: Studying alone, making flashcards, and reciting back to self.

Multisensory Learning 

“I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand.” 

This old Chinese proverb sheds light upon the importance of our five senses in the process of learning. Seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling help us discover new information. When we use all five senses together to learn, we follow the approach of Multisensory Learning. Students, no matter the age, learn best when mixed with experience. In a report by D.G. Treichler, as cited in the journal “Trends in Cognitive Sciences,” he revealed that “Students remember 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, 30% of what they see, and 50% of what they see and hear.” The better they are at combining their senses, the more they can remember what they have learned (Shams & Seitz 2008).

Over the years, an abundance of research tells us that parts of our brains communicate with each other. Micah Murray, an Associate Professor at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, illustrates this with an example of speech. When you hear another person speaking in your native language, you do not need to watch it being spoken to understand. However, if you are not comfortable with the language, you tend to look at the speaker’s mouth to understand the words. Two of our senses work together to help us understand and learn (Gordon, n.d.).

Two second-grade teachers had a difficult time teaching science to their students. They believed it was tough to teach science at such a young age. They came up with a solution: To teach them about the different properties of matter, they decided to do a small science experiment. They collected items that resembled solids, liquids, and gases. Students then had to place each item under each category. To their surprise, students took their turns and correctly categorized their selected items. Through this exercise, the teachers saw an increase in engagement and wanted to learn more about Multisensory Teaching (Stoffers, 2011).

They then came across a study conducted at Rowan University, New Jersey. The study attempted to understand the effect of Multisensory Teaching on students’ academic achievement. Lessons plans targeting multiple senses and team-building activities were implemented for second-grade students. Primary research was collected through focus groups, interviews, and journals. The data revealed that Multisensory Teaching improves student motivation and engagement. The second-grade students used the words “fun” and “exciting” when describing the multisensory classroom. Through this approach, the use of technology and making connections was also taught in the right manner. One fascinating insight came out of this study: Using a learning approach that incorporates all five senses encourages students who have been silent within traditional classroom settings. It helped shy students become more interested in the classroom and show their enthusiasm (Stoffers, 2011).

Connection With Experiential Learning 

Compared to Multisensory Learning, Experiential Learning also follows a similar process of using hands-on learning and science experiments to help students reflect on what is being taught. Learning theory that uses real-world examples incorporates our senses. At ExperiHub, we believe that imparting education through Experiential Learning raises students’ scientific curiosity. We conduct science projects for better learning that activates the brain to develop the necessary skills needed to grasp concepts better. To learn more about Experiential Learning, please feel free to go through our Online Sessions and Workshops. Let us make learning fun with cool home experiments!

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References: 

Shams, Ladan, and Aaron R. Seitz. “Benefits of Multisensory Learning.” Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol. 12, no. 11, 2008, pp. 411–417., doi:10.1016/j.tics.2008.07.006.

Stoffers, Melissa. pp. 1–97, Using a Multi-Sensory Teaching Approach to Impact Learning and Community in a Second Grade Classroom.

“What Are The 7 Different Learning Styles And Do They Work?” Avado, 16 Apr. 2020, www.avadolearning.com/blog/the-7-different-learning-styles-and-what-they-mean/.

65% of our children will be working in jobs that don’t even exist yet! (World Economic Forum, 2016) Embedding STEM subjects in academic curriculums at an early age will allow the next generation to have the right tools needed for the future. To do so, we as parents must work towards building a necessary foundation for STEM skills at home. But where do we start? 

Parental Engagement 

Last year, STEM Next Opportunity Fund published a report “Changing the Game in STEM with Family Engagement.” The report revealed that we, as parents have an immense effect on our child’s learning and career outcomes (Stem Next Opportunity Fund, 2019). 

STEM is all around our living spaces. Daily activities and science projects for you and your child can help build critical thinking and problem-solving skills (DeAngelis, 2019). These activities could be as simple as repairing an old bicycle, baking in the kitchen, gardening, or understanding how the fish tank works. Even reading with our children is proven beneficial in expanding their minds to the unknown.   

Encourage Creativity 

Our children are born eager to learn and curious by nature. Creative thinking engages the mind and makes learning more efficient. When creating a STEM environment at home, parents should dismiss the “usual” way of doing things and celebrate their child’s uniqueness.

Challenge your child with out-of-the-box science experiments and refrain from showing the solution to them at first. Old habits of thinking do not give the opportunity of understanding the cause and effect of a concept. Additionally, promote healthy discussions at home and allow them to be explicit with their theory and thinking. These conversations will shape their perspectives and help them to formulate their step-by-step rationale. 

Innovator’s Work Station  

STEM education is specifically designed with experiential learning and hands-on applications as the fulcrum. Therefore, you must designate space for your little innovator. Have visual supports, such as posters and charts, to help remember key concepts. Additionally, desks and other furniture must be arranged to allow full flexibility for STEM activities, science projects, and lectures for your child.

Integrate Technology and STEM-based Platforms 

A full-functioning STEM environment utilizes technology and electronic gadgets. Using technology for academics and setting a healthy relationship between your child and gadgets can boost your child’s interest in learning. Students using digital models and simulations can go on to mastering STEM concepts. As STEM education encourages students to visualize and experience academic topics, technological tools support their collaborative reasoning.

As STEM-based education is slowly rising, myriad applications are available to better teach these concepts. At ExperiHub, we believe students learn more effectively with the use of real-world examples and hands-on science experiments. Our platform is specifically designed for making learning fun through ‘experiencing’ science and mathematics. To learn more about us, please feel free to browse through our online sessions and workshops.

References: 

DeAngelis, S. (2019, September 06). STEM Education Helps Students Think Critically. Retrieved from https://www.enterrasolutions.com/blog/stem-education-helps-students-think-critically/#:~:text=STEM helps young people to,readily take on the future.”

Jacobs, P. (2014, July 09). Science And Math Majors Earn The Most Money After Graduation. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.in/education/Science-And-Math-Majors-Earn-The-Most-Money-After-Graduation/articleshow/38090854.cms

Stem Next Opportunity Fund. (2019). Changing The Game in STEM With Family Engagement (pp. 1-56, Rep.) San Diego.

Study in India. (2019, January 11). India and STEM Education. Retrieved September 17, 2020, from https://www.studyinindia.gov.in/blog/Page/india-and-stem-education#:~:text=As per the National Science,learned to the real world.

World Economic Forum. (2016). Global Challenge Insight Report (pp. 1-167, Rep.). Geneva: World Economic Forum.

Experiential learning is not new in India and has been around since ancient times as the gurukul system where students engaged in different activities to learn academic topics. However, over the years, the Indian education system has not carried out the same ideals.

On the contrary, it has mastered the rigid process of examinations with little variation. We need to move towards teaching pedagogy based on experiential learningand conduct science projects for students, which will give them access to education by bringing the outside world into the classroom.

With coronavirus breaking our perception of “normal,” the unforeseen pandemic brings the potential to remodel the Indian education system towards modernization. Given the period we have spent in lockdown, education efforts plunged into the territory of online learning. Learning in schools are shifting from information-focused education to experiential learning with a greater reliance on technology.

Elements once considered constitutional are changing towards accommodating career and life skills for the future, such as emotional intelligence, creativity, communication, and collaboration, with technology being the key to holding it all together. With this, education is becoming more accessible and flexible.

More importantly, nowadays, school children are Generation Z, a generation heavily dependent on technology and majorly impacted by the pandemic. To further empower these children, education systems post-COVID must slowly move towards digital education.

In the face of a crippling pandemic, sitting at home, staring in front of a computer screen, and reading notes is not the best possible way to wake up our brain cells. Hands-on learning and cool home experiments cut out the monotony of being locked inside and give students a medium to brush up on their creative skills and keep their minds active.

Experiential learning will be advantageous as attending in-person classes is not possible. Teachers will guide students from time to time, but students will be the ones performing the practical experiments to gain academic knowledge.

In addition, rigid question-answer examinations are not always the best way to evaluate each student. As each individual displays different academic strengths, tests should be decentralized, and educational institutions and teachers should frame syllabi based on their own experiences and teaching styles. In the time of a global pandemic, a centralized education system will not be fruitful to every student.

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