Chapter 8: Teaching to All the Senses
"SMART" Learning Objectives:
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
1) Explain why using a multisensory approach to teaching is more effective than a traditional lecture based approach.
2) Construct a plan for teaching by providing more than one source of sensory input.
3) Determine the best method to incorporate multimedia in a specific teaching situation.
1) Explain why using a multisensory approach to teaching is more effective than a traditional lecture based approach.
2) Construct a plan for teaching by providing more than one source of sensory input.
3) Determine the best method to incorporate multimedia in a specific teaching situation.
Chapter Summary:
Why should we teach to all the senses?
Our brains have evolved to process information through all our senses including vision, hearing, touch, sound, and taste together rather than individually (Doyle, 2011). Because of this, using a multisensory approach to teaching allows greater likelihood of knowledge retention and recall than teaching with lectures alone.
Our brains have evolved to process information through all our senses including vision, hearing, touch, sound, and taste together rather than individually (Doyle, 2011). Because of this, using a multisensory approach to teaching allows greater likelihood of knowledge retention and recall than teaching with lectures alone.
How can we help our students learn using a multisensory approach?
Whenever using a new teaching methodology, it is important to ensure student buy-in by sharing supporting research findings with them. Research studies have shown that students are able to recall more information when they both hear and see it, both see and touch it, or associate learning with a good smell (Doyle, 2011). The adage, "a picture is worth a thousand words" is in fact supported by research.
Whenever using a new teaching methodology, it is important to ensure student buy-in by sharing supporting research findings with them. Research studies have shown that students are able to recall more information when they both hear and see it, both see and touch it, or associate learning with a good smell (Doyle, 2011). The adage, "a picture is worth a thousand words" is in fact supported by research.
Learning requires actively processing the new information presented and assimilating it with one's existing knowledge base. The cognitive theory of multimedia learning developed by psychologist Richard Mayer describes two separate learning channels- visual and auditory, each with a limited capacity to process new information. When the information presented is too much for active processing by either of the pathways, it results in cognitive overload causing decreased ability to learn the material (Doyle, 2011).
As educators, the cognitive theory of multimedia learning implies that we should avoid overloading our students' brains with too much new information at one time. Since studies show that we learn better using a combination of text and images presented side-by-side than with text alone, educators should strive to include pictures with most of their written concepts, and try to convey the written information verbally so it can be processed by the auditory pathway. At the same time, we should ensure that our summaries are succinct and allow students to process the important information efficiently (Doyle, 2011).
Some methods to help incorporate a multisensory approach in teaching involve providing students online website resources to visualize and use information learned in an interactive manner, using games that simulate a real-world setting to allow students to practice their learning and solve problems, and asking students to create concept maps to reinforce and integrate their learning (Doyle, 2011).
What are the key take-home points from this chapter?
Students learn best when they process new information with all their senses or at least more than one sense simultaneously. Using a multimedia approach allows instructors to promote a multisensory learning environment and ensure longer term memory retention.
Students learn best when they process new information with all their senses or at least more than one sense simultaneously. Using a multimedia approach allows instructors to promote a multisensory learning environment and ensure longer term memory retention.
References:
Doyle, T. (2011). Learner centered teaching: Putting the research on learning into practice. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
Connections to Medical Education:
When I was a second year medical student, we were introduced to skin diseases by a dermatologist and dermatopathologist in a combined presentation where we learned the clinical presentation, saw representative clinical photos, and then discussed the pathology with accompanying histologic images. This was the first course where things started making sense to me, and I really enjoyed the multisensory learning process. The connection between the clinical scenario and histology with numerous images accompanying the lecture allowed me to make connections with the basic principles we learned in first year. This course was the starting point to my specialty interest in dermatopathology.
When I was a second year medical student, we were introduced to skin diseases by a dermatologist and dermatopathologist in a combined presentation where we learned the clinical presentation, saw representative clinical photos, and then discussed the pathology with accompanying histologic images. This was the first course where things started making sense to me, and I really enjoyed the multisensory learning process. The connection between the clinical scenario and histology with numerous images accompanying the lecture allowed me to make connections with the basic principles we learned in first year. This course was the starting point to my specialty interest in dermatopathology.
Suggestions for Implementation:
Here are some ways I have attempted to implement multimedia in my teaching:
1) I am currently creating a digital atlas of dermatopathology for our medical students. Based on the information I learned about in this chapter, I plan on recording the text-based information originally meant to be presented as written material so it can be processed through the auditory pathway at the same time as the clinical and histologic images which will be processed visually.
2) All my powerpoint presentations have limited text with relevant gross and microscopic pathology images along with clinical or radiographic pictures and diagrams when appropriate. This allows our students to process some of the material presented rather than read it and attempt to listen simultaneously.
1) I am currently creating a digital atlas of dermatopathology for our medical students. Based on the information I learned about in this chapter, I plan on recording the text-based information originally meant to be presented as written material so it can be processed through the auditory pathway at the same time as the clinical and histologic images which will be processed visually.
2) All my powerpoint presentations have limited text with relevant gross and microscopic pathology images along with clinical or radiographic pictures and diagrams when appropriate. This allows our students to process some of the material presented rather than read it and attempt to listen simultaneously.