Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Tip #125: MTM: The Elements of Instructional Design

There are eight elements that should be considered in the design of an effective lesson. These elements constitute building blocks that, if placed in the appropriate sequence for the content to be taught, can ensure that the learners have the basic knowledge they need so that they can be successful.

  1. Objective: identify the learning objectives so that the students know what to expect in the lesson.

  2. Anticipatory Set: ask a question or use a brief activity that requires the students to focus on the learning objective.

  3. Input: present the content to be learned, or draw it from the students, possibly through their response to the anticipatory set.

  4. Model: provide an example of the content, possibly through an analogy to explain the essence of what is to be taught.

  5. Check for Comprehension: ask or respond to questions.

  6. Guided/Monitored Practice: walk the students through another example so that they can participate in applying the content.

  7. Independent Practice: have the students participate in an exercise that requires them to apply the content in another example without the instructor's assistance.

  8. Closure: end the lesson to close down thinking.

The elements can be combined: for example, checking for comprehension and guided/monitored practice. They can be placed in a different order: for example, letting the students identify what the objective is later in the lesson rather than telling them right away. They can also be eliminated if they are not relevant to the learning process.

For some reason, some early adopters of the Mastery Teaching Model did not realize this. They insisted that all eight elements must be used and should be sequenced in a specific order. This misguided practice generated a perception that the model was rigid and stifled creativity- when in fact the essence of the Mastery Teaching Model is teacher flexibility in decision-making to meet the learner's needs.

This misunderstanding distressed Madeline Hunter. In her last book, Enhancing Teaching, she devoted two early chapters to responding to her detractors. She began: "What's wrong with Madeline Hunter? More specifically, what's wrong with a model of teaching that increases the probability of learning by (1) identifying professional decisions teachers must make; (2) supplying research-based cause-effect relationships to support those decisions; and (3) encouraging the teacher to use data emerging from the student and the situation to augment or correct those decisions? Doesn't knowing cause and most probable effect free teachers for creative, successful teaching? I always thought so. In fact, I still do..."

"...Our clinical theory of instruction is based on the premise that the teacher is a decision maker. Because no one can tell the teacher what to do, our purpose is to tell teachers what to consider before deciding what to do and, as a result, to base teaching decisions on sound theory rather than on folklore and fantasy."

Monday, May 29, 2006

Tip #124: MTM: Three Training Decisions

The Mastery Teaching Model was developed by Dr. Madeline Hunter of the University of California at Los Angeles to increase teaching effectiveness. More than ad hoc charismatic oratory, she defined teaching as "a constant stream of professional decisions made before, during and after interaction with the learner; decisions which, when implemented, increase the probability of learning."

According to Dr. Hunter, regardless of who or what is being taught, all teaching decisions fall into three categories:

  1. Content: what content to teach next;

  2. Learner Behavior: what the learner will do to learn and to demonstrate that learning has occurred; and

  3. Teacher Behavior: what the teacher will do to facilitate learning.

This is such a simple concept with enormous implications. I love the idea of teaching (and training) being an ongoing organic process, continually growing and changing to meet the needs of the learner. It is inherently respectful of the learner, making it crystal clear that the focus of attention is on the learner, not the teacher. It is no coincidence that when the acronym for these three decisions is reversed, it spells TLC (or tender loving care)!

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Tip #123: Mastery Teaching Model

I was first introduced to the UCLA Mastery Teaching Model by my mother, Merle Levine, who was then the Principal of Northport High School, which was (and may still be) the largest high school on Long Island, New York. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction had contacted me about creating performance standards for teachers of the hearing and visually impaired. Since I was not conversant with Braille or the American Sign Language, I had no idea how I would determine whether learning was occurring in their classes.

My mother suggested the UCLA Mastery Teaching Model, in which Dr. Madeline Hunter identified the decisions that all teachers (and trainers) continually make before, during, and after interaction with the learner- to increase the probability that learning will occur.

Luckily for me, Dr. Hunter was traveling to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to teach summer weekend postgraduate classes at Cardinal Stritch College. Because of that association, Cardinal Stritch College was working with local high schools to incorporate the Mastery Teaching Model into their curricula.

In June of 1987, I took Increasing Teacher Effectiveness with Dr. Hunter. The next year, I took Advanced Teacher Effectiveness. And in 1990, I took the last class I believe she taught in Milwaukee, Escalating Effectiveness in Staff Development. Dr. Hunter died in 1994.

Teacher training models have come and gone since then, but I have found that the Mastery Teaching Model continues to offer clear and useful concepts and techniques for any person engaged in teaching or training children or adults. Apparently, there has been a resurgence of interest in the model, because Corwin Press had to recently reprint the Madeline Hunter Collection Series that includes most of her printed works. As they state on their website, :www.corwinpress.com.

Madeline Hunter is one the most respected and widely known advocates of professional development for teachers. Her practical and skillfully presented books, now republished for a new generation by Corwin Press, detail the essentials of effective teaching. Issues addressed include: what influences a student's motivation to learn and rate of learning, how students remember what they have learned, and how to achieve student discipline and student self-discipline. Books within the collection include:

  • Aide-ing in Education

  • Discipline That Develops Self-Discipline

  • Improved Instruction*

  • Improving Your Child's Behavior

  • Mastering Coaching and Supervision

  • Mastery Teaching: Increasing Instructional Effectiveness in Elementary and Secondary Schools, Colleges, and Universities

  • Motivation Theory for Teachers*

  • Retention Theory for Teachers*

  • Teach for Transfer*

  • Teach More - Faster!*

When I went to look over my notes from those classes, it was a treat to realize that we worked with the pre-printing proofs of Mastering Coaching and Supervision! The works I have underlined were the focus of the courses that I took. In addition, there was one other book with which we worked that is not included in this collection: Reinforcement Theory for Teachers*.

All of the books designated with an asterisk (*) were originally published by TIP Publications in the 1960's. Her "Theory into Practice" books were what Dr. Hunter called "programmed" books, because she would provide specific content, then check for the reader's comprehension by asking a question and providing a choice of answers. You then turned to the page that discussed the answer you had chosen, either for information that offered validation of your answer and the page number for the next new learning - or an explanation as to why your answer was incorrect and a suggestion for you to return to the question page and select a different answer.

There is one much later book, Enhancing Teaching, which was published the year Dr. Hunter died, 1994. This book is significant because, in Dr. Hunter's words, "[it] was written in response to requests for gathering together, in a single book many journal articles, as well as presentations and workshop handouts that teachers have found useful." It is also significant because it addresses her detractors:

"The first section of this book, A Model of Teaching, describes the genesis of a decision-making model of teaching, based on principles derived from my study of psychology and related fields, plus observation and analysis of outstanding teachers. It is a model, not the model. It simply provides an organizational basis for planning, implementing, analyzing, and describing teaching. It is concerned with the 'anatomy and physiology' of teaching in terms of the daily decisions every teacher makes consciously, intuitively, or by default. This section also addresses the misinformation that often accompanies discussion or evaluation of the decision-making model."

We will discuss that "misinformation" in later Tips, but they revolve around a misapplication of the model.

So, to get back to the original reason why I began my studies with Dr. Hunter. What I learned was that the effectiveness of a training program depends upon the decisions that the teachers or trainers make about what will be taught and how it will be taught. It is possible to determine the probability of learning in the classroom by evaluating those decisions using the Mastery Teaching Model developed by Dr. Madeline Hunter at UCLA. This is true even if you are not technically proficient in the content or do not speak the language.

Although I never had the opportunity to apply what I learned from Dr. Hunter to audit the teachers of the hearing and visually impaired, over the years I have often used it to audit technical courses in transportation, asbestos abatement, and lead abatement, etc., to determine their effectiveness. I have also audited masters degree courses at the University of Osijek in Croatia, despite my inability to speak Croat! (That is a story in itself!)

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Tip #122: Learning Styles

In last week's discussion of Howard Gardner's model of multiple intelligences, my source must have predated Gardner's determination of an eighth intelligence:

8. Naturalistic intelligence - Naturalistic intelligence allows people to recognize and classify species and other aspects of their environment. Students who enjoy studying the world around them - insects, cars, or stamps - display strength in this intelligence.

I apologize for the omission.

According to J. Diane Jacobs-Connell: Gardner's theory has inspired thousands of teachers to challenge themselves by expanding their instructional approaches and creating lessons that have allowed students to access content through their different intelligence strengths.

Daniel Goleman's emotional intelligence theory, which he describes in Emotional Intelligence New York: Bantam Books, 1995, 1997), is also based on findings in neurological research. According to Goleman, the five dimensions of emotional intelligence are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. (Jacobs-Connell finds a strong correlation between Gardner's interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences and Goleman's five emotional dimensions.)

1 Self-awareness--knowing your emotions, recognizing feelings as they occur, and discriminating between them
2 Self regulation--handling feelings so they're relevant to the current situation and you react appropriately
3 Motivation--"gathering up" your feelings and directing yourself towards a goal, despite self-doubt, inertia, and impulsiveness
4 Empathy--recognizing feelings in others and tuning into their verbal and nonverbal cues
5 Social Skills--handling interpersonal interaction, conflict resolution, and negotiations

Goleman's brain-based research brought public awareness to the need to focus on the emotional climate in our classrooms. Lessons gleaned from brain-based research demonstrate ways that teachers can help set the best emotional climate for students to learn.

According to the site: www.funderstanding.com: Research in brain-based learning suggests that emotional health is fundamental to effective learning. According to a report from the National Center for Clinical Infant Programs, the most critical element for a student's success in school is an understanding of how to learn. (Emotional Intelligence, p. 193.) The key ingredients for this understanding are:

  • Confidence

  • Curiosity

  • Intentionality

  • Self-control

  • Relatedness

  • Capacity to communicate

  • Ability to cooperate

These traits are all aspects of Emotional Intelligence. Basically, a student who learns to learn is much more apt to succeed. Emotional Intelligence has proven a better predictor of future success than traditional methods like the GPA, IQ, and standardized test scores.

Researchers have concluded that people who manage their own feelings well and deal effectively with others are more likely to live contented lives. Plus, happy people are more apt to retain information and do so more effectively than dissatisfied people.

I thought it might be useful to see how a lesson can be taught that incorporates emotional intelligence. The following lesson plan was designed by J. Diane Jacobs-Connell, who describes it below (I have added the bold emphasis):

Literary Fridays
I recently had a golden opportunity to "practice what I preach" with elementary students. Arlene Fisher invited me to teach in her 3rd grade inclusion classroom at the Abbot School in Westford, Massachusetts. From March through June 1999, I designed and implemented a series of brain-based reading lessons. Each of the 90-minute lessons was designed to address as many of the multiple intelligences as possible -- and as many of the five dimensions of emotional intelligence as possible. The central focus of most of the lessons was books that contained rich historical and naturalistic references.

A Sample Lesson: The Bee Tree
In The Bee Tree, written and illustrated by Patricia Pollaco (New York: Philomel Books, 1993), a loving Grampa teaches his granddaughter, Mary Ellen, how to observe and follow four bees in order to find a bee tree. The book is also about the celebration of life with neighbors and food (fresh honey and biscuits). Grampa issued a challenge: he spooned some honey on the cover of a book and asked Mary Ellen to "taste." He explained, "There is such sweetness inside of that book, too... adventure, knowledge, and wisdom.... Just like we ran after the bees to find their tree, so you must also chase these things through the pages of a book!"

Here, now, are some components of the lesson, along with the brain-based theories upon which each component was based.

  • The Grabber. In this activity, the teacher makes a few statements and asks a few questions to build excitement and involve students. Statements I used and questions I asked included: Understanding this book may change your view of books forever! What is the sweetest thing you have ever tasted? Do you have grandparents? What do you call them?

From a neurological standpoint, the Grabber taps into the verbal-linguistic and intrapersonal intelligence areas and the emotional intelligence dimension of self-awareness and motivation.

  • Vocabulary Builder. Each week, two to four new vocabulary words were written in bold colors on a decorated chart. We discussed the meaning of the words, and then I read The Bee Tree aloud to the class as they viewed the illustrations.

This activity draws upon the verbal-linguistic and visual-spatial intelligence areas and the emotional intelligence dimension of empathy.

  • Selected Themes. Each week, we discussed themes that pertained to the story. Themes from The Bee Tree included adventure and excitement; logic and math (Why did Grampa use four bees? What was the approximate distance from Grampa's house to the bee tree?); the importance of grandparents in our lives; and the readers' experience (How is reading sweet? How can you chase things through the pages of a book? How can books change our lives?).

This activity taps into the intrapersonal, existential, logical-mathematical, and verbal-linguistic intelligence areas and the self-awareness and empathy dimensions of emotional intelligence.

  • Science and Nature. This activity included a brief lecture and discussion, with pictures of bees, beehives, and honeycombs. We discussed how bees use honeycombs and the many ways people use honeycombs. (We use honeycombs to make crayons, chewing gum, ear-plugs, waxed paper, floor wax, and so on -- just in case you were wondering!) We also discussed the bee's main body parts and how honey is made. I brought real honeycombs, plus honey made from bees in our hometown. Each student got to see and taste a part of the honeycomb. They also ate some honey spread on a sugar cookie.

This component taps into the verbal-linguistic, visual-spatial, naturalistic, and bodily-kinesthetic intelligences and the motivation and social skills dimensions of emotional intelligence.

  • Dance and Music. In this component, students first listened to Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee." Students then stood up and interpreted the music through movement. I asked students to consider how the music made them feel, and then I asked them to use their response to the music to describe how fast or slow bees move, to determine whether bees' movements are focused or unfocused, and whether bees are serious or lighthearted. (Keep in mind, there are no "right" answers to those questions.)

This activity addresses the musical-rhythmic, bodily-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, and verbal-linguistic intelligences and the emotional intelligence dimensions of managing moods and empathy.

  • The Culminating Project. This project was led and coordinated by the classroom teacher, Arlene Fisher, who has far more visual-spatial skills than I do. Students were asked to make their own honeybees, using black pipe cleaners for the legs and antennae, two eye buttons, wax paper for wings, and yellow construction paper for bees' three body parts (the head, thorax, and stomach). "Flight of the Bumblebee" played softly in the background as students worked.

This culminating project taps into the visual-spatial, musical-rhythmic, verbal-linguistic, and naturalist intelligences and the social skills and self-regulation dimensions of emotional intelligence.

The Call for Creative Brain-Based Teaching
The Literary Friday lessons engaged the regular and the special education students in Fisher's class. In the 90 minutes we shared, students were eager to participate -- even on a Friday afternoon -- and were willing to take risks with their answers.

It's important for teachers to learn how to tap into and nurture the intelligence strengths of all their students. Teachers must be guided by -- yet willing to go beyond -- their neurological strengths and use what they know about learning to create deep, multifaceted lessons. Teachers must also use what they know about emotional intelligence to provide a safe yet stimulating learning environment for all students. This is the type of teacher I've become. Why not join me on this brain-based learning journey? [J. Diane Jacobs-Connell]

An interesting side note: I was not aware that Daniel Goleman did not originate the concept of emotional intelligence until I did my research for this discussion. According to Wikipedia, the term "emotional intelligence" appears to have originated with Wayne Payne (1985) and the leading research on the concept originated with Peter Salovey and John Mayer starting in the late 1980s. In 1990, their seminal paper defined the concept as an emotional intelligence, or the "ability to monitor one's own others' emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use the information to guide one's thinking and actions".

They developed a hierarchical, cognitive model of emotional intelligence that includes four components, listed from the simplest to the most complex:

  1. Perception, appraisal, and expression of emotion;

  2. Emotional support for thinking;

  3. Understanding and analyzing emotions and applying emotional knowledge; and

  4. Reflecting regulation of emotions to promote emotional and intellectual growth.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Tip #121: Learning Styles

In previous weeks, our discussion centered around learning styles that were essentially based on the senses of sight, hearing, and touch. Last week's learning styles model introduced a cognitive element, the ability to think, reflect, and generate theories.

The first two models focused on learning input, or how the learners learn. Last week's experiential model introduced an active generative output element. The learner ultimately demonstrates his or her learning by making decisions and solving problems.

In this week's model of multiple intelligences, Howard Garner provides "a means of mapping the broad range of abilities that humans possess by grouping their capabilities into seven comprehensive categories or 'intelligences.'" [Thomas Armstrong in Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, 1994, from whom the following descriptions are drawn].

1. Linguistic Intelligence, or Word Smart: the capacity to use words effectively either orally or in writing. This intelligence includes the ability to manipulate the syntax or structure of language, the sounds of language, the semantics or meanings of language, and the practical uses of language. Some of these uses include rhetoric (using language to convince others to take a specific course of action), mnemonics (using language to remember information), explanation (using language to inform), and metalanguage (using language to talk about itself).

2. Logical-Mathematical Intelligence, or Number or Logic Smart: the capacity to use numbers effectively and to reason well. This intelligence includes sensitivity to logical patterns and relationships, statements, and propositions (if-then, cause-effect), functions, and other related abstractions. The kinds of processes used in the service of logical-mathematical intelligence include: categorization, classification, inference, generalization, calculation, and hypothesis testing.

3. Spatial Intelligence, or Picture Smart: the ability to perceive the visual-spatial world accurately and to perform transformations upon those perceptions. This intelligence involves sensitivity to color, line, shape, form, space, and the relationships that exist between these elements. It includes the capacity to visualize, to graphically represent visual or spatial ideas, and to orient oneself appropriately in a spatial matrix.

4. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence, or Body Smart: expertise in using one's whole body to express ideas and feelings (e.g., as an actor, a mime, an athlete, or a dancer) and facility in using one's hands to produce or transform things (e.g., as a craftsperson, sculptor, mechanic, or surgeon). This intelligence includes specific physical skills such as coordination, balance, dexterity, strength,, flexibility, and speed, as well as proprioceptive, tactile, and haptic capacities.

5. Musical Intelligence, or Music Smart: the capacity to perceive (e.g., as a music aficionado), discriminate (e.g., as a music critic), transform (e.g., as a composer), and express (e.g., as a performer) musical forms. This intelligence includes sensitivity to the rhythm, pitch or melody, and timbre or tone color of a musical piece. One can have a figural or "top-down" understanding of music (global, intuitive), a formal or "bottom-up" understanding (analytic, technical), or both.

6. Interpersonal Intelligence, or People Smart: the ability to perceive and make distinctions in the moods, intentions, motivations, and feelings of other people. This can include sensitivity to facial expressions, voice, and gestures; the capacity for discriminating among many different kinds of interpersonal cues; and the ability to respond effectively to those cues in some pragmatic way (e.g., to influence a group of [people to follow a certain line of action).

7. Intrapersonal Intelligence, or Self Smart: self-knowledge and the ability to act adaptively on the basis of that knowledge. This intelligence includes having an accurate picture of oneself (one's strengths and limitations); awareness of inner moods, intentions, motivations, temperaments, and desires; and the capacity for self-discipline, self-understanding, and self-esteem.

It might be helpful if we looked at examples of how these different learners could be taught and then could demonstrate their learning.

If we wanted to teach our different learners about inventions, we could have the:

  • Linguistic learner talk about the basic scientific principles involved in specific inventions

  • Logical-Mathematical learner create an hypothesis for the development of a new invention

  • Spatial learner draw a new or existing invention showing all working parts

  • Bodily-Kinesthetic learner build his or her own invention based on sound scientific principles

  • Musical learner study the science behind the invention of electronic music

  • Interpersonal learner form a discussion group to study the science behind inventions

  • Intrapersonal learner develop a self-study program to examine the scientific basis for a specific invention

If we wanted to have our learners demonstrate their knowledge of the development of a character in a novel, we could have the:

  • Linguistic learner give an oral interpretation from the novel with commentary

  • Logical-Mathematical learner present a sequential cause-effect chart of a character's development

  • Spatial learner develop a flow chart or series of sketches showing the rise and fall of the character

  • Bodily-Kinesthetic learner act out the role from the beginning of the novel to the end, showing the changes

  • Musical learner present the development of character as a musical score

  • Interpersonal learner discuss the underlying motives and moods relating to development

  • Intrapersonal learner relate the character's development to the learner's own life history

Imagine how rich this multi-sensory learning experience would be for all learners!

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Tip #120: Learning Styles

In the previous weeks, our discussion has centered around learning styles that are essentially based on the senses of sight, hearing, and touch, This week's learning styles model introduces a cognitive element, the ability to think, reflect, and generate theories.

The two previous models focused on learning input, or how the learners learn. This experiential model introduces an active generative output element. The learner ultimately demonstrates his or her learning by making decisions and solving problems.

In David Kolb's Experiential Learning Model, learning is conceived as a four-stage cycle: immediate concrete experience (CE), which provides a basis for reflective observation (RO), which can be formulated into a theory known as abstract conceptualization (AC), which can be stated through active experimentation (AE), which results in guides for creating new experiences and repetition of the cycle.

The effective learner must be:

  1. totally involved in an experience (CE);

  2. able to reflect on and observe the experience from many perspectives (RO);

  3. able to integrate personal observations into sound theories (AC); and

  4. able to use the theories to make decisions and to solve problems (AE).

Because of heredity, experiences and the demands of our present environment, each of us has developed a learning style that emphasizes some learning abilities over others.

Further experimentation with the experimental learning model has led to the identification of four dominant learning styles. They are called: the diverger, the assimilator, the converger, and the accommodator.

1. The diverger. The diverger's greatest strength lies in viewing problems from many perspectives. Ideas can be generated in a short time and with a great deal of creative imagination. The diverger's shortcoming, however, is one of avoiding problem-solving situations or taking action unless forced to do so.

The diverger relies on concrete experience and reflective observation. S/he learns best through exercises, discussion, guest speakers, and lectures.

2. The assimilator. The assimilator excels at creating theoretical models by taking a few facts and fashioning them into a purposeful theory. Like the diverger, the assimilator is not interested in making practical use of theories, but only in being sure theories are logical and sound. The assimilator tends to think before acting, but may fail to act at all.

The assimilator relies on reflective observation and abstract conceptualization. S/he learns best through films, research, and theory building.

3. The converger. The converger is interested in the practical application of ideas to specific problems or situations. This individual seems to be most comfortable in situations where there is a single best way of doing things. The converger's biggest drawback is a rather narrow, single-minded approach.

The converger relies on abstract conceptualization and active experimentation. S/he learns best through writing, case studies, and application.

4. The accommodator. The accommodator likes to get things done, carry out plans, take action, and become involved in new experiences. A risk-taker, the accommodator is willing to adapt readily to any situation; theories that do not fit the facts will be thrown out. The accommodator is impatient to act, and tends to act before thinking.

The accommodator relies on active experimentation and concrete experience. S/he learns best through role playing, speaking, and simulations.

I definitely have an accommodator learning style. What is YOUR learning style?

Monday, May 22, 2006

Tip #119: Learning Styles

This perceptual learning styles model makes some important distinctions between the print and visual learners (grouped together under "visual" in the three style model), between the haptic and the kinesthetic learners (grouped together under "kinesthetic" in the three style model. It retains aural but adds an important new element: that of verbalization.

Perceptual Learning Styles

  1. Print: A person who learns best through reading books, journals, or magazines, and writing assignments.

  2. Aural: A person who learns best through listening to lectures and audio tapes.

  3. Interactive: Individuals who learn best through verbalization in small group discussions, question-and-answer sessions, and debate activities.

  4. Visual: A person who learns best through observation of films, videotapes, pictures, slides, graphs, tables, and demonstrations.

  5. Haptic: Individuals who learn best through the sense of touch in a "hands on" approach to learning, such as project construction, drawing, and model building.

  6. Kinesthetic: A person who learns best while moving, by participating in simulations, physical motion activities, and physical games.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Tip #118: Learning Styles


In response to last week's discussion, Ralph Schwartz sent in the following Learning Styles Assessment for the three basic learning styles: Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic. It is taken from Accelerated Learning by Colin Rose, which was published in 1987. I really appreciate Ralph's contribution and want to share it with you this week.

To take the assessment, you simply read the word(s) in the left column and circle the description that best expresses how you usually handle each situation.

So, how well did this assessment work for you? I know that I am a very visual learner, which this assessment definitely validated.

Wednesday, May 3, 2006

Tip #117: Learning Styles

A few weeks ago, W. Gene Coburn, who is a wonderful trainer and a very funny man, got frustrated with a group of training participants. He asked them to turn their left hands palm up, take their right middle finger and place it over the vein on their left wrists. Then, with a deadpan expression, he asked them to check, "Are you still alive?"

All trainers have experienced that very same frustration, where we have no idea if our learners are "getting it" or even breathing! However, as distressing as that is from our perspective, imagine what it must be like from the learners' perspective! They are frequently subjected to training methods that do not meet their needs.

Many of us are familiar with the idea that, to be effective communicators, we need to package our message differently to meet the communication needs of different personality types. However, some trainers still persist in subjecting their audiences to only one training method, consciously or unconsciously chosen because it is:

  • what is most frequently modeled in colleges and universities (by individuals who have attained tenure because of their research, not their teaching ability!);

  • how the individual trainer personally learns; or

  • what the trainer finds most comfortable to facilitate.

There are numerous models of learning styles, from the very simple to the quite complex. Even if we apply the most basic model, we can see why one training method cannot fit all learners' needs. Generally based on the senses, this model identifies visual learners who rely on sight, auditory learners who rely on hearing, and kinesthetic learners who require movement.

Strictly speaking, lecture, otherwise known as a talking head!, satisfies only the auditory learner. Reading materials satisfy only the visual learner. Hands on exercises satisfy only the kinesthetic learner. A reliance on just one training method can alienate 2/3rds of the learners, unless the trainer consciously ensures that all of their needs are met.

For example, a small group discussion can be structured so that the participants read some information in their handout materials (making the visual learners happy), discuss their ideas (making the auditory learners happy), and stand up to write their conclusions on a flip chart (making the kinesthetic learners happy).

A lecture (favorable to auditory learners) can be enhanced with visual aids (favorable to visual learners) and supplemented with a question and answer session in which participants pop up with the answers (favorable to kinesthetic learners).

A role play can easily meet the needs of all three learning styles, in that there are roles to read (visual), communication to be exchanged (auditory), and interaction- either by moving to work in the role play groups or by standing up to conduct the role play (kinesthetic).

A trainer does not have to use three different training methods to meet the needs of the three different learning styles. Simply using a method that has enough depth and dimension to engage the three senses will suffice. This is important to keep in mind as we consider models with more than three learning styles!