Kinesthetic learning
Encyclopedia
Kinesthetic learning is a learning style in which learning
takes place by the student actually carrying out a physical activity, rather than listening to a lecture or merely watching a demonstration. It is also referred to as tactile learning. People with a kinesthetic learning style are also commonly known as do-ers.
The Fleming VAK/VARK model, one of the most common and widely used categorizations of the various types of learning styles, categorized the various types of learning styles as follows: visual learners
, auditory learners
, reading/writing-preference learners, and kinesthetic learners (also known as "tactile learners").
When learning it helps for the student to move around as this increases the students understanding with learners generally getting better marks in exams when they use that style. The kinesthetic learner usually does well in things such as chemistry experiments, sporting activities, art and acting. They also may listen to music while learning or studying. It is common for kinesthetic learners to focus on two different things at the same time. They will remember things by going back in their minds to what their body was doing. They also have very high hand-eye coordination and very quick receptors.
Kinesthetic learning is a learning style in which learning takes place by the learner using their body in order to express a thought, an idea or an understanding of a particular concept (which could be related to any field).
People with dominant kinesthetic and tactile learning style are commonly known as do-ers. In an elementary classroom setting, these students may stand out because of their constant need to move; high levels of energy which may cause them to be agitated, restless and/or impatient. Kinesthetic learners' short- and long-term memory is strengthened by their use of their own body's movements.
Galeet BenZion says that kinesthetic and tactile learning are separate learning styles with different characteristics. Specifically, she defined kinesthetic learning as the process that results in new knowledge or understanding given the involvement of the learner's own body movement. This movement is created for the purpose of establishing new or extending existing knowledge. Kinesthetic learning at its best, BenZion found, is established when the learner uses language (their own words) in order to define, explain, resolve and sort-out the way in which his or her own body's movement reflect the concept explored. An example would be a student using movement to find out the sum of 1/2 plus 3/4 via movement, then explain how the motions in space reflect the mathematical process leading to the correct answer.
Proponents say that the evidence related to kinesthetic learners benefiting from specialized instruction or targeted materials appears mixed at best, because the diagnosis of kinaesthetic and tactile learning is coupled together, rather than in isolation, and because teachers are likely to misdiagnose students' learning styles.
Some studies also show that mixed modality presentations, for instance using both auditory and visual techniques, improve results for subjects across the board. Instruction that stimulates more than the auditory learning style, namely the kinesthetic learning style is more likely to enhance the learning of a heterogeneous student population.
Margaret H'Doubler wrote and spoke about kinaesthetic learning in the 1940s. She defined kinaesthetic learning as the human's body's ability to express itself through movement and dance.
Learning
Learning is acquiring new or modifying existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals and some machines. Progress over time tends to follow learning curves.Human learning...
takes place by the student actually carrying out a physical activity, rather than listening to a lecture or merely watching a demonstration. It is also referred to as tactile learning. People with a kinesthetic learning style are also commonly known as do-ers.
The Fleming VAK/VARK model, one of the most common and widely used categorizations of the various types of learning styles, categorized the various types of learning styles as follows: visual learners
Visual learning
Visual learning is a teaching and learning style in which ideas, concepts, data and other information are associated with images and techniques...
, auditory learners
Auditory learning
Auditory learning is a learning style in which a person learns through listening. An auditory learner depends on hearing and speaking as a main way of learning. Auditory learners must be able to hear what is being said in order to understand and may have difficulty with instructions that are written...
, reading/writing-preference learners, and kinesthetic learners (also known as "tactile learners").
Characteristics
According to proponents of the learning styles theory, students who have a predominantly kinesthetic learning style are thought to be natural discovery learners: they have realizations through doing, as opposed to having thought first before initiating action. They may struggle to learn by reading or listening.When learning it helps for the student to move around as this increases the students understanding with learners generally getting better marks in exams when they use that style. The kinesthetic learner usually does well in things such as chemistry experiments, sporting activities, art and acting. They also may listen to music while learning or studying. It is common for kinesthetic learners to focus on two different things at the same time. They will remember things by going back in their minds to what their body was doing. They also have very high hand-eye coordination and very quick receptors.
Kinesthetic learning is a learning style in which learning takes place by the learner using their body in order to express a thought, an idea or an understanding of a particular concept (which could be related to any field).
People with dominant kinesthetic and tactile learning style are commonly known as do-ers. In an elementary classroom setting, these students may stand out because of their constant need to move; high levels of energy which may cause them to be agitated, restless and/or impatient. Kinesthetic learners' short- and long-term memory is strengthened by their use of their own body's movements.
Classification
Rita Dunn says that kinesthetic learning and tactile learning are the same learning style.Galeet BenZion says that kinesthetic and tactile learning are separate learning styles with different characteristics. Specifically, she defined kinesthetic learning as the process that results in new knowledge or understanding given the involvement of the learner's own body movement. This movement is created for the purpose of establishing new or extending existing knowledge. Kinesthetic learning at its best, BenZion found, is established when the learner uses language (their own words) in order to define, explain, resolve and sort-out the way in which his or her own body's movement reflect the concept explored. An example would be a student using movement to find out the sum of 1/2 plus 3/4 via movement, then explain how the motions in space reflect the mathematical process leading to the correct answer.
Lack of evidence
Although the concept of learning styles enjoys great popularity among educators in some countries, and both children and adults express preferences for particular modes of learning, there is no evidence that identifying a student's learning style produces better outcomes, and there is substantial evidence that the widespread "meshing hypothesis" (that a student will learn best if taught in a method deemed appropriate for the student's learning style) is invalid. Well-designed studies "flatly contradict the popular meshing hypothesis".Proponents say that the evidence related to kinesthetic learners benefiting from specialized instruction or targeted materials appears mixed at best, because the diagnosis of kinaesthetic and tactile learning is coupled together, rather than in isolation, and because teachers are likely to misdiagnose students' learning styles.
Some studies also show that mixed modality presentations, for instance using both auditory and visual techniques, improve results for subjects across the board. Instruction that stimulates more than the auditory learning style, namely the kinesthetic learning style is more likely to enhance the learning of a heterogeneous student population.
History
Kinaesthetic intelligence was originally coupled along with tactile abilities and was defined and discussed in Howard Gardner's Frames Of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. In it, Gardner describes activities such as dancing and conducting surgery as ones that would require an advanced kinaesthetic intelligence, i.e., the use of the body to generally create something new or do something.Margaret H'Doubler wrote and spoke about kinaesthetic learning in the 1940s. She defined kinaesthetic learning as the human's body's ability to express itself through movement and dance.
See also
- Alternative therapies for developmental and learning disabilitiesAlternative therapies for developmental and learning disabilitiesAlternative therapies for developmental and learning disabilities include a range of practices used in the treatment of dyslexia, ADHD, Asperger syndrome, autism, Down syndrome and other developmental and learning disabilities. Treatments include changes in diet, dietary supplements, biofeedback,...
- List of thought processes
External links
- Overview of range of learning styles
- Tips for teaching kinesthetic learners to read
- Tips for kinesthetic learners
- Misdiagnosis of kinesthetic learners with ADHD
- Incidence and description of different learning styles
- Learning styles and how to use them
- Learning styles and pedagogy in post-16 learning: A systematic and critical review, Learning and Skills Research Centre