Multisensory VS VAK (Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic) Learning
Multisensory VS VAK (Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic) learning – which is best?!
Most people have probably heard of VAK.
Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic (tactile) is a widely known theory that individuals have a preferred style of learning.
Visual learners were said to learn best by watching; the teacher’s body language, diagrams, videos.
They absorb visual information and think in pictures.
An Auditory learner prefers discussions, listening to information, and verbal rather than written delivery.
Finally, a Kinaesthetic learner learns best through exploration and touch, preferring to learn by doing.
It sounds plausible, right?
In the 1990’s, the trend was teaching children in their preferred learning style, recommended by the UK Department of Education and others.
However, this approach has since been discredited with studies showing that matching teaching style to learning style is simply not effective.
It is important to make connections, for example, the way a number is written, the way it sounds when spoken, and other representations of numbers like counting with fingers.
Children should be able to connect lots of experiences to draw on and better understand the world around them and learning happens best when children are able to experience the same concepts in different ways and at different times.
In other words, children need to explore topics in lots of different ways to learn most effectively.
What about multisensory?
When we talk about multisensory, we don’t need to break it down into learning styles but rather consider the experience as a whole. Multisensory learning is exactly what it sounds like – learning through the activation of multiple senses.
This approach naturally introduces multiple concepts for children to process, resulting in deeper learning.
Immersive learning goes a step further and typically refers to learning enhanced by the use of immersive technologies like VR (virtual reality), AR (augmented reality), and MR (mixed reality.)
Confused? Check out our beginners guide to school VR!
Immersive learning is like multisensory pro.
By immersing children in exciting and stimulating worlds, you activate multiple senses as they see, hear, and make emotional connections with their experiences. Understanding is deeper and more flexible as children have multiple sources to draw upon.
Writing is often improved as children are able to describe their experiences from different perspectives.
Seymour & Lerhn brings multisensory learning to life with a variety of sources, including VR, AR, written activities, and creative crafts to help you deliver memorable, exciting, and effective lessons.
