Multisensory learning is the assumption that individuals learn better if they are taught using more than one sense (

modality Modality may refer to: Humanities * Modality (theology), the organization and structure of the church, as distinct from sodality or parachurch organizations * Modality (music), in music, the subject concerning certain diatonic scales * Modalit ...

). The senses usually employed in multisensory learning are

visual The visual system is the physiological basis of visual perception (the ability to detect and process light). The system detects, transduces and interprets information concerning light within the visible range to construct an image and buil ...

, auditory,

kinesthetic Proprioception ( ) is the sense of self-movement, force, and body position. Proprioception is mediated by proprioceptors, a type of sensory receptor, located within muscles, tendons, and joints. Most animals possess multiple subtypes of propri ...

, and tactile – VAKT (i.e. seeing, hearing, doing, and touching). Other senses might include smell,

taste The gustatory system or sense of taste is the sensory system that is partially responsible for the perception of taste. Taste is the perception stimulated when a substance in the mouth biochemistry, reacts chemically with taste receptor cells l ...

and

balance Balance may refer to: Common meanings * Balance (ability) in biomechanics * Balance (accounting) * Balance or weighing scale * Balance, as in equality (mathematics) or equilibrium Arts and entertainment Film * Balance (1983 film), ''Balance'' ( ...

(e.g. making vegetable soup or riding a bicycle). Multisensory learning is different from

learning styles Learning styles refer to a range of theories that aim to account for differences in individuals' learning. Although there is ample evidence that individuals express personal preferences on how they prefer to receive information, few studies have fo ...

which is the assumption that people can be classified according to their learning style (audio, visual or kinesthetic). However, critics of learning styles say there is no consistent evidence that identifying an individual student's learning style and teaching for that style will produce better outcomes. Consequently, learning styles has not received widespread support from scientists, nor has it proven to be effective in the classroom. (For more on this see

.) Reports suggest the

human brain The human brain is the central organ (anatomy), organ of the nervous system, and with the spinal cord, comprises the central nervous system. It consists of the cerebrum, the brainstem and the cerebellum. The brain controls most of the activi ...

has evolved to process multisensory signals, making it more natural than unisensory processing. Recent research has made clear that multisensory processing of information is part of daily life, whereby the brain integrates the information from different modalities (senses) into a coherent mental

perception Perception () is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment. All perception involves signals that go through the nervous syste ...

. Some studies conclude that the benefits of multisensory learning are greatest if the senses are engaged concurrently (see

Multisensory integration Multisensory integration, also known as multimodal integration, is the study of how information from the different sensory modality, sensory modalities (such as sight, sound, touch, smell, self-motion, and taste) may be integrated by the nervous sy ...

) and the instruction is direct (explicit) and systematic (see ). However, some neurologists question whether more is "actually better for learners who are struggling". The rational is that learners with developmental disorders may have impairments in cognitive control, planning and attention, so multisensory integration might place additional demands on systems that are already straining. Consequentially, it is suggested, it may be better to narrow the alternatives to one that works. Other studies suggest that multisensory integration only develops optimally by middle childhood (i.e. eight years of age or older). According to the U.K. Independent review of the teaching of early reading (Rose Report 2006) multisensory learning is also effective because it keeps students more engaged in their learning. In 2010 the U.K.

Department for Education The Department for Education (DfE) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for child protection, child services, education in England, educati ...

established the core criteria for programs that teach school children to read by using systematic

Synthetic phonics Synthetic phonics, also known as blended phonics or inductive phonics, is a method of teaching English reading which first teaches letter-sounds (grapheme/phoneme correspondences) and then how to blend (synthesise) these sounds to achieve full pr ...

. It includes a requirement that the material "uses a multi-sensory approach so that children learn variously from simultaneous visual, auditory and kinaesthetic activities which are designed to secure essential phonic knowledge and skills". The following organizations recommend multisensory instruction for learners with a

learning disability Learning disability, learning disorder, or learning difficulty (British English) is a condition in the brain that causes difficulties comprehending or processing information and can be caused by several different factors. Given the "difficulty ...

: The

International Dyslexia Association The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) is a non-profit education and advocacy organization devoted to issues surrounding dyslexia. Its headquarters are located in Pikesville, Maryland, United States. The International Dyslexia Association ...

(IDA) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). And one study says there is strong support for using multisensory experiences to increase the focus of students with special needs. One of the oldest proponents of multisensory phonics for remedial reading instruction is Orton-Gillingham, dating back to 1935.

What Works Clearinghouse What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) is a digital library of educational research which focuses on evidence-based education. A 2006 report described that many researchers perceived the WWC to be passive cataloger of available research. In contrast to ...

, a part of the

Institute of Education Sciences The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is the independent, non-partisan statistics, research, and evaluation arm of the U.S. Department of Education. IES' stated mission is to provide scientific evidence on which to ground education practic ...

reports there is a lack of studies meeting its strict evidence standards so it is "unable to draw any conclusions about the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of unbranded Orton-Gillingham–based strategies for students with learning disabilities". However, '' Best Evidence Encyclopedia'', a part of

Johns Hopkins School of Education The Johns Hopkins School of Education is the school of education of Johns Hopkins University, a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established as a separate school in 2007, its origins can be traced back to the 190 ...

found one qualifying study that showed an

effect size In statistics, an effect size is a value measuring the strength of the relationship between two variables in a population, or a sample-based estimate of that quantity. It can refer to the value of a statistic calculated from a sample of data, the ...

of +0.43.

References

{{Learning Learning Perception

See also

References