Teaching Through Multiple Modalities

Think about the last time you learned a new skill. Maybe you watched online videos that modeled the process, or asked somebody else to show you. Perhaps you searched online for instructions or listened to a podcast. Then, you inevitably practiced the skill yourself, perhaps pausing for additional instruction if things didn’t go as expected.

As you observed others, listened to directions, and practiced the new skill yourself, you used multiple modalities of learning.

In this video, we will describe three main modalities of learning: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. We will also describe the importance of including multiple modalities in both instructional activities and assessments.

Recent Research on Modalities of Learning

Modalities are the ways we take in and process information. We use these modalities when we learn new knowledge and skills.

The visual modality is used when a student sees something that assists with their learning, such as a graph.

The auditory modality is used when a student hears or recites information related to what they are learning, such as listening to an audio textbook.

The kinesthetic modality is used when a student physically completes a task or performs a skill when learning something new. An example is practicing how to form letters.

Previously, it was commonly believed that each student learned best with one particular modality of learning, sometimes called a learning style, and that instruction should be focused on this style to increase achievement.

However, recent research disputes this approach and instead suggests that all learners use various modalities, depending on the situation. For example, a first-grader who is learning basic addition may benefit from viewing sample problems and solutions in a textbook, using the visual modality, while also using manipulatives to solve problems independently, using the kinesthetic modality.

Therefore, teachers are encouraged to incorporate multiple modalities in instructional activities and assessments rather than categorizing students by learning style.

Let’s explore each modality in more detail now.

Visual Modality

There are several instructional activities that use the visual modality. This includes taking notes that incorporate bullet points, color coding, highlighting, and other techniques to draw attention to key information. Notes may also include diagrams or other visuals to organize information.

The visual modality also includes modeling how to complete new tasks and processes through live demonstrations, textbook examples, or video tutorials. Content can also be shared using charts, graphs, images, and graphic organizers.

Teachers may also display posters, anchor charts, and other visual reminders around the classroom to share key information.

Auditory Modality

When using the auditory modality, students may listen to instructional presentations, possibly recording them to listen again later. They may read texts aloud or listen to audio versions. They may also create sayings or mnemonics to help them remember key information.

Additionally, students may discuss ideas with others or participate in study groups. They may also teach others how to complete tasks.

Kinesthetic Modality

Kinesthetic activities involve doing something physical. It is sometimes referred to as learning by doing.

Examples include solving problems using manipulatives, role playing, creating artwork or presentations, doing science experiments, and acting out meanings of words.

Incorporating Multiple Modalities

Students may use each of these modalities depending on the situation, and they may use multiple modalities within a single lesson.

It is important for teachers to consider the specific learning objectives of the lesson when determining which modalities to include. If students are expected to deliver a persuasive speech, for example, then they will need to practice the actual delivery. Viewing examples of successful speeches may be one part of their preparation, but it will not be sufficient on its own. Students must practice using the correct tone of voice, body language, and other behaviors in order to meet the objectives.

The Universal Design for Learning guidelines also support the inclusion of multiple modalities. They recommend both presenting content using multiple modalities and allowing students to demonstrate their learning in multiple ways.

Consider the following example.

Instructional Activities That Incorporate Multiple Modalities

A teacher is presenting a lesson on multiplication. She may model the process for her students, explaining her thinking out loud, while showing the steps on a whiteboard. She may also ask students to read textbook pages that demonstrate the process and provide both a digital and printed form.

Once students are ready for guided practice, they may be given manipulatives to use for support. They may be encouraged to refer to their notes or anchor charts for visual support or online videos for visual and auditory support. Students may also explain their approaches to solving problems to their peers.

Representing Learning Using Multiple Modalities

When the teacher wants to assess whether students have met the learning objectives for the lesson, she can provide them with options for how to demonstrate their learning. For example, students can create a poster visually demonstrating how to solve the problems, explain the process aloud to classmates, or create a video. They could also choose to solve a series of real-world multiplication problems, using manipulatives if needed.

Review

Let’s review what we’ve learned in this video.

1. There are three main modalities of learning: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.
2. Research indicates that students use a combination of all these modalities of learning, depending on the situation. Teachers should include a variety of modalities in learning activities and assessments.
3. The visual modality is used when a student sees something that assists with their learning.
4. The auditory modality is used when a student hears or recites information related to what they are learning.
5. The kinesthetic modality is used when a student physically completes a task or performs a skill when learning something new.

Questions

Before we go, let’s take a look at a couple of review questions.

1. A math teacher is planning a lesson where he will model how to solve long division problems with remainders. He wants to make the content accessible to all learners and include multiple modalities. What are some ways he can accomplish this goal?

2. A teacher wants to familiarize her first-graders with daily routines and procedures at the beginning of the school year. How can she incorporate all three modalities to achieve this goal?

That’s all for now! Thanks for watching, and happy studying.