Lynn Skafte, CMA, Medical Assisting Program Coordinator
Rasmussen College – Eagan Campus
Using Technology to Address Multiple Learning Styles
The weekend of March 13th and 14th, 2009, I was recently at the Leaders in Education and Practice conference in Orlando, Florida. This conference brought medical assisting instructors from across the country together to learn about the new software and technology available to MA instructors that would enable them to enhance the MA programs across the U.S. I could go on and on about the different workshops that I attended, but one, in particular, really caught my interest – Using Technology to Address Multiple Learning Styles, presented by Andy McPhee from F.A. Davis.
As educators, it is important for us to be able to identify how each of our students learn and try to adjust our coursework to fit each individual need of our students so they are able to get the best learning experience possible from each class session. This responsibility may be daunting, but with a little further understanding of learning styles and how to incorporate the use of technology (which, as we all know, is very popular with many of the students!) into the classroom, we would be able to accommodate each learner with a little more ease.
As students, it is important to understand how you learn best and to learn to adapt and adjust when the lesson or assignment does not fit with your preferred style
First of all, there are seven basic learning styles that were discussed in the workshop. Each and every one of us have multiple learning styles in different situations, however, we prefer to use one or two over any other style. Here is a breakdown of the seven basic learning styles:
1. We all have multiple styles, but prefer only 1-2
2. 7 basic learning styles
a. Visual (spatial)
i. Prefers pictures, images, and spatial understanding
ii. Occipital love
iii. Parietal Lobe
b. Aural (auditory-musical)
i. Prefers using sound and music
ii. Temporal lobe
c. Verbal (linguistic)
i. Prefers using words in speech and writing
ii. Frontal lobe
d. Physical (kinesthetic)
i. Prefers using body, hands, and sense of touch
ii. cerebellum
e. Logical (mathematical) (linear)
i. Prefers using logic, reasoning, systems
ii. “list makers”
f. Social (interpersonal)
i. Prefers to learn in groups or with other people
g. Solitary (intrapersonal)
i. Prefers to work alone and use self-study
The presenter, Andy McPhee, had mentioned that he had his students take small tests online to examine what type of learner each student was. The following websites were provided to us and could be a handy tool for you, if you choose to go this route:
1. Learning style assessment
a. http://www.ldpride.net/learning-style-test.html
b. http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory
c. http://www.ulc.arizona.edu/learning_style.php
Alright, so now that we understand the different type of learning styles, how can we apply them to the classroom using up-to-date technology that our students are able to truly enjoy and interact with? Here is a summary of the common technologies with a break-down of which different learning styles may benefit with the use of the technologies.
Common Technologies:
1. Electronic whiteboards
a. Fit these types of learners:
i. Kinesthetic – go up and do different things on the board
ii. Social -- great for interaction; group activities
iii. Visual – able to see everything on the board
b. Description:
i. Ceramic/plastic whiteboard that can electronically scan itself
ii. Images can be transferred to computer, edited, printed, e-mailed, or faxed
c. Benefits:
i. Enhances student response
ii. Highly useful for distance learning
iii. Reduces paper load
iv. Encourages involvement
v. Reduces re-learning time; they “get it” the first time
vi. Allows use of multimedia resources and internet with whole class
d. Activity Ideas
i. Demonstrate blood flow through heart
ii. Dosage calculations
iii. Parts of a letter
iv. Word-building
v. Sequencing
vi. Concept mapping
vii. Showing PPTs – clicking on links in the PPTs, clicking through the PPTs
viii. Games on the board
2. Interactive response systems (this allows students to answer questions without being singled out in front of their classmates).
a. Fits:
i. Kinesthetic
ii. Logical
iii. Solitary
b. Description:
i. Wireless, handheld input device for in class testing
ii. Generally low-cost
iii. Grading and reporting is done for you automatically
c. Benefits:
i. Increases retention of learning
ii. Increases attention and motivation
iii. Improves student attitudes
iv. Enhances teaching effectiveness through immediate feedback
v. Reduces learner anxiety by allowing anonymous polling
d. Basic uses:
i. Find out if students have completed assigned reading
ii. Measure opinions and what students knew before the lecture and what they know after
iii. Confront common misperceptions
iv. Facilitate discussion and peer teaching
3. Podcasts
a. Fit these types of learning styles:
i. Auditory
ii. Solitary
iii. Visual (video)
b. Description:
i. “personal on Demand broadcast”
ii. Sound or video files that can be downloaded to iPod or other PDA
iii. Allow learning wherever learning is
c. Types available
i. Audiobooks
1. Vango Notes for Wingerd, Rice, other (Prentice Hall)
2. Abbreviated chapters
3. Proprietary software
4. For sale items ($11.95 to $15.95)
ii. Applications
1. Mosby’s iTerms Flash cards, others
2. Proprietary software (modality)
3. For-sale items ($1.99 to $39.99)
4. Coding program (GasCoder) $149.99
iii. Audio podcasts
1. Free
2. Typically subscription-based
3. Topics
a. Nursing
b. Anatomy
c. Coding
d. ICD-10
e. Medical News
f. Med Term
g. Test-taking tips
h. First Aid
i. Nutrition
j. Fitness
iv. Video podcasts
1. Only a few for health care at the moment, but bound to grow
v. Activity ideas:
1. Listen-and-Say
a. Students listen to collection of audio medical terms
b. In class, rapid-fire game of pronunciation
2. Find-A-Term
a. Assign specific terms and have students locate them on the podcast by time into podcast.
As you can see, there are endless options for us, as educators, to be able to get our students more involved in a way that makes them learn and feel like they are retaining the information! There were multiple newer programs that involved a virtual medical offices and interactive programs that were introduced at the conference. However, it all ended up coming back to one common theme – our students and how they learn! If we can find a way to somehow integrate as many learning styles into the classroom with a more up-to-date approach, I believe our students would truly benefit from this.
Please let me know if you are interested in getting more information. I have over ten pages of notes that I took during those two days! I have contact information, program information and many links to different websites that may be beneficial to your classroom!
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!