Engaging Large Lectures with Kinesthetic Learning: Examples from an Introductory Environmental Systems Course Hillary B. Hamann Associate Teaching Professor Department of Geography & the Environment University of Denver

The introductory LECTURE!!!

©Copyright Silverman, L.K. (2002). Upside-Down Brilliance: The Visual-Spatial Learner Learning Styles

Kinesthetic Learning Fleming & Mills (1992): VARK (or VAK) Model Fleming, N.D. & Mills, C. (1992). Not Another Inventory, Rather a Catalyst for Reflection. To Improve the Academy, 11, Gardiner’s (1983) multiple intelligences/ ways of knowing Kolb’s (1984) Experiential Learning Model

Some characteristics of students who learn better through doing, moving (kinesthetic) and touching (tactile) include: Desire to remain active rather than sedentary during the learning process Feel uncomfortable when forced to sit in a classroom where opportunities to engage in hands-on experiences is limited Have an easier time remembering how they did something rather than recalling what they heard or saw

E. Dale, Audiovisual Methods in Teaching, 1969, NY: Dryden Press.

Kinesthetic Activities: Four Examples The Class: – Environmental Systems: GEOG 1201, 1202 & 1203 – 96 Students – Geography & Environmental Science Majors & Nonmajors – Traditional, fixed-seat classroom The Topics: – Ocean Waves – Hydrographs – Weathering – Ozone

Pretest question: What happens if you are floating in the middle of the deep ocean and a wave passes by? 1.You move up and down in a circle 2.You move in the direction that the wave is moving 3.You move opposite to the direction that the wave is moving (backward)

1. Wave Energy & Motion “Wave movement in open water suggests to an observer that the water is migrating in the direction of wave travel, but in reality only a slight amount of water is actually advancing. The appearance of movement is produced by the wave energy that is moving through the flexible medium of water. The water within a wave in the open ocean is transferring energy from molecule to molecule in simple cyclic undulations known as waves of transition (Figure 16.9).” --Christopherson & Birkeland, 2014, Geosystems, pg 466

1. Wave Energy & Motion

Kinesthetic Activity: What was your motion? What was transferred? Up & down. Energy. The Wave

Effective? Pre-test: 37% correct Exam: 95% correct (all who missed had missed class with the interactive experience) Final Exam: 91% correct Control class: 60% correct

2. Hydrograph

Kinesthetic Activity: Rainstorm Creating a rainstorm engages the students and gives them a tangible experience to apply and graph.

3. Physical & Chemical Weathering

Kinesthetic Activity: Eating M&M’s! Materials: regular & peanut M&M’s Introduce physical (chewing) and chemical (saliva) weathering Group experiment: Compare how long it takes to dissolve a whole M&M vs. a crunched M&M – Peanuts don’t dissolve…a good example of differential weathering

4. Ozone Formation & Destruction in the Stratosphere

Kinesthetic Role Play: Requirements: – Space to move around, eg. front area of classroom, or outdoors – ~25+ volunteers (~20 oxygens, ~2 UV light, ~3 chlorine, the rest of the class is tasked as observers and data recorders) – Props: flashlights & headbands – Whistle or loud voice to stop activity

Student Rules & Review: Rules for Oxygen (everyone except UV & Cl) – Must make groups of 2 or 3 – Can steal one from a group of three to make a group of 2 Rules for UV (flashlight) – Can break up pairs into singles – Can break up trios into a single and a pair Rules for Chlorine (headband) – Can take one oxygen from any trio. – Can give that oxygen to another single and go on to break up another trio.

Kinesthetic Role Play: Run the simulation several times, first without Cl and then with. Count and record the number of single O, oxygen pairs (O 2 ) and ozone trios (O 3 ) after each round. Debrief the activity and results with the full class. Budget ~15 minutes or more 1 (no Cl) 2 (no Cl) 3 (no Cl) 4 (with Cl) 5 (with Cl) O O O Cl added

Conclusions Student response: What are the strengths of the course and instructor? …Her examples and games are very helpful for more kinesthetic learners, and I feel that she really tries to incorporate a variety of teaching styles to help each student understand. She liked to do interactive examples which I found helpful in learning the topics. …She teaches in a way that everyone can learn…I love that she has visuals, slides, writes on the board, videos, interactive activities and demonstrations. Whether you are a visual learner or not you can learn in here… …I also enjoyed the small activities we would do in class or the little games we would play…I will never forget how surface area affects weathering because of the delicious M & M activity.

Conclusions Kinesthetic learning is possible even in traditional lecture classrooms It can be used for simple to complex Earth Science topics (introduction & debrief is important) Serves as an additional tool for active and engaged learning

Please feel free to adapt these to your class and classroom, improve upon them, and share your own creative ideas and activities!