| The way people learn is very particular and | | | | direct eye-contact with you, listen intently |
| peculiar to them, so martial arts instructors | | | | to anything that is being said to them, and |
| need to understand the teaching is definitely | | | | frequently ask for a repeated explanation of |
| NOT a "one-size-fits-all" affair. Indeed, | | | | something. They will normally be quite |
| students will tend to process information in | | | | "intellectual" and will probably enjoy the |
| a number of different ways depending upon | | | | history, traditions and philosophy of the |
| their overall character, age, personality and | | | | martial arts just as much (if not more!) than |
| ability. | | | | the actual physical techniques themselves. |
| | | | |
| This transference of information is extremely | | | | TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR AUDITORY STUDENTS: |
| delicate and intricate, and will also be | | | | |
| influenced by such diverse things as | | | | When teaching this learning style, you should |
| Emotional state, culture, environment, etc. | | | | make sure that you EXPLAIN everything several |
| And, as instructors, we need to take this | | | | times and in as much detail as possible when |
| into account whenever we are trying to impart | | | | demonstrating a technique. When addressing |
| some new technique or skill. | | | | them, you should incorporate plenty of |
| | | | positive "sound-bites" like these: |
| Learning styles are a very complex subject | | | | |
| indeed, but the basics should be learned in | | | | · That sounds about right. |
| order for us to become more effective at what | | | | |
| we do by gaining a fuller understanding of | | | | · That rings a bell. |
| the learning mechanisms, and how these, in | | | | |
| turn, can influence attitudes and behaviours | | | | · Tune in to what I'm saying |
| of our students in the dojo. | | | | |
| | | | · Clear as a bell. |
| BASIC LEARNING STYLES | | | | |
| | | | · That's music to my ears. |
| The three main learning styles are: Visual, | | | | |
| Auditory and Kinaesthetic, which can easily | | | | As this will help them to process the |
| be remembered by the word VAK. We will take a | | | | information you are attempting to impart. |
| look at each of these in turn, to increase | | | | Audio-books on the more intellectual side of |
| the instructors understanding of them and the | | | | the martial arts and detailed academic |
| ways in which they will influence your | | | | lectures are the best type of resource for |
| teaching methods. | | | | this type of learner. . |
| | | | |
| VISUAL | | | | KINAESTHETIC |
| | | | |
| Visual learners prefer to process information | | | | Kinaesthetic learners are "Hands-on" people. |
| by watching, seeing and observing. They can | | | | The instructor will recognise them quite |
| easily visualise techniques and outcomes in | | | | soon, as they are the students who seem to |
| their head, and can easily be identified by | | | | always be fidgeting and moving about, even |
| the way they tend to look around a lot, | | | | when they are meant to be sitting still! They |
| letting their eyes "wonder" (Sometimes even | | | | tend to learn best by doing, touching and |
| when you are talking directly to them!). They | | | | feeling. A great deal of martial artists will |
| will also possess good spatial awareness, | | | | actually have this kind of learning style, as |
| which makes them good at appreciating both | | | | physical sports tend to attract them and they |
| body positioning (Tai Sabaki) and distance | | | | excel at sports, exercise and physical |
| work (Ma-Ai). So they can easily pick up the | | | | fitness training. Because of this, the |
| theoretical movement underlying many | | | | instructor can expect them to be very |
| techniques, and rarely forget something that | | | | competent at picking up the gross-motor |
| has been demonstrated to them properly and | | | | skills required in the martial arts, as they |
| efficiently. When participating in any | | | | rely upon "muscle-memory" to remember things. |
| "problem solving" (or "discovery learning" as | | | | |
| it is sometimes called) they will usually be | | | | TEACHING STRATEGOES FOR KINAESTHETIC |
| the ones who get the basic movements right | | | | STUDENTS: |
| almost immediately. | | | | |
| | | | When teaching this type of learner, you will |
| TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR VISUAL STUDENTS: | | | | need to keep your demonstrations short, and |
| | | | your explanations even shorter. They need to |
| When teaching this type of learner, you | | | | actually PARTICIPATE as quickly as is safe to |
| should spend a lot more time actually | | | | do so. Therefore, it is much better to "break |
| DEMONSTRATING the particular technique you | | | | down" what it is you want them to learn into |
| want them to pick-up rather than trying to | | | | small, easily remembered parts as, this way, |
| explain it at any great length verbally. And, | | | | they get to physically practice them rather |
| when you do give them any form of verbal | | | | than just simply sitting, watching and |
| description or explanation, then try and | | | | listening. |
| incorporate "picturesque" like these into | | | | |
| your verbal instructions: | | | | When explaining to them verbally what you |
| | | | want them to do, you should use |
| · Let's take a look at this. | | | | "touchy-feely" words like these: |
| | | | |
| · See how this works for you. | | | | · Does that feel right to you? |
| | | | |
| · Can you picture that? | | | | · Can you grasp what I am saying? |
| | | | |
| · Let's draw a picture about it. | | | | · Stay in touch. |
| | | | |
| · I'd like you to get a different | | | | · Keep in touch with what is going on |
| perspective. | | | | |
| | | | · I have a good feeling about this. |
| The whiteboard, DVD Player and graphic | | | | |
| handouts are, also, all very effective | | | | You're body language, facial expressions and |
| teaching aids for this learning style (if you | | | | various martial arts training aids (Mitts, |
| happen to have access to any of these, off | | | | Makiwara Bokken, etc) will all be invaluable |
| course!) | | | | resources for appealing to this particular |
| | | | learning style. |
| AUDITORY | | | | |
| | | | CONCLUSION |
| An auditory learner will primarily utilise | | | | |
| their listening skills when trying to process | | | | Taking a persons individual learning style |
| information. Noises and sounds are very | | | | into account will enable efficient learning |
| important to them, and they will rely heavily | | | | to take place within the dojo, make the |
| upon what is termed "inner-dialogue" when | | | | student feel more cared for, and the |
| attempting to recall something. They can be | | | | instructor more competent. |
| identified by the way in which they will make | | | | |