How does engaging multiple senses impact student learning?

Engaging multiple senses significantly impacts student learning by increasing retention. When multiple senses are involved in the learning process—such as sight, sound, and touch—students create more pathways in their brains to retrieve and process information. This multisensory approach enhances the depth of understanding and memory retention because it allows learners to associate new information with a variety of sensory experiences.

For instance, when a student listens to a lecture while simultaneously engaging with visual aids and hands-on activities, they are likely to form richer mental connections. This multi-faceted involvement aids in encoding information more effectively, leading to improved recall during assessments or real-world applications.

In contrast, relying solely on one sense may lead to a more limited understanding and poorer retention of material. Those who might suggest that engaging multiple senses has no effect or only affects certain types of learners misunderstand the principle of multisensory learning, which benefits all students regardless of their preferred learning style.