Every human brain processes information differently. A 2018 study by the University of Zurich shows that, like fingerprints, every human brain has a unique anatomy. This uniqueness is due to different genetic coding and individual life experiences.
So, if every person receives, stores, and processes information in a different way, how can you use the same learning approach to teach your whole class or team?
The solution lies in multimodal learning that makes the same information easily processable for your entire team.
But what is multimodal learning?
Don’t scratch your head! Just scroll down to understand what multimodal learning is, examples, its benefits, types, strategies, and more.
What is Multimodal Learning?
Multimodal learning can be defined as teaching using multiple modes (channels of information). It denotes a combination of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic senses in delivering learning for better understanding by learners.
Suppose you are organizing an onboarding program for marketing executives in your company to launch an account-based marketing or ABM campaign. In this case, the multimodal training will take the following form:
First, provide text-based documents on ABM and basic customer information
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Enroll candidates into webinars to explain the sales funnel and audience segmentation process
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Then, you can request the learners to provide an ABM campaign demo model
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Finally, you provide one-on-one feedback to your new marketing employee to communicate their strengths and weaknesses
To make this possible, instructors can use eLearning authoring tools to create and deliver audio, visual, and 3D training to theirlearners.
Four Main Types of Multimodal Teaching
Multimodal learning techniques revolve around human senses. Thus, there are four main types of multimodal learning based on the VARK learning style that you should target. They are:
1. Visual Learning
Visual learning encompasses anything that can invoke visual senses among learners, such as graphics, photos, infographics, videos, and more.
There are many great visual tools you can use to produce interactive learning materials. You can create interactive picture puzzles and games to increase learners’ knowledge acquisition and retention.
2. Auditory Learning
Auditory learning style targets learners with excellent listening abilities. This mode of learning is useful in providing employee training, as individuals can listen to audio lessons while driving or doing other tasks.
Almost 30% of the population today are audio learners. Thus, you can use resources such as podcasts, webinars, audiobooks, and group discussions to create your audio multimodal learning material.
3. Kinesthetic Learning
Kinesthetic learning is an active learning model. Multiple learning modes such as live demonstrations, site visits, and multimedia presentations are merged in this technique.
This multimodal learning environment stimulates different senses for each learner and thus helps to keep them engaged and motivated.
Watch:The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning through Movement
4. Reading and Writing
Reading and writing is the more traditional method of learning. It is simple text-based learning model that you can use to train your employees, customers, and other stakeholders. You can create PDFs, blogs, and whitepapers in this approach and share them via email or as a part of an eLearning course.
Benefits of Multimodal Learning in the Modern Workplace
Multimodal learning is in a way akin to personalized learning, whereby learners get a chance to learn from the modes that their brain processes better and faster.
According to a Cisco study, learners who learn via a combination of visual and text material learn better than those who learn through a text-only method.
So, the right blend of educational and training material can create a dynamic learning environment in your organization. This can ultimately improve your team’s productivity.
Instructors and learners can enjoy several benefits from multimodal learning, such as:
1. Engaging a Whole Team
If you have a large team, multimodal learning will help you stimulate each member’s learning ability by catering to their unique needs. With multimodal learning, you can develop a comprehensive learning environment that can be understood and processed by everyone in your team.
2. Improved Retention Rates
One type of learning model can become boring after a point. Therefore, when you incorporate different learning environments in your training program, it improves the retention rate of learners and keeps them engaged with your learning material.
3. Ability to Solve Real-World Problems
When you provide only theoretical knowledge to your employees, they will not be able to use that information to solve real-world problems. However, using multiple model learning systems, you can adopt text-based, live demos, and many other tools to teach your employees how to apply their knowledge in real-life situations in a practical manner.
For example, simply asking your employees to read blogs about Making Tax Digital (MTD) will only tell them what MTD actually is. But, if you want your employees to learn how to use MTD software in a real sense, you have to provide them with a proper MTD platform to test their knowledge.
4. Promoting Creativity
Multimodal learning adds creativity to your learning structure. Training administrators can use virtual classroom software and a real-time collaboration tool to motivate participants to engage in social learning and use their creativity to solve daily learning challenges.
5. Self-Paced Learning
When instructors create learning material based on individual learning and cognitive abilities, it helps the latter learn at their own pace.
For example, providing video lectures instead of regular classroom lectures lets learners play, pause, and resume lessons multiple times and learn at their own pace.
Easy Ways to Incorporate Multimodal Learning
It might seem like implementing a multimodal learning system creates an additional amount of work for the person/organization who is organizing the training. However, when you use the right online learning tools, technology, and approach, it will be very easy to implement multimodal learning in your organization.
Below you will find some useful tips to help you with this:
1. Focus on Visual Arts
Visual learning is one of the important multimodal learning techniques. You can create different visual learning art such as diagrams, infographics, charts, and graphs, to train your learners.
The best multimodal learning strategy here is combining visual and text-based learning materials. For example, you can write a paragraph on a topic and create a diagram or visual presentation to explain the concept further. This way, you can help both visual and text learners.
2. Use Blended Learning Approach
Blended learning is an innovative way to communicate with different types of learners. In this approach, you need to create different types of learning materials such as games, podcasts, blogs, and more.
Blended learning might sound like a lot of work. But, once you have the right tools, you can easily implement a blended learning strategy in your organization.
3. Talk to Your Team
Instead of experimenting with different learning models, you could simply have a one-on-one conversation with your team members to understand which learning modal they prefer the most.
This approach will potentially eliminate all the additional work required to build a multimodal learning strategy for your team. On the other hand, it will set responsibility for learners to perform better as they have themselves selected their preferred learning model.
You can also help them self-assess their learning style with a help of a quick quiz like this:
Examples of Multimodal Learning
Now that you know what multimodal learning is and how to incorporate it in your organization let’s check out a couple of multimodal learning examples.
1. Games
Educational and brain-teasing games are the best way to incorporate multimedia learning in your organization. There are different types of learning games available online that you can use to train your employees, such as MentalUP, Tangram, etc.
2. Group Projects
Group projects are useful to teach your team members how to work in a collaborative environment. They will learn how to use the strengths of individual team members to complete a project. It is a great multimodal learning and team-building strategy.
3. Case Studies
Based on real-life scenarios, case studies help learners relate classroom learning to real examples. You can assign different assessments to evaluate their understanding of cases. When your learners realize that what they are learning has meaningful connections with the real world, it motivates them to learn more.
How to Customize Multimodal Learning Approach
Multimodal learning is a highly effective way to teach new things to your team. However, you can make your multimodal learning more effective by creating a custom strategy based on your teammates’ strengths and weaknesses.
Here’s how you can customize a multi-model learning strategy:
1. Use Different Content Styles
By using different content styles, you can strengthen your multimodal learning approach. You can use audio, short videos, infographics, presentations, and other eLearning material to build a custom multimodal learning environment for your corporate training.
Pro tip: Don’t go overboard as it will only overwhelm your learners in the end. For example, if you want to show your team how to use an automatic tool, first provide a manual to your team members. After that, provide them practical training and finally, ask them to take a test to gauge their comprehension.
2. Use Digital Learning Tools
Online learning is the mainstream learning system today. From schools to enterprises, everyone is using different online learning tools to create, manage, and measure learning & development.
Digital learning enables instructors to target different modules of multimodal learning. You can create interactive video lessons and upload them on YouTube so your learners can watch them anytime and anywhere. Doing this helps audio and visual learners to understand different concepts at their own pace.
Similarly, you can publish podcasts, blogs, and other learning resources on your website to provide information to your employees or customers.
Nowadays, many learner-centric software applications such as a learning management systemare also available. They can help you create, share, and track interesting online courses and tests with anyone, anywhere, anytime. Some of these solutions are highly configurable to meet the specific needs of end-users.
3. Get Feedback From Learners
This is a very important factor in creating a multimodal learning environment in your workplace. Feedback helps you understand how much your learners have actually learned from your different learning approaches.
It will help you understand which learning method has been more successful for your team. This way, you can invest more resources in the more successful learning model instead of experimenting with different learning systems.
You can use engaging online surveys with different question types and formats to gather feedback from your learners on your learning programs.
Dynamic Multimodal Learning Strategies You Must Try in 2023
Multimodal learning is a perfect solution for improving the quality of instruction and learning, no matter which department you’re training. However, you have to use the right multimodal learning strategies to derive the desired results.
Based on different learning modules, here are a couple of strategies that you can use in 2023:
1. Multimodal Learning Strategies for Auditory Learners
- Organize guest speeches and lectures in your organization
- Create songs or podcasts
- Host group discussions
- Allow your employees to present their ideas during meetings
- Host seminars
2. Multimodal Learning Strategies for Visual Learners
- Use symbols and illustrations to highlight important points
- Create infographics, art pictures, and other illustrations
- Share online videos and webinars
- Teach via flowcharts, slide shows, diagrams, & graphs
- Assign color codes and highlight important parts using different forms
3. Multimodal Learning Strategies for Kinesthetic Learners
- Live site visits
- Experiments with different learning resources
- Use real-life examples & case studies
- Provide multimedia presentations
- Group projects, prompt quizzes, and surveys
4. Multimodal Learning Strategies for Reading/Writing Learners
- Write an essay on a current topic
- Include multiple-choice, short answer, and essay questions
- Note down important points during the class
- Share a class experience in your own words
- Read different books and blogs related to your topic
Start Investing in Multimodal Learning!
No two learners learn the same way. So, whether you want to teach senior employees or a 10-year-old child, multimodal learning is the best approach to take. It is learner-friendly as it relies on a mode of learning that caters to individual preferences.
When learners get to learn just the way they want, they become fully engaged and motivated. This, in turn, leads to better information retention, performance, and productivity.
If you’re yet to embrace a multimodal learning system, it’s high time you give it a thought. One of the easiest ways is to adopt the best LMS software that supports multimedia files or eLearning material in different formats. You can easily import your existing content and get a program up and running in no time.
FAQs
What Is Multimodal Learning & How to Use It? ›
Multimodal learning suggests that when a number of our senses – visual, auditory, kinaesthetic – are being engaged during learning, we understand and remember more. By combining these modes, learners experience learning in a variety of ways to create a diverse learning style.
How do you use Multimodal learning? ›Multimodal learning means engaging with concepts and ideas in multiple ways. Reading, listening, watching, writing, talking, exploring, doing, building, playing, drawing, singing, sculpting – Learning through different sensory modalities opens a world of possibilities for engaging lessons and activities.
What is Multimodal learning and examples? ›Multimodal Learning combines all of the different modes of learning to teach the curriculum in a course. For example, students listen (auditory) to an instructor giving a lecture on a subject before asking them to demonstrate (kinesthetic).
What is the Multimodal learning style? ›What is Multi-Modal Learning? Multimodal learning engages students with content through the use of various modes or mediums of communication. It is based on the VARK learning style model, which states that different students learn best through visual, auditory, reading/writing, or kinesthetic interactions with content.
How does multimodal work? ›Multimodal projects are simply projects that have multiple “modes” of communicating a message. For example, while traditional papers typically only have one mode (text), a multimodal project would include a combination of text, images, motion, or audio.
What are 5 example of multimodal? ›Simple multimodal texts include comics/graphic novels, picture books, newspapers, brochures, print advertisements, posters, storyboards, digital slide presentations (e.g. PowerPoint), e-posters, e-books, and social media.
How do multimodal learners learn best? ›Multimodality supports a universal design for learning by communicating concepts in the most effective ways and making sure everyone gets exactly what they need. For instance, having: Both text and audio supports reading and hearing. Images and animation can help focus attention.
What are the four 4 main learning styles? ›There are 4 predominant learning styles: Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, and Kinaesthetic. While most of us may have some general idea about how we learn best, often it comes as a surprise when we discover what our predominant learning style is.
How do you use multimodal communication? ›Multi modal communication is a holistic way of looking at communication. Rather than just focusing on one area, we consider all forms of communication, for example, body posture, facial expression, gesture, writing, speaking or using a communication device.
What are the three types of multimodal text give at least three example of each type? ›Paper-based multimodal texts include picture books, text books, graphic novels, comics, and posters. Live multimodal texts, for example, dance, performance, and oral storytelling, convey meaning through combinations of various modes such as gestural, spatial, audio, and oral language.
What are examples of multimodal techniques? ›
- Case-Based Learning. It refers to the use of real-life examples when introducing or going through a concept in class. ...
- Multimedia Research Projects. ...
- Educational Games. ...
- Think-Pair-Share Strategy.
In transportation, multimodal is used synonymously with intermodal to refer to transport systems that use multiple modes of transportation, such as trucks, trains, and ships.
What are examples of multimodal design? ›A few examples are keyboards, mice, touchscreens, trackpads, and speech recognition. In this case, users rely on various mechanisms to communicate with and command computers. More complex examples are accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers that help with motion detection.
What are the benefits of multimodal approach? ›A core benefit of blended and multimodal learning is their ability to reach people who benefit from various learning styles. Additionally, helping employees understand their unique learning styles can guide them in leveraging resources that are compatible with how they process information most effectively.
What does multimodal mean simple? ›Many texts are multimodal, where meaning is communicated through combinations of two or more modes.
What is an example of multimodal communication? ›For example, speech, the written word, sound, physical gestures and graphic images are all different modes of communication. Multimodal communication is communication that takes advantage of multiple modes, such as a PowerPoint presentation or a television commercial.
How reading is useful in a multimodal? ›By taking a multimodal reading approach, students can examine plot, perspective, voice through visual imagery by comparing the same story across different formats and media. In addition, this multimodal approach allows teachers to effectively attend to a variety of learning styles simultaneously.
What is an example of a multimodal assessment? ›In written texts, the use of different fonts, styles, colours and other formatting tools are examples of multimodality. In speech, tone of voice, intonation, prosody and non-verbal cues constitute multimodality.
What is multimodal learning in deep learning? ›Multimodal Deep Learning is a machine learning subfield that aims to train AI models to process and find relationships between different types of data (modalities)—typically, images, video, audio, and text.
What is a multimodal approach to teaching reading? ›Multimodal lessons should, at root, incorporate the simultaneous use of students' visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic pathways to input learning by sight, sound, and writing. These lessons should be fun and engaging while teaching students the structure of the English language for reading and writing.
What is the 4 C's model education? ›
According to the report, the cornerstone of becoming a successful learner at any age comes down to the four C's: critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and communication.
What is the best learning style? ›The visual learners process the information best if they can see it. The auditory learners like to hear information. The read-write learners prefer to see the written words. The kinaesthetic learners like to acquire information through experience and practice.
What learning style is most common? ›The most popular learning style preference is the kinesthetic category. These students prefer to be taught in a concrete way with real life examples and exploration. They learn best through all of their senses. A student with a kinesthetic learning preference will want to physically show or demonstrate their learning.
Why is multimodal important? ›Supporting multimodal literacy is an important aspect of education today as it encourages students to understand the ways media shapes their world. Most, if not all texts today, can be considered “multimodal texts,” as they combine modes such as visuals, audio, and alphabetic or linguistic text.
Why do we need to learn multimodal communication? ›Multimodal communication is a crucial component of social interactions that helps us to convey our ideas, thoughts, feelings, and opinions. We typically tend to use gestures, facial expressions, speech, etc to make ourselves understood. A frown, a wink, or a nod – we constantly use different means to communicate.
What are the 5 elements of multimodal text? ›In the composition field, multimodal elements are commonly defined in terms of the five modes of communication: linguistic, visual, gestural, spatial, audio.
Is multi modality always a good thing? ›Answer: It cannot be good always. involves multi-modality sometimes it will leads to a failure due to a some mistake in a particular mode.
What is multimodal technology? ›A technology that provides several distinct tools for input and output of data, thus allowing multiple modes of interacting with a system.
What are the 5 modes of communication? ›- Verbal Communication. Verbal communication occurs when we engage in speaking with others. ...
- Non-Verbal Communication. What we do while we speak often says more than the actual words. ...
- Written Communication. ...
- Listening. ...
- Visual Communication.
Multimodal meaning-making refers to the processes by which people use semiotic resources to make meaning in social settings. Meaning-making is inherently linked to the different practices that people as social actors engage in.
Who invented Multimodal learning? ›
At its core, the Multimodality Theory, introduced by Gunther Kress, is about how people learn, communicate, and convey information using different forms of media.
What are the uses of multimodality? ›Multimodality can be used to build inventories of the semiotic resources, organizing principles, and cultural references that modes make available to people in particular places and times: the actions, materials and artifacts people communicate with.
How do you use multimodal literacy? ›To teach multimodal literacy, the teacher selects model multimodal texts that are appropriate to the purpose of a task or lesson. The teacher explicitly scaffolds how language combines with paper, live and digital multimedia platforms to communicate effectively.
What is an example of communication is multimodal? ›For example, speech, the written word, sound, physical gestures and graphic images are all different modes of communication. Multimodal communication is communication that takes advantage of multiple modes, such as a PowerPoint presentation or a television commercial.
What are the 5 types of multimodal text? ›In the composition field, multimodal elements are commonly defined in terms of the five modes of communication: linguistic, visual, gestural, spatial, audio.
What is multimodality in simple words? ›The term multimodality refers to the combination of multiple sensory and communicative modes, such as sight, sound, print, images, video, music, and so on, that produce meaning in any given message.