Kinesthetic Learning Modalities’ Approach in Understanding Concepts of Hypersensitivities Immunological Reactions.

Abstract

Abstract It is now generally accepted that there are four learning modalities. Auditory learners learn best by listening so lecturing would be the way they would prefer to learn. Visual learners are those who prefer the printed word. They would learn best by reading or responding to the use of an overhead projector type of teaching. Tactile learners learn best by manipulating objects so they would prefer laboratory exercises. Kinesthetic (also known as whole body learners) prefer to learn through physical activities. This is the group of learners who would benefit most by this type of role-playing workshop. There are three basic modalities to process information to memory: visual (learning by seeing), auditory (learning by hearing), and kinesthetic (learning by doing). We tested role-playing modality at College of Pharmacy Chicago State University. This was done during spring semester where pharmacy year 1 students were taking Immunology as a didactic course. The students were divided into different small learning groups of 7–10 students in a class of 90 students and were made to role-play different types of hypersensitivity reactions. The role-playing acts were acted up in front of the whole class and also recorded. Asking Likert-type ordinary scale data analysis questions assessed the effectiveness of this modality and student learning. A statistically significant number of students found this immunology role-playing exercise as a fun and very beneficial activity. Students strongly agreed that this group-base role-playing approach was very powerful in conceptual understanding of hypersensitivity reactions, which is a clinically important and significant immunology topic.