Kinaesthetic Learning Intelligence:
If you have a physical learning intelligence you learn best kinaesthetically. If you can physically act out what you are learning, beyond the theory, then you often find you can absorb the information further. You have the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence that you coordinate your mind with your body. Not only do you take a hands on approach with learning, and have great muscle memory when acting out tasks, but doing physical activity such as exercise can also focus and relax your mind more, creating a more positive learning environment.
1. Make art work from your notes:
This method works for Visual Learning as well but for physical learners, the act of drawing something can inspire a creative flow that not only focuses their concentration but also produces innovative ideas.
For multiple subjects you can draw cartoons of your subject.
E.g.
Medicine:
You can draw body parts and label them rather than simply listing the different parts
English:
You can draw a scene from the book you are studying and label the different elements of symbolism you want to write about
Sociology:
Do a story board of a study you need to remember, acting out the social experiment that took place
2. Mind Maps:
Mind maps work for a lot of different learners but particularly help the kinaesthetic learners and learners with dyslexia. This hands on approach where thoughts can be put on paper in an organised but freestyle manner, with the process of making connections by drawing, allows a more organised process that these learners would have found difficult with linear lists.
The best software that can be used on your computer for this is: Inspiration 10
If you do have a learning disability approach Access Ability to ask about help with downloading it. You are able to draw a map on your laptop and then convert it to a word document where the software moves it to list format – good with essay writing.
Otherwise, traditional pen and paper methods work too. You can even use them as a medium of study when revising for an exam.
- Get two different coloured pens
- Draw what you can remember of your mind map in one colour
- At the end go in and add with your other colour the bits you forgot
- Keep doing this until all you can see is the first colour
This repetition and physical activity of putting certain information in a particular area of the page will help with recall during an exam.
3. Act out what you have learnt:
Being the person that carries out the process is how you learn best, a lot of the time there’s no point someone showing you or you listening to instructions, you are better at learning on the job, as you do it.
Sciences:
If you’ve studied an experiment that is suitable to do it in the labs at the University, give it a go there and then see if you can remember and write it out after.
Maths and Computer Science:
When you learn something new that seems complicated instead of trying to learn it from a textbook try and do a practise question that includes it
Business Subjects:
If you learn a new theory, chart or process then try and make a business or research plan, with something you can relate to, that includes it (see Naturalistic for conceptualising)
4. Physical Activity:
Some kinaesthetic learners need the right environment in order to absorb and retain new information. Try recording your notes and taking them to the gym (see Auditory), or when you are walking to the University.
Or simply when you find yourself getting tired and distracted, take a break and do some physical activity to revitalise your mind. The Danielle Brown sports centre is conveniently just behind the David Wilson library!