By We all know that each student has a different and unique learning style. Understanding these learning styles is important for the academic success of the students. Moreover, these different learning styles impact how students understand and retain the information.
Two recently emerged learning styles are tactile and kinesthetic learning. However, some people find these learning styles similar, but they are not. There’s a difference that makes these two different styles different from one another. Both of these learning styles emphasize hands-on learning and physical activities.
So, if you have also learned something efficiently by doing it rather than just reading or listening about it, that means you are also a tactile or kinesthetic learner.
In this blog, let’s uncover what tactile and kinesthetic learning are, how they differ, their benefits, and the implementation of both learning styles.
What Is A Tactile Learning Style?
The main feature of this learning style is engaging the sense of touch of the students to help them understand new concepts.
In this learning style, students grasp new concepts by manipulating materials and objects, such as touching, holding, and squeezing toys is an example of this learning style. Moreover, by physically interacting with the objects, students excel academically.
It also includes conducting experiments, creating projects, and building models. One good example is the use of blocks in the mathematics class that students learn by utilizing and touching the blocks rather than just listening about them.
Moreover, such a learning style makes the overall class environment interesting through hands-on learning and active participation.
Common Traits Of Tactile Learners:
- They like to doodle and take notes during classes.
- They retain information by drawing or writing it.
- They enjoy crafting, building projects, and the use of technology that involves hands-on learning.
- They learn easily through lab work or experiments.
How Is The Tactile Learning Style Different From Other Learning Styles?
Other learning styles, such as auditory and visual learners who understand the concepts through seeing and listening, tactile learners grasp new concepts by manipulating objects.
For example, an auditory learner would understand the concept of volcanic eruption by listening to a lecture about it, but a tactile learner would learn it by crafting its model or by hands-on learning on a ready-made volcano model.
Understanding the difference between the learning styles is important for creating an inclusive learning environment for all kinds of students.
A Few Benefits Of Tactile Learning
1. Better Retention & Memorization Of The New Concepts:
Hands-on learning is beneficial as it leads to better retention of the new concepts. Additionally, learning through the sense of touch reinforces neural pathways, making it easier to retain and recall newly acquired knowledge.
2. More Active Participation:
Tactile learning leads to active participation, engagement, and focus in the students. When students touch, feel, and manipulate objects, they learn new concepts more efficiently, as they feel a deeper connection to them. Moreover, tactile learners learn better because they are more invested in their educational setting.
3. Improved Practical Abilities:
One of the benefits of tactile learning is that it leads to improved practical skills and expertise. This is due to the hands-on learning that helps students in the practical application.
For example, a student who learns the anatomy of flowers by dissecting them will also gain real skills like cutting with accuracy, etc. Moreover, in this way, it leads to the overall growth of the students.
What Is A Kinesthetic Learning Style?
It is a learning style in which students learn and grasp new concepts through physical movement and activities. Unlike tactile learning, which focuses on the sense of touch, kinesthetic learning involves the whole movement of body and physical activities.
This learning style is based on the idea that students learn best by doing. Moreover, students are actively involved in the material they are learning, then just taking in the information passively.
Some examples of kinesthetic learning would be the use of flashcards for math equations, using playdough, role playing, and measuring the liquids yourself, etc. Moreover, kinesthetic learners cannot sit for a long time and tend to move their hands when thinking or talking.
Common Traits Of A Kinesthetic Learner:
- They tend to learn by doing rather than just observing.
- They excel in physical activities like dance, drama, and sports.
- They struggle with being seated for longer periods and in traditional classrooms. They learn efficiently through role play, simulations, and real-world practice.
- They are creative and tend to think outside the box.
How Is The Kinesthetic Learning Style Different From Other Learning Styles?
As tactile, auditory, and visual learning involve seeing, hearing, and touching, kinesthetic learning involves whole-body movement. For example, instead of just reading about a museum, the students actually visit the museum and learn new ideas and concepts.
A Few Benefits Of Kinesthetic Learning:
1. Enhanced Motivation:
The kinesthetic learners have high motivation and engagement in the class. Moreover, as the students physically participate in each activity, they remain much invested in the class.
2. Better Retention:
Kinesthetic learning leads to improved retention of the new concepts. By being physically involved, learners experience the concepts in real life, and this leads to a better understanding of the concepts.
By physically experiencing, the concepts have a lasting impression on the students’ minds.
Key Differences:
| Aspect | Tactile learning(use of hands) | Kinesthetic learning(use of the whole body) |
| focus | Touch and manipulation | Body movement and physical activity |
| Best tools | Flashcards, writing | Role play, visit places, and physical activity |
| Environment preference | Desk-based, interactive tasks | Open space to move |
| Memory aid | Remember by handling objects | Remember, through physical movement |
Effective Learning Strategies For Kinesthetic & Tactile Learners:
- Use of the hands-on tools like flashcards, models, etc.
- Engaging in physical note-taking.
- Turn lessons into movement, i.e, role playing, drama, etc.
- Incorporating real-life applications.
- Utilizing technology in the class, i.e, virtual reality and University Assignment Help.
Final Thoughts:
The tactile and kinesthetic learning style highlights the power of learning by doing.
Whether you are a student seeking effective Essay Writing Services UAE or a teacher aiming for an engaging classroom, embracing these learning styles can lead to better understanding, creativity, and long-term success.
