Speaker 1: Upon interviewing teachers about their experiences in shifting from in-person to online learning in our Hindsight is 2020 series, we learned that it was the independent learners who thrived in this new learning environment across several education sectors. But what about the students who need a bit more support? How can learners who prefer different methodology become successful as well? Today's video is about identifying different learning styles in the online classroom and how to effectively engage them in a synchronous learning environment. While I'm sure you've heard of psychologist Howard Gardner at some point in your careers or studies, it's worth recapping his premise. Gardner proposed a theory of multiple intelligences in 1983 suggesting that individuals have different intellectual capacities. In particular, he suggested that we have strengths in specific areas rather than just having one intelligence type. Of course, like any other theory, there are criticisms with Gardner's approach. Many dismiss his intelligence categories as simply talents or abilities that someone is good at. What's more is that scholars say that his findings lack empirical evidence to support his claims. However, as educators, he provides some useful tools for practical classroom application. Firstly, by identifying a student's strengths and weaknesses, we can actually maximize their learning experience. By applying Gardner's principles, we can also ensure that we keep our teaching styles fresh and interesting for students instead of a monotonous routine. In doing so, we can hopefully increase language retention. There are two caveats to this application, though. For starters, teachers often dismiss these ideas because there's too much prep work involved to foster differentiated activities or to replan lessons. Moreover, teachers tend to teach the way that they learn best. By trying to instruct in another style, they fear that content might get lost in translation, which could literally be the case in an ESL classroom. This is further complicated by the novelty and unfamiliarity of the medium by which the teacher is using, which is most likely a video conferencing software these days. So without further ado, here are some practical tips on how to engage learners that fall into Gardner's proposed intelligences in an online classroom. First, let's talk about visual-spatial learners. These students can benefit from the use of images, graphs, and charts. They are also able to see and identify patterns clearly. So incorporating art is one way to engage these learners. For example, using a drawing tool to introduce new vocabulary or finding photographs to convey and reinforce grammatical concepts. These students would also appreciate visual explanations like colour-coded notes or multimedia word webs. Moreover, while learners in exam-focused classes might have to do this in preparation for their tests, using visual tools can help to elicit vocabulary in all sectors of ESL. Next, we have linguistic-verbal intelligence. Individuals who have this use their language skills to learn best. So while it may be obvious to incorporate writing tasks into your lessons or assignments, employing a variety of genres will allow these students to continue to develop their skills. However, if practicing the skill of pronunciation, let's say, a fun word game to include for these types of learners is MadGab, where a student has to read a gibberish word and work out the correct pauses for it to make sense. Moving on to logical-mathematical. This type of intelligence is good at analysing situations and problem-solving. So why not incorporate just that? Categorization and ranking tasks can effectively engage a logical-mathematical learner while practicing any skill. When set in a meaningful context, task-based learning activities, such as prioritizing items to have on a deserted island or who to invite to a dinner party, are incredibly useful for producing language. A more overt way of appealing to these individuals is by using logic puzzles. You may have heard of the classic one about a river crossing with a goat, a wolf, and a cabbage, seen here. But this one can really engage learners by first having to solve the problem and secondly using a specific language point to convey it. What's more is that it's really motivating when a student can do this in a second language when the teacher, like me, admits that they couldn't even do it in their first. Musical learners could have an innate musical ability or merely an appreciation for sound. This learning preference is not only connected to auditory elements but also with performance. From an auditory perspective, utilizing voice recording technology can help students improve their speaking skills. By recording their voice and having them listen for intonation patterns or hesitation, they could identify their own errors. Musical learners might also pick up grammar or vocabulary through varying drill patterns. And of course, there is a song for every grammatical, lexical, or phonological point that you would ever want to reinforce. So why not try that out every so often? Kinesthetic learners might have struggled a lot in the shift from in-person to online learning because they use their body, touch, and movement to learn. And while you can't have the typical running dictations or tactile methods that you might have had in your in-person classroom, incorporating movement and gesture might still help check in on these learners. Asking students to use gestures, like a smile or thumbs up, might help them make the mind-body connection that they need to facilitate learning. You could also ask students to find physical objects in their home to demonstrate a language point. Another group that might be struggling in an online classroom are the naturalistic learners. These students are attracted by the environment and species in the natural world. So how can you engage them in an online setting? Well, my best suggestion with these learners comes in an asynchronous form. Set the task of going on a walk in nature. Not only could you tailor this to be language-focused, like practicing directions, but it may also help learners reset their minds and take a break from all the technology that they're using. Next, we have interpersonal learners. These students enjoy relating to others and are often good at understanding others' feelings and emotions. So channel that skill. The use of group work will help these students adjust to the decrease of socialization that they might be experiencing in an online classroom. Most platforms have breakout rooms, where students can work together in small groups. These could foster discussions, or give the students a chance to speak, or also to prepare debates. On the other side of the spectrum are the interpersonal learners, who are aware of their own goals and progress. These are most commonly the independent learners, who are able to take control and be autonomous in their learning experience. However, even though they seem to be programmed for success in this new learning environment, we mustn't forget about them. Be sure to allow periods of silent time in online lessons, where these students could refocus their thoughts. Moreover, to facilitate learning further, meet them regularly and help them check in on their goals. If the student is shy or more introspective, encourage them to record themselves and self-assess from time to time. So while this is not a comprehensive guide on how to conduct your online class, it is still important that while we adjust to this new medium, we keep all learners in mind. If you are curious about what kind of intelligence your students have, you can assign them this questionnaire to find out. There is even an Excel spreadsheet format that will calculate the learners' results and tell them their intelligence types. It's useful to aggregate this data in order to make sure that you are catering to all students in your class. And if you are interested in learning more about gardeners' intelligence types and what that means for your classroom, here are some links of how they can apply to a teaching perspective. And we would love to hear more about how you cater to different learning styles online. Leave us a comment down below and we hope to see you in our next video.