Multisensory Integration in
Physical Learning Environments:
A Pedagogical Model for Addressing the
Diverse Needs of the Group and the Individual
Andrea E. Downie
MA Candidate in Dance
York University, Toronto
Questions?
 What makes a teacher effective?
 How can learning be facilitated in
students with differing needs?
 Can diverse needs be simultaneously
met when leading a group?
Teaching and Learning
Effective
Teaching
Successful
Learning
Communication of relevant information throughout the learning process
Knowledge Base
Content Learners Methods
(what)
(who)
(how)
Primary Sensory Systems
Used in Motor Skill Learning
VISUAL
AUDITORY
SOMATOSENSORY
Sensory Learning Styles
 Visual
 Auditory/Verbal
 Kinesthetic/Tactile (Somatosensory)
 Multimodal
Multisensory Interaction
Sensory
Combination
• Nonredundant
signals
• Information
maximized
VISUAL
AUDITORY
• Sensory Combination vs. Sensory Interaction, from Ernst & Bülthoff, 2004
SOMATOSENSORY
Sensory
Integration
• Redundant
signals
• Increased
reliability
Rules for Sensory Integration
 More than one kind of stimuli
 Spatial coincidence
 Temporal coincidence
 Related information
Using Sensory Stimuli:
Benefits to Learning
1. Combination cues result in stronger responses than
single sensory signals
2. Congruent stimuli benefits learning more than
incongruent stimuli
3. Multisensory training improves within-session learning
(acquisition)
4. Multisensory training improves across-session learning
(retention)
5. Improved recall and retrieval seen in later multisensory
AND unisensory environments
6. Preferred learning styles addressed as a matter of
course
The Model for
Multisensory Integration in
Physical Learning Environments
proposes....
The correct use and timing of sensory
information during skill instruction can
facilitate the learning of motor skills, both
acquisition and retention, and address
learning diversity.
© Andrea E. Downie, 2009
Multisensory Integration Model for
Teaching Motor Skills: Part 1
“3 kinds, 3 times, 3 modes”
Multisensory Information
Skill Instruction Mode
Timing
Simultaneous
Skill Presentation
VISUAL
Correct Tempo
AUDITORY
SOMATOSENSORY
(Kinesthetic
& Tactile)
Skill Practice
Facilitation
Before, During
and/or After
Movement
Augmented
Feedback Delivery
© Andrea E. Downie, 2009
Building a Multisensory Integration
Model for Teaching Motor Skills
Multisensory Information
Timing
Simultaneous
VISUAL
Correct Tempo
AUDITORY
SOMATOSENSORY
(Kinesthetic
& Tactile)
Before, During
and/or After
Movement
© Andrea E. Downie, 2009
Applying the Ideas to
a Skill Presentation
BEFORE:
Preparatory Information
DURING:
Concurrent Information
AFTER:
Terminal Information
VISUAL
Demonstration
VISUAL
Gestures
AUDITORY
(Verbal
Directive)
Body Part
+
Action/Direction
VISUAL
AUDITORY
(Verbal
Narrative)
SOMATOSENSORY
Number
or
Count
Student’s
Practice
• ”Body Part, Action and Count” is a formula for teaching dance skills developed by Lynn
Simonson, 2008. Adapted here to fit the model by A. E. Downie, 2009
• The idea of “verbal directive vs. verbal narrative is from Delin, 1998
Gestures
© Andrea E. Downie, 2009
AUDITORY
Recap
Multisensory Integration Model for
Teaching Motor Skills: Part 1
“3 kinds, 3 times, 3 modes”
Multisensory Information
Skill Instruction Mode
Timing
Simultaneous
Skill Presentation
VISUAL
Correct Tempo
AUDITORY
SOMATOSENSORY
(Kinesthetic
& Tactile)
Skill Practice
Facilitation
Before, During
and/or After
Movement
Augmented
Feedback Delivery
© Andrea E. Downie, 2009
Multisensory Integration Model
for Teaching Motor Skills: Part 2
GROUP
Provide
Multisensory
Information
Stage of Motor Learning
Facilitate
Provide
Unisensory
Information
• Motor Learning Stages from Fitts & Posner, 1967
Focus on
Preferred
Mode
(if known)
Cognitive
Provide
Multisensory
Information
Provide
Multisensory
Information
Associative
Challenge
INDIVIDUAL
Autonomous
Provide
NonPreferred
Unisensory
Information
(if known)
© Andrea E. Downie, 2009
Activity:
 Discuss with your partner any or all of the following:
1. Do you have a preferred way of receiving information?
2. As a teacher, to you have a preferred way of
communicating information?
3. Have you noticed sensory learning style differences in
your students and what are some of the ways you
address/accommodate them?
Practical Activity:
Teach your partner a simple movement skill:
1. Determine how many actions are involved, number them in
sequence (minimum of two, maximum of four)
2. Figure out the correct tempo that will allow them to follow,
maintain fundamental timing structure of the skill
3. Teach them the skill: incorporate visual, auditory and
kinesthetic (student’s physical trial) information
VISUAL
BEFORE:
Preparatory Information
AUDITORY
Body Part
+
Action/Direction
• ”Body Part, Action and Count” is a formula for teaching dance skills developed by Lynn
Simonson, 2008. Adapted here by A. E. Downie, 2009
DURING:
Concurrent Information
Demonstration
AUDITORY
Number
or
Count
SOMATOSENSORY
Student’s
Practice
Summary
Using congruent multisensory information
enhances motor skill learning and
addresses learning diversity.
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Thank you!
VISUAL
AUDITORY
SOMATOSENSORY
Andrea E. Downie
M.A. Candidate in Dance
York University
Toronto, ON
adownie@yorku.ca
“3 kinds, 3 times, 3 modes”