Content: Multisensory learning
Creating lessons that use a variety of senses is an easy way to build differentiation and accommodations right into a lesson. All students benefit from content presented in multiple ways, increasing the opportunity for student understanding.
Incorporate multisensory learning
An example of multisensory differentiation is providing captions on a video. Captions ensure students receive the information both auditorily and visually. Using captions gives students a choice and provides built-in accommodation for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Here are other categories of multisensory learning:
Visual
- Text, graphics, pictures
- Videos
- Live meetings with demonstrations
Hearing
- Audio recordings
- Verbal explanations of content
Kinesthetic-tactile
- Taking Notes
- Drawing
- Hands-on work
- Physically moving body
Accessible media
Multimedia videos need to be accessible by all users, including students who are blind or have low vision and deaf or hard of hearing.
Verbalize all relevant visual information for students who are blind and low vision. Explain all relevant parts of graphics, images, or any on-screen text.
Captions are critical for students who are deaf/hard of hearing to access auditory content. There are other instances where captions are beneficial. For example:
- The location is loud
- Students need to be quiet
- Students have an auditory processing disorder, or
- Students need translation into another language