II. Step in: multiple modalities

Incorporating multiple modalities means designing learning and instruction to be inclusive to diverse learning styles.

Questions to consider

1. How is information being presented?

2. Were all possible learning styles considered when planning tasks and deliverables?

3. In what ways will participants have opportunities to grapple with and apply learning in various ways?

transfer tip

Invite participants to share their favorite approaches to make teaching inclusive and welcoming of different learning styles.

What are modalities & why do we need multiple types of them?

Providing different modalities—or ways of expressing, communicating, and engaging— in the learning context of PD builds a foundation of equity that fosters inclusivity to diverse learners of all backgrounds and all approaches to learning.

Gardner's multiple intelligences

Howard Gardner, a researcher at Harvard University, reframed how we understand human capacity. Gardner proposed that in addition to the so-called "academic intelligences" (logic, math, and language), other kinds of intelligences exist that serve as a lens learners use to perceive and interpret new experience.

Gardner describes these multiple intelligences as: “Biopsychological potential to process information that can be activated in a cultural setting to solve problems or create products that are of value.” – Gardner (2000)

Adapted from Marenus, Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences and Lambert, The Constructivist Leader (1995)

The practitioner should make every effort to support multiple intelligences and learning styles using multiple learning modalities in any one PD session.

Do you know your learning style?

We often teach according to how we personally learn best, whether intentionally or not. Understanding the diversity of people's learning styles can expand and strengthen your practice.

Check out the two inventories below to discover more approaches to how people make meaning:

Kolb's Theory of Learning

VARK Learning Styles

What is Universal Design for Learning?

Adapted from CAST: The UDL Guidelines

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a guide to making learning accessible to all.

UDL draws from science-based strategies and insights on how humans learn to structure inclusive spaces where everyone has access to engage in meaningful, challenging learning.

Check out the UDL interactive tool. We love this tool because it streamlines design by providing:

Concrete suggestions that can be utilized in any discipline, for all ages
Strategies to plan learning that meets all your participants' needs
Researched-based explanations for each step

some activities for different learning styles:

Adapted from Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development (2009)

"The goal is to...understand the diverse strengths and needs of these learners as well as acquire strategies for meeting their needs and building on their strengths."

– Oakes & Darling-Hammond, "Teaching For Equity and Social Justice" (2019)

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