How can you use hands-on activities to accommodate kinesthetic learners in meetings?

Kinesthetic learners are hand on learners, they learn more from manipulating or touching materials, physically doing something like scribbling, fidgeting, folding paper, painting, drawing etc. To get them engaged, give them space, a lot of room to display, incorporate movement into their activities. I once had such a child in my class, he was either folding paper or scrubbing with his pencil. He enjoyed creating something out of nothing. He was one of the best students in my Creative Art class. He will always outperformed in anything practical. In the 10th grade, he made a fighter jet out of used cartoon, bottle caps, old batteries and the likes. He was discovered and help, he is a Robotic Engineering student at the university.

- Clay for modeling, and sticky notes for organizing. Link the feedback to tasks with concrete examples to boost understanding. Make the approach Hands-on

To accommodate kinesthetic learners in a meeting, incorporate hands-on activities like group discussions, role-playing scenarios, interactive simulations, or physical demonstrations relevant to the meeting's topic, gamification related to topic. These activities engage the learner's sense of touch and movement, helping them better absorb information. Here the understanding of each our senses is important so that in the real life scenario it can be applied to overcome a specific condition/problem. Example some times when really stressed if we smell something good we come out of the unresourceful state and we are charged.

Incorporating movement and gestures stands out as particularly beneficial for kinesthetic learners. These learners often grasp concepts more effectively through actions rather than just words or visuals. Movement can energize meetings, help maintain focus, and aid memory retention. Simple activities like standing up to present, using hand gestures to emphasize points, or even short breaks to stretch can make a significant difference.

- Participants can stand, walk, or change seats. Use gestures like thumbs up for agreement. Additionally, provide concrete examples to illustrate successful approaches and their relevance to the task at hand.

One of the questions we would get in the call center involved how to rotate large groups for one of our processes. I was asked to train the agents on this and i could see they weren't quite grasping it. I decided to divide them into 3 groups, designate cubicles for different rooms, and had them physically complete the rotation. It was like seeing lightbulbs light up over some heads. If I do say so myself, it was the perfect way to convey the process. The words on the job aid fell into place for them and they were able to answer the inquiries with confidence.

- Pair participants for peer coaching and feedback sessions, linking critiques to task goals. This will boost learning, confidence, and teamwork

- Mix up meeting formats with slides, videos, or games. For instance, use a quiz after a video presentation to reinforce learning. Feedback should pinpoint successes, tying them to task goals.

Use brainstorming sessions that involve physical movement. Kinesthetic learners may benefit from activities like mind mapping, where they can physically write or draw ideas on a whiteboard or large sheet of paper, and then rearrange or connect them as needed. Or imagine that you are a speaker at a professional, but informal event. You'd try to grab the attention of your audience in many different ways, right? It also helps to copy school teachers' method whenever possible. Conduct live demonstrations or experiments relevant to the meeting topic. Whether it's a science experiment, product demonstration, or hands-on workshop, providing opportunities for hands-on exploration can deepen understanding and retention for kinesthetic learners.

- Invite their ideas for interactive activities, like group exercises or visual aids. Recognize their hands-on strengths by assigning tasks that involve movement.

- **Diverse Learning Activities**: Incorporate a variety of activities in meetings, including hands-on tasks, visual aids, group discussions, and interactive simulations, catering to different learning styles, including kinesthetic learners. - **Interactive Workshops and Exercises**: Design interactive workshops and exercises that encourage active participation and engagement, offering opportunities for kinesthetic learners to physically engage with the material and apply concepts in real-time. - **Practical Demonstrations and Examples**: Provide demonstrations and practical examples that showcase concepts in action, using props or physical objects to make abstract ideas more tangible and accessible to kinesthetic learners.

We all are endowed with different kinds of learning styles viz. Auditory, Visual, Kinesthetics and Tactile. Each of these styles has its own characteristics and peculiarities. In an organisation we are then bound to have people with different kinds of learning styles and its predominance. People with Kinesthetic kind of learning styles are more likely to engage in activity based sessions and workshops. They find hands on kind of learning and interaction more impactful. A few tools which may assist are as under:- - Facilitative kind of meetings and sessions with less presentation and more group activities - Use of body language as an instrument to transfer information and knowledge - Feedforward is another way to help such people engage

If discussing a new software tool, provide participants with the opportunity to explore its features hands-on. This could involve guided exercises where attendees can interact with the software in real-time, allowing them to learn by doing. Additionally, if discussing a complex process or procedure, create a simulation where participants can role-play different scenarios to better understand how it works in practice. These interactive demonstrations provide kinesthetic learners with valuable experiential learning opportunities, helping them grasp concepts more effectively.