It is impossible to reach perfection, but practice is the only way that might bring us closer to it. Kinesthetic learning is the only way to bring kinesthetic skills to this level. Kinesthetic learning can develop our various skills in any field, but we must learn effectively by learning the right way.
What Is Kinesthetic Learning?
Kinesthetic learning is defined as a set of internal processes associated with practice or experience leading to relatively permanent changes in the capability for skilled behaviour.
Our brain responds to sensory information either by doing something or trying out a specific skill that allows for the growth of a kinesthetic task or the ability to produce a new kinesthetic skill. Our central nervous system changes to allow this to happen before anything else. Walking is a good example, which is one of the first skills we learn as humans. While some people think that young children start out trying to walk automatically, many complex processes are involved in this skill.
Kinesthetic learning is the real reason people learn to walk. We all tried walking because we had seen how important it was months before trying to take our first steps. We had seen many people walking and understood how useful walking on two legs was.
The Three Stages of Kinesthetic Learning
There is always more knowledge to be gained through kinesthetic learning than you might think. Over the years, researchers have discovered that there are three stages of kinesthetic learning:
- Cognitive learning.
- Associative learning.
- Autonomous learning.
Each stage has its own requirements that develop the learning experience. Let us delve deeper into explaining each of them:
1. Cognitive stage
The cognitive stage is the basic stage in which the greatest amount of learning occurs. At this stage, we are less concerned about how to do the skill correctly and more concerned with why we should bother to learn the skill. Once we understand this, we start experimenting and making mistakes, or as we call it “practising.” However, at this stage, the idea is to try at least a few times rather than master it in theory.
Furthermore, we rely heavily on guidance at this stage. Therefore, there must be a coach or teacher who works to provide a good learning environment free of distractions, in which visual elements must be used. The teacher must encourage conducting experiments and making mistakes to guide learning.
One example of this stage is the previous example of walking. There are other examples as well, such as driving a car or cycling. This method is not limited to a certain age. Even when we are older, it may work for us as well.
2. Associative stage
At this stage, we understand the educational content well and know what we need to do to perform a particular skill. Thereby, practice comes. The problem is that we cannot perform this skill as skillfully as others do. We know exactly what to do, but we do not know how to do it well. At this stage, the saying “Practice makes perfect” rings true. The more we practice, the more we can hone and enhance this skill.
For example, people who exercise become better, stronger, and more proficient the more they practice. Practising something increases our understanding of it and reveals our weaknesses so that we can strengthen and overcome them.
3. Autonomous stage
At this stage, we do everything we have learned more or less automatically, and this continues in the long run. We can improve more but do not need to think carefully before performing a particular task. Our bodies become adapted to do this. Examples of this include the skills we perform at work, such as writing, operating machines, uploading files, or other skills that do not require us to think before doing them.
Principles of kinesthetic Learning
The principles of kinesthetic learning are few and varied. There is general consensus that learning a new kinesthetic skill depends on the way we practice it, not on the amount of time spent practising it. This idea was proposed in a 2016 study published in Science Alert, where scientists discovered that changing how you practice can significantly enhance your learning experience.
Therefore, the basic principles focus on learning methodology and ensure that the three stages of learning are followed, which are simple in concept. The basic principle of kinesthetic learning is to reinforce the skill to the point that we apply it unconsciously.
The study we mentioned is a new addition to this principle because it teaches us that making adjustments to how we practice may develop new learning aspects that help us enrich our learning and master the skills we aim for.
How to Apply Kinesthetic Learning Theory to Learn Effectively?
The theory, as we mentioned, revolves around practising motor techniques until their performance becomes automatic. This requires experimenting and making small changes to improve the skill's performance. To apply this and enhance our skills, we must learn about that study that found something called “memory reconsolidation.” Dr. Pablo A. Celnik, one of the publishers of that study, stated the following:
“What we found is if you practice a slightly modified version of a task you want to master, you actually learn more and faster than if you just keep practising the exact same thing multiple times in a row.” Celnick emphasised the importance of this, saying:
“Our results are important because little was known before about how reconsolidation works in relation to kinesthetic skill development. This shows how simple manipulations during training can lead to more rapid and larger kinesthetic skill gains because of reconsolidation.”
In other words, using memory reconsolidation, we can learn faster and gain the ability to perform a skill quickly by practising something for several hours with small changes. This difference reinforces the practice because remembering our memories is not a static process. Whether you are learning a new skill or remembering an event, how you remember changes the memory itself. Our memories become highly unreliable because we focus on those memories and subtly change them in light of recent events. The brain is more interested in the most useful version and ignores the useless details.
In Conclusion
To embrace kinesthetic learning in your life, you should push yourself to make small changes to how you perform, whatever skill you are trying to do.
For example, if you are writing, try using a new word that you have not used before. Try making a new movement to get the same sound if you are playing a musical instrument. If you exercise, try using a different muscle or make a simple change, such as your posture or body position.
Finally, the idea of kinesthetic learning is about adopting practice constantly, even if you are at a stage where you apply skills automatically. This change might push you to the next level of learning that skill.
Add comment