Incorporating kinesthetic learning into university classrooms: An example from management information systems

Abstract

Aim/Purpose Students tend to learn best when an array of learning styles is used by instructors. The purpose of this paper is to add, to introduce, and to apply the concepts of kinesthetic learning and learning structures to university and STEM education. Background The study applies the concept of kinesthetic learning and a learning structure called Think-Pair-Share to an experiential exercise about Moore's Law in an intro-ductory MIS classroom. The paper details the exercise and each of its compo-nents. Methodology Students in two classes were asked to complete a short survey about their concep-tual understanding of the course material before and after the experiential exer-cise. Contribution The paper details the benefits of kinesthetic learning and learning structures and discusses how to apply these concepts through an experiential exercise used in an introductory MIS course. Findings Results indicate that the kinesthetic learning activity had a positive impact on stu-dent learning outcomes. Recommendations for Practitioners University educators can use this example to structure several other learning ac-tivities that apply kinesthetic learning principles. Recommendations for Researchers Researchers can use this paper to study more about how to incorporate kines-thetic learning into education, and about teaching technology concepts to under-graduate students through kinesthetic learning. Impact on Society The results of this study may be extremely beneficial for the university and STEM community and overall academic business community. Future Research Researchers should consider longitudinal studies and other ways to incorporate kinesthetic learning activities into education.