Multisensory Learning for Students With Disabilities

Multisensory learning is an educational approach whereby a variety of sensory cues provide learners with alternative experiences of concepts. In exploring New Zealand secondary school mathematics and statistics teachers’ use of multisensory learning, the impact of teaching students with a range of disabilities is considered. The use of multisensory elements appears to be dependent on the senses being utilised and the kind of disabilities these students have. A teacher’s preference towards multisensory learning is therefore influenced by these factors. When considering the extent of multisensory elements to be included in task design, it is important to consider the intended users and accessibility of these features. Because statistics is a visually-dependant subject, there is a need for more research into how we can expand inclusivity in statistics education.