Students learn in a variety of modes.
Some students process information actively,
through physical activity or discussion;
others reflectively, through
introspection. Many students learn sequentially,
in incremental steps leading
toward understanding; others
learn globally, by large jumps, and
only achieve understanding when an
entire process can be seen in a holistic
light (Felder & Silverman 1988). Teaching
techniques that simultaneously address
the needs of different types of
learners often give highly satisfactory
results in the classroom (Felder & Silverman
1988). Hand models have
been found to be an excellent teaching
tool for illustration of various dynamic
biological processes (Ward 1988; Bierman
1989). A benefit of hand models is
that they cater to several learning
styles. Active students are physically
engaged by the model; reflective students
can use the model to "think
through" the concept. In a stepwise
process such as cell division, the
phases are illustrated for sequential
learners; the fact that the entire process
is shown as a dynamic whole
rather than a static series of diagrams
can aid the global learner.