"Auditory and Visual Short-Term Memory:
Evaluation of Learning Strengths"

Abstract of a paper by Julia Mizrahi

   All humans use all of their senses to learn. Most people learn better through one or two of these senses (Smith & Holliday, 1987). Children entering elementary school tend to be kinesthetic or tactual learners (Dunn, 1988). In the higher grade levels and college, teachers tend to use a lecture format to deliver information to students, and to a lesser degree, visual presentations (James & Blank, 1991). It is critical for teachers to determine the most effective mode or presentation while instructing a diverse student population with varied learning styles. In an attempt to help determine the best method of instruction, this study investigated auditory versus visual short-term memory recall. High school seniors were presented with five numbers and their spatial locations either auditorily or visually. Then, they were asked to recall the information they received. The findings of this study indicate that students tend to display better short-term memory when stimuli were presented visually.

Junior Level, Second Place, Julia Mizrahi; Hillsdale Middle School, Grade 8.
Advisor: Marilyn Sniffen

Marylin Sniffen and Julia Mizrahi