The Wassermann Learning Method was developed by Dr. Jack Wasserman PhD. He started looking at learning styles and learning methods after he discovered later in life that he had Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). This discovery shed light on many questions about how he personally approached learning and the difficulties he encountered trying to learn in a traditional education setting. He learned how to “side-step” traditional learning formats. Through understanding his own deficits, he managed to earn several degrees including a Doctorate of Science in Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering.
After discovering that he had ADD, and being a college professor for many years, Dr. Wasserman became curious about how people learn. He started to research learning methods and learning styles. In his research he came across the Index of Learning Styles (ILS). The ILS is an on-line instrument used to assess preferences on four dimensions of a learning style model. The four dimensions are active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, visual/verbal, and sequential/global. (Formulated by Richard M. Felder and Linda K. Silverman. The instrument was developed by Richard M. Felder and Barbara A. Soloman of North Carolina State University.)
He started to do informal research on some of the concepts from the ILS and other learning techniques on his college students. His goal was to try to improve retention and learning enjoyment. He met June Chewing at an aquatic fitness convention in 2001. They collaborated on their concept of how to develop educationally sound home study continuing education products for the health-fitness industry. What started out as simple power point presentations for the conference with embedded video and graphics, quickly grew to a novel educational concept. This became the foundation of Fitness Learning Systems’ proprietary learning method used in home study eLearning products.
In the Wasserman Learning Method, accommodations are made for most learning styles using several strategies. The navigation bar and next/previous buttons accommodate course access for both sequential and global learners. This is done through linear navigation or the ability to pick and choose topics to learn non-sequentially. Bullet points, text boxes, and embedded audio break up the text and accommodate verbal learners. Pictures, embedded video, video demonstrations, and graphics on the page with the text help the visual learner. Definition, research, table, and chart formats accommodate the sensing learner. The innovative nature of eLearning appeals to intuitive learners. Interactive eLearning format helps to keep active learners engaged. It allows reflective learners to review each concept in the material as many times as they would like.
All of Fitness Learning Systems educational products are formatted consistently in this proprietary learning method. Each course contains as many of the elements as the educational topic will allow within the parameters of the course content. For example, some courses may be rich in video demonstration accompanied by text explanations. This will best convey and allow review for that course content.
Fitness Learning Systems is proud of the care they take in developing each course to provide the best educational experience possible
Copyright Fitness Learning Systems Inc. 2014
