Welcome to 4MAT

4MAT is a method for helping anyone learn anything. It has been used in thousands of teaching settings for over 25 years.

The 4MAT Model explains learning in terms of the ways people

perceive and process information.

Perceiving
Human perceptionthe ways people take in new informationoccurs in
an infinite variety of ways, all of which range between experience and
conceptualization.
ExperiencePerception by personal engagementsensations,
emotions, physical memories; the immediate; the self. Being in it.
ConceptualizationThe translation of experience in conceptual
formsideas, language, hierarchies, naming systems. An abstract
approach to learning. Being apart from it.
The interplay between the feeling of experience and the thinking of
conceptualization is crucial to the learning process. It connects the
personal values and perceptions of students to those of expert
learners.

Processing
Human processingwhat people do with new informationoccurs in an infinite variety of ways, all of which range between
reflection and action.

ReflectionTransforming knowledge by structuring, ordering, intellectualizing.

ActionApplying ideas to the external world; testing, doing, manipulating.
The interplay between the watching of reflection and the doing of action is crucial as it provides the impetus for acting on
internal ideas. It encourages the learner to test ideas in the real world and adapt what they learn to multiple and ambiguous
situations.

Learning Styles
Together, perceiving and processing describe the whole range of the learning experience. While all learners
engage in all types of learning, most seem to favor one particular type

Type Four

Type One

Dynamic LearningDoing and

Imaginative LearningFeeling and

feeling. Seeking hidden

watching, seeking personal

possibilities, exploring, learning by

associations, meaning, involvement.

trial and error, self-discovery.

Making connections. Key
Creating original adaptations. Key
question: If?

question:Why?

Type Three

Type Two

Common Sense Learning

Analytic LearningListening to and

Thinking and doing.

thinking about information; seeking

Experimenting, building, creating

facts, thinking through ideas; learning

usability. Tinkering.

what the experts think.

Applying ideas. Key

Formulating ideas. Key

question:How?

question:What?

Right & Left Brain

Right and Left Mode Processing

We know, too, that learning entails interaction between the right and left brain.
Left Operates best through structure, sequence. Prefers language, is
sequential, examines the elements, has number sense. Works to analyze or break
down information.
Right Operates out of being, comprehends images, seeks patterns, creates
metaphors, is simultaneous. Strives to synthesize, consolidate information.
The interplay between right and left is crucial to higher learning and thinking. It
provides a greater range and depth of understanding and encourages creative
expression and problem solving.

A Cycle of Instruction

4MAT offers specific guidance for any teacher to teach anything in a way that will appeal to all types of learners.

4MAT & Assessment

4MAT offers teachers and trainers a guide for assessing learner growth through the course
of a lesson.

4MAT & Curriculum

4MAT offers a concept-based framework for curriculum and instruction that focuses on (1)
Concepts, (2) Essential Questions, (3) Content & Standards and (4) Outcomes, and (5)
gives specific guidance on how to connect all of this to Learners.