Thinking Aloud - a technique for uncovering multi-sensory learning in professional education

The ‘Thinking Aloud’ technique was developed as a data generation and gathering tool in a phenomenological study looking at how students learn from experience to become midwives. In this paper I propose that the 'Thinking Aloud' technique is an appropriate tool for illuminating the under researched area of multi-sensory learning in professional education. I will explore the difficulties of collecting data about learning and then I will explain how the 'Thinking Aloud' technique addressed some of these problems. I will describe how the data was collected and then assess the ‘Thinking Aloud’ technique in terms of its value in collecting data on learning. The findings will be presented and discussed in respect of their relevance to learning and teaching in Higher Education.