This paper builds a case for the use of multimedia to meet students' varied learning needs instead of relying solely on the traditional lecture/textbook/workbook approach. Piaget's theory of intellectual development is used as background for a discussion of developing teaching strategies based on individual learning styles, and various theories of learning and learning preferences are considered. The use of a learning preference survey with three mathematics classes is described to demonstrate how the survey can be used to plan teaching approaches. Increasing uses of various types of multimedia technologies in K-12 classrooms are briefly reviewed and laserdisc technology is described as one option for meeting varied learning needs. A review of some of the literature on the advantages of multimedia in teaching and learning concludes the case for multimedia as a means of systematically incorporating individual learning approaches into the classroom. An example of a student learning style inventory and a guide to interactive instructional technology programs at colleges and universities are appended. (Contains 30 references.) (KRN)