Multiple Intelligences
Howard Gardner's Eight Intelligences
Howard Gardner, the Harvard professor who originally proposed
the theory, says that there are multiple types of human
intelligence, each representing different ways of processing
information:
Verbal-linguistic intelligence refers to an individual's ability to
analyze information and produce work that involves oral and
written language, such as speeches, books, and emails.
Logical-mathematical intelligence describes the ability to
develop equations and proofs, make calculations, and solve
abstract problems.
Visual-spatial intelligence allows people to comprehend maps
and other types of graphical information.
Musical intelligence enables individuals to produce and make
meaning of different types of sound.
Naturalistic intelligence refers to the ability to identify and
distinguish among different types of plants, animals, and
weather formations found in the natural world.
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence entails using one's own body to
create products or solve problems.
Interpersonal intelligence reflects an ability to recognize and
understand other people's moods, desires, motivations, and
intentions.
Intrapersonal intelligence refers to people's ability to recognize
and assess those same characteristics within themselves.
The Difference Between Multiple Intelligences and Learning
Styles
One common misconception about multiple intelligences is that it
means the same thing as learning styles. Instead, multiple
intelligences represents different intellectual abilities. Learning
styles, according to Howard Gardner, are the ways in which an
individual approaches a range of tasks. They have been
categorized in a number of different ways -- visual, auditory, and
kinesthetic, impulsive and reflective, right brain and left brain,
etc. Gardner argues that the idea of learning styles does not
contain clear criteria for how one would define a learning style,
where the style comes, and how it can be recognized and assessed.
He phrases the idea of learning styles as "a hypothesis of how an
individual approaches a range of materials."
Everyone has all eight types of the intelligences listed above at
varying levels of aptitude -- perhaps even more that are still
undiscovered -- and all learning experiences do not have to relate
to a person's strongest area of intelligence. For example, if
someone is skilled at learning new languages, it doesn’t
necessarily mean that they prefer to learn through lectures.
Someone with high visual-spatial intelligence, such as a skilled
painter, may still benefit from using rhymes to remember
information. Learning is fluid and complex, and it’s important to
avoid labeling students as one type of learner. As Gardner states,
"When one has a thorough understanding of a topic, one can
typically think of it in several ways."
What Multiple Intelligences Theory Can Teach Us
While additional research is still needed to determine the best
measures for assessing and supporting a range of intelligences in
schools, the theory has provided opportunities to broaden
definitions of intelligence. As an educator, it is useful to think
about the different ways that information can be presented.
However, it is critical to not classify students as being specific
types of learners nor as having an innate or fixed type of
intelligence.
Practices Supported by Research
Having an understanding of different teaching approaches from
which we all can learn, as well as a toolbox with a variety of ways
to present content to students, is valuable for increasing the
accessibility of learning experiences for all students. To develop
this toolbox, it is especially important to gather ongoing
information about student strengths and challenges as well as their
developing interests and activities they dislike. Providing different
contexts for students and engaging a variety of their senses -- for
example, learning about fractions through musical notes, flower
petals, and poetic meter -- is supported by research. Specifically:
Providing students with multiple ways to access content
improves learning (Hattie, 2011).
Providing students with multiple ways to demonstrate
knowledge and skills increases engagement and learning, and
provides teachers with more accurate understanding of students'
knowledge and skills (Darling-Hammond, 2010).
Instruction should be informed as much as possible by detailed
knowledge about students' specific strengths, needs, and areas
for growth (Tomlinson, 2014).
As our insatiable curiosity about the learning process persists and
studies continue to evolve, scientific research may emerge that
further elaborates on multiple intelligences, learning styles, or
perhaps another theory.
References
Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). Performance Counts: Assessment
Systems that Support High-Quality Learning . Washington, DC:
Council of Chief State School Officers.
Hattie, J. (2011). Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing
Impact on Learning . New York, NY: Routledge.
Tomlinson, C. A. (2014). The Differentiated Classroom:
Responding to the Needs of All Learners . Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
