Learning Style
Howard Gardener's
Theory of Multiple Intelligence, hypothesizes that human beings are capable
of seven independent means of information processing.
Words
This person
loves to to tell stories and read and write. This learner is pretty
good at remembering names, places, dates, and similar. This person
learns best given an opportunity to hear, see and say words associated
with the desired outcome.
Questions
This learner
likes to figure things out by asking questions, exploring, and doing some
experimenting. This person is usually good at math and logic/problem
solving. This person learns best when provided with opportunities
to classify, categorize, and work with abstractions and their relationship
to one another.
Pictures
This person
enjoys drawing, designing, and looking at pictures, slides, videos, and
films. This person is especially proficient at imagining, sensing
changes, doing puzzles, and reading charts and maps. This person
absorbs information best by visualizing, using the 'mind's eye', manipulating
(working in some way) with pictures and colors.
Music
A hummer of
tunes, a singer of songs; probably plays an instrument, and is always listening
to music. This person excels at remembering melody, noticing the
rhythms of life, and keeps perfect time. Therefore, this learner
gets new information via melodies, musical notation, or rhythm as an critical
aspect of the delivery system.
Moving
A person in
motion, touching while talking, and using the body to express ideas.
This person is a dancer, plays sports, and participates in producing a
variety of crafts. Learning has to have a kinetic component, interacting
with space in some way so as to process, and remember, the new information
through the body.
Socializing
This person
is a joiner, always with a group of people and talking with friends.
Leading others is a obvious skill, along with, organizing, mediating, communicating,
and generally understanding people and how to work well with them.
Impart new information to this person by giving opportunities to compare
and contrast, interview others with and about information, share ideas,
and cooperate to accomplish any given task.
Alone
This person
really does better alone; pursuing self defined interests. Excels
at 'knowing' himself, follows instincts with confidence, and is an original.
New information is absorbed best when the projects are individual, self
paced, and singularly oriented.
Match Technology
to the Intelligence Traits
Verbal/Linguistic
Intelligence
The capacity
to use words effectively, either orally or in writing is highly developed
in story-tellers, orators, politicians, poets, playwrights, editors, and
journalists. Students with a high degree (of verbal linguistic intelligence)
think in words; learn by listening, reading, and verbalizing; enjoy writing;
like books, records, and tapes; and have a good memory for verse, lyrics,
or trivia. They may benefit from word processors that allow voice
annotations; desktop publishing programs; programs with speech output;
programs which encourage them to create poetry, essays, etc.; multimedia
authoring; using videodiscs and barcode programs to create presentations;
tape recorders; telecommunications/electronic networking.
Visual/Spatial
Intelligence
The ability
to perceive the world accurately and to perform transformations upon one's
perceptions is highly developed in guides, interior designers, architects,
artists, and inventors. Students with a high degree (of spatial intelligence)
think in images and pictures; like mazes and jigsaw puzzles; like to draw
and design things; like films, slides, videos, diagrams, maps, charts.
They may benefit from draw and paint programs; reading programs that use
visual clues such as color coding; programs which allow them to see information
as maps, charts, or diagrams (charting capability of spreadsheet program);
multimedia programs; science probeware.
Musical Intelligence
The capacity
to perceive, discriminate, transform, and express musical forms is highly
developed in musical performers, aficionados, and critics. Students
with a high degree (of musical intelligence) learn through rhythm and melody;
play a musical instrument; may need music to study; notice nonverbal sounds
in the environment; learn things more easily if sung, tapped out, or whistled.
They may benefit
from programs that combine stories with songs; reading programs which associate
letter/sounds with music; programs which allow them to create their own
song; constructing presentations using CD audio discs, videodisc player,
and barcode program; sing along videodisc programs that display word "karaoke"
style.
Logical/Mathematical
Intelligence
The capacity
to use numbers effectively and to reason well is highly developed in mathematicians,
tax accountants, statisticians, scientists, computer programmers, and logicians.
Students with a high degree (of logical/mathematical intelligence) reason
things out logically and clearly; look for abstract patterns and relationships;
like brain teasers, logical puzzles, and strategy games; like to use computers;
like to classify and categorize. They may benefit from database and
spreadsheet programs; problem solving software; computer programming software;
strategy game formats/simulations; calculators; multimedia authoring programs.
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Intelligence
Expertise in
using one's whole body to express ideas and feelings, and facility in using
ones hands to produce or transform things is highly developed in actors,
mimes, athletes, dancers, sculptors, mechanics, and surgeons. Students
with a high degree (of bodily-kinesthetic intelligence) process knowledge
through bodily sensations; move, twitch, tap, or fidget while sitting in
a chair; learn by touching, manipulating, and moving; and like role playing,
creative movement. They may benefit from software requiring alternate
input such as joystick, mouse, or touch window; keyboarding and word processing
programs; animation programs; programs which allow them to move objects
around the screen; science probeware.
Interpersonal
Intelligence
The ability
to perceive and make distinctions in the moods, intentions, motivations,
and feelings of other people can include sensitivity to facial expressions,
voice, and gestures, as well as the ability to respond effectively to such
cues. Students with a high degree of interpersonal intelligence understand
and care about people; like to socialize; learn more easily by relating
and cooperating; and are good at teaching other students. They may
benefit from telecommunications programs; programs which address social
issues; programs which include group presentation or decision making; games
which require two or more players; TV production team approach.
Intrapersonal
Intelligence
Self knowledge
and the ability to act adaptively on the basis of intrapersonal intelligence
can include having an accurate picture of one's strengths and limitations,
awareness of one's moods and motivations, and the capacity for self discipline.
Students with a high degree of intrapersonal intelligence seem to be self-motivating;
need their own quiet space; march to the beat of a different drummer; learn
more easily with independent study, self-paced instruction, and individualized
projects m and games. They may benefit from computer assisted instruction/ILS
labs; instructional games in which the opponent is the computer; programs
which encourage self awareness or build self improvement skills; any programs
which allow them to work independently; and brainstorming or problem solving
software.
(Gardner, H.,
1983, Frames of Mind; Gardner, H., The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think
and How Schools Should Teach, Basic Books; Haggarty, B., Nurturing Intelligences,
Addison-Wesley; Lazar, D., Seven Ways of Learning, Skylight Press; Lazar,
D., Seven Ways of Teaching, Skylight Press; Marks-Tarlow, T., Creativity
Inside Out, Addison-Wesley)
Links for
More Information
Knowledge and
Learning Styles
http://www.cecs.uwaterloo.ca/manual/index.htm Telecommunications
for RemoteWork and Learning
Learning Styles:
Preferences
http://www.cyg.net/~jblackmo/diglib/styl-d.html#LSPContent
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