Multiple intelligences
We are all different. We may also prefer to learn in different ways. Intelligence is much more complex and varied than many psychologists in former times thought. There was a time that intelligence was considered fixed. Intelligence and IQ was based on a limited set of skills that humans have inherited and/or acquired. The current knowledge provides a wider picture.
The French psychologist Alfred Binet introduced intelligence tests. Children who were good at reading had a high IQ, while e.g. children who were good at playing music were 'gifted'.
The intelligence concept is now extended. In particular the American psychologists Howard Gardner and Thomas Armstrong work with multiple intelligences and have spread this concept widely. Their multiple intelligences comprise:
- linguistic - word smart
- logical/mathematical - number smart
- spatial/visual - picture smart
- kinaesthetic - body smart
- musical - music smart
- social - people smart
- personal - myself smart
- naturalistic - nature smart
“Intelligence is the capacity to do something useful in the society in which we live. Intelligence is the ability to respond successfully to new situations and the capacity to learn from one’s past experiences.” (Dr. Howard Gardner, Frames of Mind and Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice).
Learning styles can be defined as "the best way each we are able to concentrate us and how we process, acquire and remember new and difficult information." (Baasland, H. (2009) Teacher's Guide. Academic Technology and Learning Strategies, College publisher)
The message is that we are all different and have our own favorite, preferred learning style. The essence is not how intelligent you are, but in what way. If you accept this message, a natural consequence is that teaching should, to some extent, be adapted to the abilities and needs of the individual student. Teaching should be suitable for those who have their strength in other forms of intelligence than the first in the list of eight. In order to facilitate the individual students and enable them to use their particular strengths in learning, it is important to develop a diverse learning environment. Here, the individual can, to a certain extent, choose his or her own learning style.
