Multiple Learning Styles, Single Learning System, Single Course

1. Multiple Learning Styles, Single Learning System, Single Course Presented by Professor Sara Rofofsky Marcus, Ph.D. Electronic Resources/Web Services Librarian Kurt R. Schmeller Library Queensborough Community College, CUNY srofofskymarcus@qcc.cuny.edu

2. Overview • Who is Gardner • What are Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences • Where can we do this? • When can we do this? • Why should we do this? • How should we do this?

3. Who is Gardner? • Howard Gardner is a Professor of Education at Harvard University. He has conducted substantial research on the development of human cognitive capacities. In 1983, he studied intellectual capacities and established criteria to measure whether a talent was actually an intelligence. His research has revealed a wider family of human intelligences than was previously believed.

4. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (MI) • Intrapersonal • “the ability to construct an accurate perception of oneself and to use such knowledge in planning and directing one’s life” • Interpersonal • “the capacity to understand and interact effectively with others.” • Verbal-Linguistic • “the ability to think in words and to use language to express and appreciate complex meanings” • Logical-mathematical • “makes it possible to calculate, quantify, consider propositions and hypotheses, and carry out complex mathematical operations” • Visual-spatial • “enables one to perceive external and internal imagery, to create, transform, or modify images, to navigate oneself and objects through space, and to produce or decode graphic information” • Musical • “evident in individuals who possess a sensitivity to pitch, melody, rhythm and tone” • Naturalistic • “observing patterns in nature, identifying and classifying objects, and understanding natural and human-made systems” • Bodily-kinesthetic • “enables one to manipulate objects and fine-tune physical skills” Taken from: Campbell, Campbell, & Dickinson, 2004, p. xx-xxi

5. Which MI Are You? Taken from Follari, 2007, p. 78

6. Where Can We Do This? • Announcements • Assignments • Blogger • Chat Room • Discussion and Private Messages • Drop Box • Email Archive • Gradebook • Mailtool • Modules • Podcasts • Polls • Resources • Schedule • Syllabus • Tests & Quizzes • Web Content (webliography) • Wiki

7. When Can We Do This? • We are probably already doing some of these things, possibly without being aware. • Discussion: • Which technologies are you currently using? • Which intelligences are served by these uses?

8. Why Should We Do This? • 3 main reasons (from Green & Tanner, 2005) • Just as in an on-site classroom, online learners are individuals who have a range of experiences; each possesses his or her stronger or weaker intelligences • An ‘MI-friendly’ course might attract more learners who find it more appealing on a conscious or unconscious level • By using tasks related to more intelligences, we provide more variety in our courses, which makes them more attractive and memorable

9. How Should We Do This? • Slowly and carefully. • Begin with what you know • Start with small steps • Think about what you already do, and how you can adapt it to meet another learning style

10. Strategies for the Intrapersonal Learner • Self-Esteem Enhances • Setting and Achieving Goals • Thinking Skills • Journal Writing • Getting to Know Oneself through Others • Reflecting on the Wonder and Purpose of Life • Self-Directed Learning

11. Strategies for the Interpersonal Learner • Collaborative Learning • Conflict Management • Learning through Service • Appreciating Differences • Developing Multiple Perspectives • Local and Global Problem-Solving

12. Strategies for the Verbal-Linguistic Learner • Listening • Speaking • Reading • Writing

13. Strategies for the Logical-Mathematical Learner • Teaching Logic • Deductive and Inductive Logic • Mathematical Thinking Processes • Working with Numbers • Sequencing

14. Strategies for the Visual-Spatial Learner • Pictorial Representation • Visual Notetaking and Brainstorming Tools • Visualization • Visual Variety in Learning Materials • Board and Card Games

15. Strategies for the Musical Learner • Listening to Music • Warming Up to Singing • Musical Notation • Curriculum Songs

16. Strategies for the Naturalistic Learner • Improving Observation • Perceiving Relationships • Hypothesizing and Experimenting • Naturalist Learning Centers • Learning Naturally

17. Strategies for the Bodily-Kinesthetic Learner • Drama • Creative Movement • Dance • Manipulatives • Games • Exercise Breaks • Field Trips

18. Looking at an LMS and MI • The intrapersonal learner best works alone. They enjoy asynchronous learning and time to ponder. • The interpersonal learner enjoys group dynamics and live interactions. • The linguistic learner thrives in the online environment due to the reading and writing involved. Be careful, this learner will typically explore all corners of your course. • The logical-mathematical learner enjoys statistics, facts, ranking, analytical tasks, and connecting new input with prior knowledge. • The visual-spatial learner will prefer visual input, such as illustrations, vide clips, charts, examples, and more. This type of learner will be the one most likely to request photos of fellow classmates and instructor. • The musical learner will appreciate video and audio input, and wherever possible might even use rhyme or rhythm in their contributions. • The bodily-kinesthetic learner will enjoy physical manipulations, possibly doing things off-line and reporting on them later. • The naturalist learner will thrive in organizing and categorizing tasks, and those tasks that involve going beyond the confines of the virtual classroom into the natural world.

19. References • Campbell, L., Campbell, B. and Dickinson, D. (2004). Teaching and learning through multiple intelligences. 3rd ed. Boston: Pearson. • Follari, L. M. (2007). Foundations and best practices in early childhood education: History, theories, and approaches to learning. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. • Green, C. and Tanner, R. (2005). Multiple intelligences and online teacher education. ELT Journal 59(4), 312-21.