Gardner what is intelligence

To give you a better idea, here are a couple of things to ponder. The answer is simple. Each individual possesses different intelligences which they use in learning. This theory can help you to acknowledge these differences. Better yet, it will help you tailor your learning approach to suit each type of intelligence. In turn, your learners will engage more with your training materials, which will ultimately lead to better learning outcomes and business impact. Howard Gardner is an American psychologist, distinguished Harvard professor and writer.

You see, Gardner had a mission. He wanted to reorient the way we learn. In particular, he faulted standardised assessments which assess one type of intelligence at the expense of others. This approach fails to consider the unique strengths of different types of learners. And this is what took him on the journey to establish the theory of multiple intelligences.

His work inspired many theorists and educators to question how we define intellect and how we should approach learning challenges. After all, this is the stuff that SAT tests and many pre-employment exams are made of. After all, this kind of approach is mostly based on how well someone can use their verbal and logical abilities to correctly answer questions. Of course, there are people who do extremely well on these tests.

As a result, they gain entry to the most prestigious schools and often go on to join the biggest and best organisations. But what about everybody else? Is success in school or in the workplace reserved only for the high scorers?

It proposes that there are multiple types of intelligence, which can be measured in different ways. Understanding this also helps to highlight the different ways that humans absorb, process and apply knowledg e. Presently, the theory of multiple intelligences helps instructors worldwide to transform their learning approach. However, the theory has also been subject to some misconceptions.

However, the fact remains that there is no evidence to suggest that our self-defined learning styles or preferences have an impact on learning outcomes. Perhaps this is why Gardner has been quick to distance his theory from the concept of learning styles. However, Gardner is clear that we all possess multiple abilities to varying degrees. Different situations require the use of different sets of intelligences.

This is where we benefit from developing a range of abilities. As such, the multiple intelligences theory encourages a multi-faceted approach to learning. For instance, research conducted in found that an MI-based approach boosted learner engagement.

Similarly, a study confirms that the theory can help significantly boost learning memory and comprehension. However, the theory is not without its detractors. The most common objection is that it suffers from a lack of empirical evidence.

Others also point out that the model fails to include other types of intelligence. For instance, a paper by McGuiness published in , asserts that other psychologists before Gardner had already identified up to intelligences.

Despite all these objections, the theory remains one of the most popular ideas in learning and development. It can help us to recognise the different strengths and weaknesses of our learners and employees.

In turn, this can benefit and transform your training approach. In a run for the best salesperson of the year , who is more likely to succeed? Is it the eloquent presenter with a knack for delivering the most persuasive spiels? Or the introspective listener who intuitively knows what the customer needs? It is true that certain job roles do favor specific types of intelligence. However, this does not imply that one intelligence is superior over the other. His concept thus speaks to a wide range of abilities that allow a person to contribute to society, not simply the ones most easily tested in schools.

Upon reflection of our own innate abilities, we may find that we display aptitude in many areas. We may also begin to see our children in new ways. As verbal communicators, we all have the ability to string together words to express thoughts, but those with high linguistic intelligence—writers, poets, orators, editors or translators—have the ability to express ideas in the most powerful ways, whether written or spoken. People with this intelligence—athletes, dancers and other performers, as well as mechanics and surgeons—use their bodies with the goal of problem solving and creativity.

People with spatial intelligence have the capacity to understand relationships of objects in space. We see examples of this skill in journalists, poets, and public speakers. Sometimes misconstrued as simply the ability to calculate mathematical equations, logical-mathematical intelligence is much more than that. Individuals with this developed intelligence demonstrate excellent reasoning skills, abstract thought, and the ability to infer based on patterns.

They are able to make connections based on their prior knowledge and are drawn to categorization, patterning, and relationships between ideas. With experiments and strategy games as two coveted activities, it would make sense that possible careers would include a scientist, a mathematician, and a detective. The ability to acutely reflect on sounds is demonstrated by those who possess musical intelligence. These people are able to distinguish between specific pitches, tones and rhythms that other may miss.

Someone with musical intelligence is often a sensitive listener, and can reflect or reproduce music quite accurately. Musicians, conductors, composers, and vocalists all demonstrate keen musical intelligence. As young adults, we can witness these people humming or drumming to a self-directed rhythm. Musical intelligence is also closely related to mathematical intelligence, as they share a similar thinking process.

A sensitivity to features in the natural world is most closely tied to what is called naturalist intelligence. The ability to distinguish between living and non-living things was notably more valuable in the past when humans were often farmers, hunters or gatherers. Nowadays, this intelligence has evolved to more modern-day roles such as a chef or a botanist. We still carry traces of naturalist intelligence, some more so than others, which is evident by our preferences for certain brands over others.

People with logical-mathematical intelligence, such as Albert Einstein and Bill Gates, have an ability to develop equations and proofs, make calculations, and solve abstract problems. Computer Analyst. Spatial intelligence features the potential to recognize and manipulate the patterns of wide space those used, for instance, by navigators and pilots as well as the patterns of more confined areas, such as those of importance to sculptors, surgeons, chess players, graphic artists, or architects.

People with spatial intelligence, such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Amelia Earhart, have an ability to recognize and manipulate large-scale and fine-grained spatial images. Graphic Artist. Interior Decorator.

Physical Therapist. Musical intelligence refers to the skill in the performance, composition, and appreciation of musical patterns. People with musical intelligence, such as Beethoven and Ed Sheeran, have an ability to recognize and create musical pitch, rhythm, timbre, and tone. Interpersonal intelligence is the capacity to understand the intentions, motivations, and desires of other people and consequently to work effectively with others.

Public Relations. People with intrapersonal intelligence, such as Aristotle and Maya Angelou, have an ability to recognize and understand his or her own moods, desires, motivations, and intentions.

This type of intelligence can help a person to understand which life goals are important and how to achieve them.