Learner differences

• A. Intelligence• B. Gender

Intelligence

• What is intelligence? • Intelligence: one trait or more?• Gardner's theory of multiple

intelligence

What is intelligence?

• The study of intelligence here aims at making you able to explain how different views of intelligence influence teaching.

• What is intelligence?Intelligence is defined by experts as having three dimensions:a. The ability to acquire knowledgeb. The capacity to think and reason in the abstractc. The ability to solve novel problems

What is intelligence?

• The ability to acquire knowledge is also called aptitude.

• Learners with high aptitude need less time and instructions than those with low aptitudes.

• Experience improves test performance which is regarded by some as indicator of intelligence.

Intelligence: one trait or more?

• Early researchers believed intelligence to be a single trait because scores on different measures of intelligence are highly related.

• An example of those who regarded intelligence as a single trait is Spearman. He considered intelligence as "g," or general intelligence

• Many theorists viewed intelligence as composed of several abilities (i.e. Gardner & Sternberg)

Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence

• Howard Gardner believes that intelligence is composed of 8 relatively independent dimensions.

• Researchers on people with brain damage suggest that neural functioning is specific to a single domain, such as speech or athletic ability.

• Applications of Gardner's 8 dimensions of intelligence, PAGE 122 (OHP) .

Gardner's dimensions of intelligenceDimensionExampleLinguistic IntelligenceSensitivity to the meaning and order of words and various uses of language

Poet, journalist

Logical-Mathematical IntelligenceThe ability to handle long chains of reasoning and to recognize patterns and order in the word

Scientist, mathematician

Musical intelligenceSensitivity to pitch, melody, and tones

Composer, violinist

Spatial intelligenceThe ability to perceive the visual world accurately and to modify its aspects

Sculptor, navigator

Gardner's dimensions of intelligenceDimensionExample

Bodily-Kinesthetic IntelligenceA fine-tuned ability to use the body and to handle objects

Dancer, athlete

Interpersonal IntelligenceThe ability to notice and make distinctions among others

Therapist, salesperson

Intrapersonal IntelligenceAccess to one’s own ‘feeling life’

Self-aware individual

Naturalist IntelligenceThe ability to recognize similarities and differences in the physical world

Naturalist, biologist, anthropologist

Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence

• One of the strongest criticisms is that Gardner's theory fails to account for the role a centralized working memory system plays in intelligent behavior.

• Research showed that the ability to maintain, organize, and coordinate information in working memory is essential to problem solving and other reasoning abilities.

• Some researchers disagree that abilities in specific domains, such as naturalist or musical intelligence, truly qualify as separate forms of intelligence.