Transcript Multiple Intelligences and Adult Literacy: 8 Things You
M ultiple Intelligences and Adult Literacy: 8 Things You Should Know
M Cecil Smith, Ph.D.
Northern Illinois University
Let’s start with a quiz…
What do the following four things have in common?
The Loch Ness Monster
“Weapons of Mass Destruction”
Intelligent Design
Effective ABE Instruction Using Multiple Intelligences Theory
Answer…
There is
no evidence
to support any of these
What are multiple intelligences?
Howard Gardner (1984):
Frames of Mind
7 (now 8) intelligences
Linguistic (using language)
Logical-mathematical (calculate, quantify)
Kinesthetic (manipulate objects; physical skills)
Musical (sensitivity to pitch, melody, rhythm, & tone)
Spatial (think in 3-dimensional space)
Interpersonal (understand, interact effectively with others)
Intrapersonal (accurately perceive oneself)
Naturalistic (observe & classify patterns in nature)
MI Claims:
Intelligence is “
the biopsychological potential to solve problems or create products that are valued within one or more cultural settings
” Each intelligence has its own observable, measurable abilities Every person has a unique profile of intelligences manifested as different areas of strength A new way of thinking about intelligence
MI and schooling:
According to proponents, MI-based instruction can have positive effects on K-12 students: More self-directed and confident Fewer disciplinary problems Higher achievement More parental involvement Positive affective changes
MI and Adult Education
Proclaimed benefits of MI:
Reduce teacher-directedness
Increase student choice, control, and participation
Expand type and range of instructional strategies
Personalize instruction
Make learning more authentic, relevant, meaningful
Students self-assess
But —what do you really, really need to know about multiple intelligences?
The
first
know… thing you need to
MI is not a theory of education or of teaching Multiple intelligences, as a psychological theory, is
an account of individual differences
in intellectual functioning MI theory does not describe or prescribe how to organize curriculum, design instruction, or assess learners
The
second
know… thing you need to Gardner and others claim that multiple intelligences are
not
learning styles!
the characteristic ways in which a person concentrates on, processes, internalizes, and remembers information
Other experts argue that multiple intelligences are, in fact, learning —or, more accurately,
cognitive —
styles Most likely, these intelligences simply refer to a variety of
talents
that individuals may possess
The
third
know… thing you need to
MI needs better evidence to advance good instructional practice Some evidence has been reported in regards to learning in K-6 classrooms (less so in secondary classrooms)
Few studies exist
Few or no comparison groups
Teacher reports rather than standardized measures
The
fourth
know… thing you need to
There are different types of evidence
Worst: Anecdotes, testimonials
Case studies (description)
What do MI classrooms look like? How do Ss respond to MI instruction?
Correlation studies
What is the statistical relationship between levels of MI curriculum implementation and students’ achievement?
Quasi-experiments
MI class vs. standard instruction class
Best
: True randomized trials
Are there statistically significant differences between experimental (MI) group and control (standard instruction) group in regards to reading achievement?
The
fifth
know… thing you need to
What evidence exists to support MI in adult education classroom - None available in the research literature!
Database search:
“MI”
“MI”
PsycInfo: n = 87 (1984-2006) ERIC: n = 999 (1984-2006) “MI” + “adult education”
ERIC : n = 30 No studies in the education literature report outcome data for adult students after MI curriculum is introduced
…and wishing doesn’t make it so!
“MI theory
seemed
improvements…” to cause “I
believe
that MI skills will make it easier for my adult students to learn English…” “My observations of my students
suggested
that…”
The
sixth
know… thing you need to
Teaching that emphasizes logical mathematical, kinesthetic, musical, spatial, inter- or intrapersonal, or naturalistic intelligence is unlikely to help adults learn to read Teaching that emphasizes linguistic intelligence
might
help adults learn to read
The
seventh
know… thing you need to
MI theory is often used inappropriately in practice
This is not surprising, as there are few guidelines about how to appropriately implement an MI curriculum in the classroom
But there are many ideas for classroom activities (most are pretty dumb)
Teaching an MI curriculum in a valid requires teaching to students’ particular intellectual strengths, not teaching manner
every
intelligence for
every
student
The
eighth
know… thing you need to
It
is
possible to gather evidence on MI effectiveness in ABE classrooms!
How to do it:
Assess multiple intelligences or learning style preferences using reliable, valid measures
Match students if you cannot randomly assign to instructional groups
Observe and assess frequently
Maintain treatment fidelity Measure learning outcomes, such as reading ability, using reliable and valid measures (e.g., standardized tests)
In sum…
Be cautious about using instructional methods based on theories that have little or no empirical support When implementing new methods in your classroom, structure the class and gather
valid
data so that you can determine if these methods “work”