So, what are you good at? ...

Traditional theories of human intelligence suggest that the general ability to analyze and respond to outside stimuli defines one's intellect. The assumption that "smart" people possess this general capability in abundance underscores the still entrenched historical perspective that student aptitudes can be measured by a single instrument. The S.A.T., the P.A.C.T, and hordes of other standardized test are modern derivatives of Binet's original IQ (intelligence quotient) test, one of the first attempts to predict an individual student's success using a collapsed objective measurement.

In sharp contrast, Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences posits that there are many distinct forms of intelligence that each learner possesses in varying degrees--linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, body-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, and interpersonal. Gardner lists three principles as practical implications of his theory: (1) Individuals should be encouraged to use their preferred intelligences in learning, (2) instructional activities should appeal to different forms of intelligence, and (3) assessment of learning should measure multiple forms of intelligence.

Gardner has acknowledged on many occasions that his theory has been misinterpreted in educational practice, particularly in classroom instruction when teachers attempt to incorporate each intelligence into a single lesson:

There is no point in assuming that every subject can be effectively approached in at least seven ways, and it is a waste of effort and time to attempt to do this. (Gardner, 1998)

Mayer (2001) has also criticized this type of misuse, especially when teachers use technology to develop instructional experiences for their students. Mayer argues that MI theory does not license an instructor to design multiple media learning environments haphazardly; adding media does not necessarily have an additive effect on achievement and attitude. Only in certain circumstances and for certain populations of learners is it appropriate:

For whom does multimedia work? The preliminary answer is that it seems to work best for low-knowledge and high-spatial ability learners. (p.182)

We will investigate Mayer's multimedia design principles in detail in the last module of this course. Stay tuned...