Recipes for Systemic Change - Helsinki Design Lab

More recent theories of cognitive development believe intelligenceto be more nuanced and more fluid. Traditional metrics and evaluationsfailed to recognize other forms of cognition such as analytic, creative, andpractical forms of intelligence. A leading, alternative model for intelligenceis Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI), which understandsintelligence as something far more complex than what can be measuredin an IQ test. MI views intelligence as “a series of relatively separatefaculties, with only loose and non-predictable relations with one another.”Gardner identifies eight distinct intelligences:1. Linguistic2. Logic-Mathematical3. Musical4. Spatial5. Bodily Kinesthetic6. Interpersonal7. Intra-personal8. NaturalistEach individual possesses a unique and dynamic intelligence profileor a combination of intelligences that change over time. Intelligence, hebelieves, is culturally defined, expressed through actions and develops withexperience.Multiple Intelligences theory demands a different approach to assessstudents in the classroom. Students who are thought to under-perform inthe traditional setting may actually be deprived of the learning opportunitiesthey need to more fully express the intelligences they possess. MIrequires a much less rigid view toward learning and requires greater flexibilityfor different modes of learning, in different environments, and forall types of learners.D4.3 Differentiated Learning EnvironmentsNot all students are suited to learn best in the traditional classroom,seated at a desk, reciting a lesson, observing a demonstration, or followingalong in a textbook. Just as one may entertain the possibility of differenttypes of intelligence—and even the idea of Multiple Intelligences—one mayalso appreciate that there are different types of learners, each one suited toa different learning environment.Some students thrive in a classroom. Some students learn better insmaller groups, in a more collaborative atmosphere, drawing on others’ideas and input. Still others learn best one-on-one or even with a book,all by oneself. Students who find inspiration in art or music class may notnecessarily be the ones who look forward to sports or organized games inphysical education.178