Learner Needs & Metacognitive Evaluation

Learner Needs: Multiple Intelligences

Prior to engaging in this discussion please read the “Multiple Intelligences” article, read “Chapter 1: In a Nutshell” from Multiple Intelligences, watch the Theory of Multiple Intelligences video, and review any relevant Instructor Guidance.  This guidance can be very helpful as it may include strategies that support your preferred learning. Traditionally, someone who is intelligent is defined as an individual who can solve problems, use logic to answer questions, and think critically. However, psychologist Howard Gardner has created a much broader definition of intelligence called Multiple Intelligences, which is more focused on our areas of learning preferences. For this discussion, please complete the following:  

1. Demonstrate an understanding of intelligence and learning in the framework of Gardner by comparing and contrasting the traditional definition of intelligence (IQ) with the multiple intelligences model.

2. Thinking critically about these difference, comment on how Gardner’s ideas about learning preferences might change the way some assess a person’s strengths and weaknesses. 

· Do these ideas significantly affect this type of evaluation? 

3. Apply the principles of multiple intelligences (MI) to the following questions: 

4. If you were to assign multiple intelligences to yourself, what would it be, would you assign yourself more than one area, and why?

Which of the MIs do you think are most valued by schools and society? Why? On what evidence, including personal experiences, do you base your opinions? If work environments recognized multiple intelligences, how might training, counseling, or classroom activities be revised to address these principles? How might an understanding of multiple intelligences change the ways in which you view your own abilities or the abilities of your family members, peers, or co-workers?

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

The traditional definition of intelligent, or IQ, Intelligence Quotient, first developed by Alfred Binet is a mathematical equation, (mental age divided by chronological age and multiplied by 100).  This method has been effective from WWII and is still used today.  The well know SAT test as well as most other achievement tests are based on Binet’s IQ test.  A score of 100 is considered a normal score.  (Gardner, 2008)

Howard Gardner looks at intelligence in what he terms a “radically different view of the mind, and one that yields a very different view of school. It is a pluralistic view of mind, recognizing many different and discrete facets of cognition, acknowledging that people have different cognitive strengths and contrasting cognitive styles.” (Gardner, 2008)

 Where the IQ test has its concentration in academia, multiple intelligence has multiple concentrations.  Music, Language, interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence, math and spatial intelligence are all involved and new types of intelligences are also being examined. (Gardner, 2008)

 When applying multiple intelligence to students, one would probably find that although an IQ test would term the student normally intelligent and yet this particular student may excel in sports or music. This would explain how the star athlete of the high school who was admitted to college on a scholarship and bypassed the SAT’s is now failing his/her academic classes.

Going back to week 1, Discussion 1, I scored highly in Logical-Mathematical, Musical  and interpersonal.   

Gardner, H. (2008, May 17, 2016). Multile Intellegence: New Horizen . Retrieved from ProQuest ebrary: http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/lib/ashford/reader.action?ppg=1&docID=10364618&tm=1450333909259

Metacognitive Evaluation

Prior to engaging in this discussion, please read Chapters 8, 9, and 10 in Applied Metacognition, and review your notes (including those on all articles read in this course about metacognition). First, reread your posts from the Week One discussions and consider everything you have learned during the past four and a half weeks. Then, apply the knowledge attained from the course to your own development by critically considering the following questions:

· What did you learn about yourself through the process of learning about learning?

· What did you learn about your peers in the class through the process of learning about learning?  

· How will you apply what you have learned about yourself in your future learning activities (whether you are the learner or the instructor in these activities)?

· Describe an event you experienced during the past five weeks in which you noticed learning theory at work.

· How have your metacognitive experiences in this course influenced your desire to better understand learning in comparison to others?

· Do you agree or disagree that by applying the elements of metacognition into your studies, you will improve your ability to learn more effectively? Thoroughly explain your reasoning and provide research to support your statements.

EXAMPLE ANSWER: What did you learn about yourself through the process of learning about learning?

Even though I had previously been introduced to some of the topics covered (Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Humanism), I dove deeper into what these schools of psychology are about during this course. I learned that learning is achieved in many different ways and the processes are not all alike. For example, don’t only learn by observing but we can also learn by scaffolding and applying our previously made schemas to incoming information.

What did you learn about your peers in the class through the process of learning about learning?  

I learned that as individuals with different backgrounds and learning styles, we may participate in the same course for five weeks together, however, we will not all produce the same results nor the same level of work. I also learned that we can all be told to read the same articles, and we will all pick up different bits and pieces of information that another peer might have looked over; this came in handy when responding on discussion posts because I would continue to learn more about the topic at hand when reviewing their posts.

How will you apply what you have learned about yourself in your future learning activities (whether you are the learner or the instructor in these activities)?

If I were the instructor, I would be sensitive to everyone’s different learning styles and learning pace. I would keep in mind most of us have pre-existing schema’s and thoughts built around a specific topic, and I would try to connect their schema to the subject at hand so it would all come full circle and make for clear understanding.

Describe an event you experienced during the past five weeks in which you noticed learning theory at work.

I observed a lot of Behaviorism throughout the past five weeks in this course. I saw conditioning and reinforcements occur when turning in assignments and receiving corresponding grades. I saw how doing one thing differently a week could potentially affect my grade for a specific assignment. So I conditioned myself to follow the same studying procedures weekly in order to achieve the same positive outcome which would be a good grade.

How have your metacognitive experiences in this course influenced your desire to better understand learning in comparison to others?

I think that my drive to know how I learn and what my personal learning is composed of, has influenced my desire to understand learning.

  

Do you agree or disagree that by applying the elements of metacognition into your studies, you will improve your ability to learn more effectively? Thoroughly explain your reasoning and provide research to support your statements.

I do agree because by applying the elements of metacognition into my studies, I will be able to better pinpoint when my thought processes begin and learning takes place from the moment it begins to when the information has been stored and encoded; in turn, I will be able to see how my thoughts come to be and have a clear understanding of the process my mind goes through when learning. Metacognitive practices help students become aware of their strengths and weaknesses as learners, writers, readers, test-takers, group members, etc.  A key element is recognizing the limit of one’s knowledge or ability and then figuring out how to expand that knowledge or extend the ability. Those who know their strengths and weaknesses in these areas will be more likely to actively monitor their learning strategies and resources and assess their readiness for particular tasks and performances (Chick, n.d.)

Reference:

Chick, N. (n.d.). Center for Teaching. Retrieved May 18, 2016, from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/metacognition/