Multiple Intelligences (Gardner)

When to use Multiple Intelligences (Gardner)

When a design leans heavily on one mode, such as slides and discussion, and you want deliberate variation in activities.

How Multiple Intelligences (Gardner) works

Activities engage multiple intelligences through varied modalities (verbal, visual, kinesthetic, social).

Phases of Multiple Intelligences (Gardner)

1. Linguistic: Working with words and language. In a session: reading, writing, storytelling, verbal explanation.
2. Logical-Mathematical: Reasoning, patterns and numbers. In a session: analysing data, sequencing, problem-solving, cause-and-effect maps.
3. Spatial: Thinking in images and space. In a session: diagrams, canvases, sketching, visual mapping.
4. Musical: Sensitivity to rhythm, sound and pitch. In a session: rhythm, music as a cue or energiser, sound-based exercises.
5. Bodily-Kinesthetic: Using the body and hands. In a session: building prototypes, role play, movement, physical sorting of cards.
6. Interpersonal: Understanding and working with others. In a session: pair and group work, peer coaching, negotiation.
7. Intrapersonal: Understanding oneself. In a session: individual reflection, journalling, personal goal setting.
8. Naturalistic: Recognising and classifying patterns in the natural world. In a session: categorising, field observation, examples from nature.

Key principles

• Intelligence is plural
• Offer several entry points to the same content
• Individualise and pluralise teaching
• Do not label learners

Best for

• Varying activity types
• Classroom and youth education
• Longer programmes needing variety
• Reviewing an over-verbal agenda

Considerations

• The theory itself has limited empirical support; critics say the intelligences overlap and have not been validated as separate abilities.
• Gardner has said MI is not a learning-styles theory; matching instruction to a person's supposed 'intelligence type' has no evidence behind it.
• Varying modalities helps engagement and understanding because of the content and the group, not because it matches individual types.

Attribution & sources

Developed by Howard Gardner, 1983

Primary source

Design a session with Multiple Intelligences (Gardner)

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