Engaging Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Concept to Enhance Learner-Centered, Active Learning: A SoTL Teaching Project

Have you ever wondered why students in your courses possess varying degrees of skill sets and would like to engage more of their competencies and enhance their learning in the process? Dr. Milton Cox of Miami University of Ohio utilizing Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences (verbal-linguistic, mathematical-logical, visual-spacial, musical-rhythmic, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, existential) and the methodology included in Classroom Research: Implementing the Scholarship of Teaching offers a possible approach instructors could use for classroom exploration. Focusing on scholarly teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), Dr. Cox demonstrated how awareness of the multiple intelligences and engagement in active classroom research could change our teaching and student learning. Citing specific examples of active learning and teaching/learning projects (identifying classroom problems, writing learning objectives, project opportunties/questions, creating assignments and examples, listing outcomes from the project), matching multiple intelligences to the learning objectives, assessing and motivating student deveopment, the presenter highlighted the importance of following these essential steps in the process. Finally, Dr. Cox listed the outcomes of his Calculus 151 course. This was a thought provoking session with applications for all instructors interested in improving teaching, learning and classroom research.