Multiple
approaches to
understanding
A theory by Howard Gardner
Rashidatul Aqilah, Nur Adlina, Meow Jaw Jen, Amirul Afham
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Takeaways
(1)
(2)
Multiple
Intelligences
Entry points
(3)
(4)
Analogies
Approaching the
core
(5)
Limitations of approach
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Takeaways
Next
Multiple Intelligences
Howard Gardner believes that each person masters a central body of curricular
materials and approaches.
i.e; each person possesses different minds, varying in strength, interests, method of
processing information etc.
As such, students do not arrive at school as blank slates, their differences in
backgrounds and multiple other factors already shaping their lives (and thoughts).
For students to understand is to process and express their original thoughts on a topic,
be it in the form of analyses, interpretations, comparisons, critiques, etc. rather than just
sheer memorization of informations from books or lectures.
Therefore, Howard Gardner proposes three ways of approaching a topic for effective
teaching and learning.
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Entry Points
Narrative
Students who enjoy learning
through stories
Stories often include protagonists,
conflicts, goals, and resolutions.
Students who are interest in numbers,
patterns, operations, size, ratio and
change
Evolutionary:
Study
population
changes in different ecological niches
over time.
Holocaust: Examine movements of
individuals to various camps to camps
Aesthetic
Hands-on
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Students who are attracted to art and
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aesthetics.
Appreciation of balance, harmony, and
carefully designed compositions.
Takeaways
Quantitative
Evolution: Darwin's "tangled bank" metaphor;
attractive due to the intricate tree-like structure
Holocaust: Through art, literature, film, and
music, created by victims to capture its horror.
Students enjoy engaging in activities, building
something or conducting experiments.
Holocaust: using interactive methods like
adopting a different "identity" to understand
the event.
Example: Engaging in psychological
experiments
Foundational
Students who are attracted in
fundamental and essential questions.
philosophically oriented
Evolutionary: Investigating our origins
and the origin of all living matter.
Holocaust: Examining human nature,
virtues, and vices.
Social
Learn effectively in a group setting,
where roles can be assumed, different
perspectives observed, and interaction is
encouraged.
Group problem-solving scenarios
Role-playing exercises
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Takeaways
Analogies
Teacher or students themselves can use analogies in learning to help them
understand
Analogies are comparisons between something unfamiliar (the new topic) and
something familiar (a topic or concept that is already understood).
Evolutionary: the way societies change over time can be compared to how
biological change occurs within and between species. This helps students relate
something unfamiliar (biological evolution) to something they already know
(social change).
Holocaust: the attempt to annihilate a people can be analogized to efforts to
erase all traces of an event or civilization, whether intentionally (like a criminal
covering up a crime) or unintentionally over time.
Analogies can be powerful, but they can also misleading.
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Takeaways
Approaching The Core
Traditional ways of
educators conveying core
ideas of a topic:
provide explicit instructions
(didactic) and assessed
understanding in terms of
linguistic mastery of materials
supplied copious information to
the student and hoped that the
student would forge his own
synthesis
1. Topics are defined by the disciplines they belong to, which affects how they are
studied and understood.
2. Describing and explaining a concept involves using familiar examples that have
been effective pedagogically.
3. The key to understanding the core is representing it in multiple ways, involves
using different symbol systems, intelligences, schemas, and frames.
The Role of Teachers:
go beyond a mere variation and selection approach.
carefully select approaches that capture essential aspects of the topic and reach
students effectively.
Acknowledge that any approach cannot be a formulaic approach for all the subjects
Adapt to new technologies and methods in teaching approach.
Implications:
It requires significant time on a topic.
Multiple approaches must be used to illustrate intricacies and reach diverse students.
Utilizing various intelligences and skills is highly desirable.
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Limitations of Approach
When teachers focus on engaging students through
various entry points and using multiple representations,
may not be equally effective for all subjects.
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Takeaways
Therefore, it is possible to teach fewer topics with more
depth, instead of teaching various topics but only
scratching the surface level of understanding.
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Takeaways
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Here are some takeaways from our reading on the theory:
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1
Each person has their own ways of learning and understanding most effectively,
therefore it is important to consider multiple approaches when discussing a topic.
2
Teachers need to be imaginative and pluralistic to achieve effective teaching
and stimulate revealing students' performances of understanding.
3
Embracing multiple approaches encourages a willingness to learn and
adapt, as one may need to switch perspectives or methods to gain a
deeper understanding.
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Takeaways
Thank You