Intelligence and Learning Style
Intelligence and learning style have important distinctions that apply to the classroom setting. Teachers should know how intelligence and learning interact for individual students. But learning style should not be used to evaluate intelligence or the other way around. Students may learn effectively in a number of styles. The idea is that each student has a dominant learning style.
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Intelligence
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Intelligence is defined in different ways by psychology and education professionals. Primarily, intelligence means the ability of a student to acquire information, adapt to new situations and use his knowledge to solve problems. Intelligence, in theory, usually stays about the same throughout an individual's life, according to John W. Santrock, the author of "A Topic Approach to Life-Span Development." Intelligence is the ability to learn information, not a measure of the amount of knowledge already acquired.
Learning Style
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Learning style has to do with the way in which students most easily and effectively learn information. Learning styles are usually classified under three categories: Visual, auditory and hands-on. Learning style is the way an individual student learns best, not a way of describing the types of activities for which she is best suited.
Types of Intelligence
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On the other hand, different types of intelligence, or areas of special ability, are thought to exist. The most basic form of this theory has three parts: Analytic, creative and practical, according to Santrock. Some students may be better at analyzing a subject and writing a research paper, others at writing a poem and others at using the information.
Assessments
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Standardized assessments are used to measure intelligence according to various classifications of knowledge types, such as critical thinking and inference skills. Intelligence tests are tailored to specific age groups. Some intelligence tests measure different kinds of intelligences, not just intelligence as a whole.
Teaching Methods
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Teachers should take into consideration the intelligence and preferred learning styles of individual students. Teachers should be aware of any documented intelligence and/or standardized test scores for each student over time. Employ a variety of teaching methods that alternatively involve seeing, hearing and using the material. Observe and record which students learn best with each teaching method. Using a variety of methods also ensures that no student's learning style is neglected, since some learners benefit from a multifaceted approach.
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