Learning Theories and Their Implications for the Classroom

Learning Theories and Their Implications for the Classroom Myers-Brigg Personality Test Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Bloom’s Taxonomy

Meyers Brigg Personality Test and Learning Styles Extravert (E)…Introvert (I) Sensing (S)…Intuitive (N) Thinking (T)…Feeling (F) Judging (J)…Perceiving (P)

Extravert (E) • CHARACTERISTICS • WORK BEST IN CLASSROOMS THAT ALLOW TIME FOR DISCUSSION, TALKING AND/OR WORKING WITH A GROUP. • ARE ACTION ORIENTED • DO WELL WITH ACTIVITIES INVOLVING SOME TYPE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.. • CHALLENGES • AS THEY ARE PULLED INTO SOCIAL LIFE, THEY MAY FIND IT DIFFICULT TO SETTLE DOWN, READ, OR CONCENTRATE ON HOMEWORK. THEY SOMETIMES FIND LISTENING DIFFICULT AND NEED TO TALK TO WORK OUT THEIR IDEAS • FIND SOLITARY TASKS CHALLENGING (READING, RESEARCH, WRITING) • THEY TEND TO PLUNGE INTO NEW MATERIAL, AS THEIR TENDENCY IS TO ACT FIRST AND THINK LATER. • IDEAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT • STUDY WITH A FRIEND. • STUDY AS IF THEY ARE PREPARING TO TEACH SOMEONE ELSE. • ALLOW TIME TO THINK THINGS THROUGH BY TALKING, SUCH AS IN CLASSROOM DISCUSSIONS, OR WHEN WORKING WITH ANOTHER STUDENT. • LEARNING ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE VISIBLE RESULTS AND INVOLVE PEOPLE INTERACTION.

Introvert (I) • CHARACTERISTICS • ENJOY READING, LECTURES, AND WRITTEN OVER ORAL WORK. • PREFER TO WORK INDEPENDENTLY, AND NEED TIME FOR INTERNAL PROCESSING. • ENJOY LISTENING TO OTHERS TALK ABOUT A TOPIC WHILE PRIVATELY PROCESSING THE INFORMATION. • CHALLENGES • MAY ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTY WITH INSTRUCTORS WHO SPEAK QUICKLY WITHOUT ALLOWING TIME FOR MENTAL PROCESSING. • OFTEN UNCOMFORTABLE IN DISCUSSION GROUPS • MAY HESITATE TO SPEAK UP IN CLASS. • IDEAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT • WORK INDEPENDENTLY WITH THEIR OWN THOUGHTS, THROUGH LISTENING, OBSERVING, READING, WRITING, AND INDEPENDENT LAB WORK. • SUFFICIENT TIME TO COMPLETE THEIR WORK AND TO THINK BEFORE ANSWERING A QUESTION. • INSTRUCTORS WHO ALLOW TIME TO PROCESS THEIR EXPERIENCES AT THEIR OWN PACE. • NOT REQUIRED TO SPEAK IN CLASS BUT ARE ALLOWED TO VOLUNTARILY CONTRIBUTE.

Sensing (S) • CHARACTERISTICS • LIKE CONCRETE FACTS, ORGANIZATION, AND STRUCTURE. • LIKE TO GO STEP BY STEP • BEST AT TASKS THAT CALL FOR CAREFULNESS, OBSERVING SPECIFICS, AND HAVE A PRACTICAL INTEREST. • FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THE FAMILIAR, SOLID FACTS BEFORE THEY CAN GRADUALLY MOVE TOWARD ABSTRACT CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES. • LIKE OUTLINES, CLEAR GUIDELINES, AND SPECIFICS. • CHALLENGES • EASILY FRUSTRATED AND IMPATIENT WITH COMPLICATED SITUATIONS. • MIGHT IGNORE THE BIG PICTURE AND OVERLOOK GENERAL MEANINGS AND IMPLICATIONS.. • MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH INSTRUCTORS WHO MOVE THROUGH THE MATERIAL TOO QUICKLY OR JUMP AROUND FROM THOUGHT TO THOUGHT • IDEAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT • BEST WITH THEIR SENSES – HEAR, TOUCH AND SEE WHAT THEY ARE LEARNING. • ENJOY HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES, LEARN BEST WHEN MATERIAL IS TIED IN WITH “REAL LIFE” SITUATIONS. • WANT TEACHERS TO MAKE IT CLEAR EXACTLY WHAT IS EXPECTED OUT OF THEM.

Intuitive (N) • CHARACTERISTICS • WANT TO KNOW THE THEORY BEFORE DECIDING THAT FACTS ARE IMPORTANT • FOCUS ON GENERAL CONCEPTS MORE THAN DETAILS AND PRACTICAL MATTERS. • RELY MORE ON INSIGHT THAN OBSERVATION. • ARE CREATIVE, INNOVATIVE, WORK WITH BURSTS OF ENERGY, AND ENJOY NEW MATERIAL. • WILL ALWAYS ASK "WHY" BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE. • WANT TO CLARIFY IDEAS AND THEORIES BEFORE PUTTING THEM INTO PRACTICE. • CHALLENGES • MAY NOT READ A TEST QUESTION ALL THE WAY THROUGH, SOMETIMES MISSING A KEY PART, BECAUSE THEY ACT ON THEIR HUNCHES. • ONCE THEY UNDERSTAND A CONCEPT OR SKILL, MAY FIND CONTINUED REPETITION OR PRACTICE BORING. • MIGHT BECOME FRUSTRATED WITH INSTRUCTORS WHO PACE THE MATERIAL TOO SLOWLY FOR THEM. • IDEAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS • THRIVE WHEN THEY HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE INVENTIVE AND ORIGINAL • WANT CHOICES IN THE WAYS THEY WORK OUT THEIR ASSIGNMENTS. • DO WELL WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR SELF-INSTRUCTION, BOTH INDIVIDUALLY AND WITH A GROUP.

Thinking (T) • CHARACTERISTICS • USE LOGICAL ANALYSIS TO UNDERSTAND MATERIAL. • ANALYZE PROBLEMS TO BRING LOGICAL ORDER OUT OF CONFUSION. • GOOD AT PROBLEM SOLVING • ENJOY GOING INTO DEPTH AND STRIVE TO GET A SENSE OF MASTERY OVER THE MATERIAL • LIKE CLEAR COURSE AND OBJECTIVES THAT ARE PRECISE AND ACTION-ORIENTED. ACCURACY IS IMPORTANT • CHALLENGES • MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH INSTRUCTORS WHO DO NOT PRESENT MATERIAL IN A LOGICAL ORDER. • IDEAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS • UNDERSTAND BEST WHEN MATERIAL IS PRESENTED IN A LOGICAL, ORDERLY FASHION. • NEED TO HAVE THE LOGIC IN THE MATERIAL POINTED OUT. • ENJOY FEEDBACK THAT SHOWS THEM THEIR SPECIFIC, OBJECTIVE ACHIEVEMENTS. • EXPECT ALL STUDENTS TO BE TREATED FAIRLY AND OBJECTIVELY BY INSTRUCTORS..

Feeling (F) • CHARACTERISTICS • LOOK FOR A PERSONAL CONNECTION IN CLASSROOM MATERIAL, • SEEK TO RELATE IDEAS AND CONCEPTS TO PERSONAL EXPERIENCES. • ENJOY WORKING IN GROUPS AS LONG AS INDIVIDUAL RELATIONSHIPS DEVELOP. • LEARN WELL BY HELPING OTHERS AND RESPONDING TO THEIR NEEDS, • STUDY WELL WITH OTHERS. • NEED TO DEVELOP A PERSONAL RAPPORT WITH THE INSTRUCTOR AND RECEIVE FEEDBACK AND ENCOURAGEMENT. • CHALLENGES • MIGHT HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH TOPICS THAT DO NOT RELATE TO PEOPLE OR RELATIONSHIPS. • MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH INSTRUCTORS WHO APPEAR IMPERSONAL OR DETACHED. • IDEAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS • WILL WORK HARDER WHEN THEY HAVE DEVELOPED PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR INSTRUCTORS AND OTHER STUDENTS • NEED SPECIFIC, POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THEIR INSTRUCTORS, • WANT INSTRUCTORS TO ALSO SHOW APPRECIATION FOR STUDENTS. • UNDERSTAND BEST WHEN THEY CAN SEE THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE MATERIAL TO PEOPLE

Judging (J) • CHARACTERISTICS • PLAN THEIR WORK AND STICK TO THE PLAN, OFTEN GETTING WORK DONE EARLY. • PREFER TO WORK ON ONLY ONE THING AT A TIME. • AVOID LAST-MINUTE STRESSES • WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR AND BY WHAT STANDARDS THEY WILL BE GRADED. • CHALLENGES • DON’T WORK WELL UNDER LAST-MINUTE PRESSURE. • DISLIKE SURPRISES AND THRIVE ON ORDER • IDEAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS • THRIVE WITH STRUCTURE, CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS AND CONSISTENCY. • CLEAR, DETAILED OUTLINE WITH SPECIFIC GRADING PROCEDURES • DO BEST WITH ADVANCED PLANS WITHOUT SURPRISES • EXPECT THEIR INSTRUCTORS TO FOLLOW THEIR OUTLINES AND RETURN ASSIGNMENTS WHEN THEY SAY THEY WILL.

Perceiving (P) • CHARACTERISTICS • START MANY TASKS, WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT EACH TASK, AND WORK IN FLEXIBLE WAYS, FOLLOWING IMPULSES. • ARE STIMULATED BY THE NEW AND DIFFERENT. • STUDY BEST WHEN SURGES OF IMPULSIVE ENERGY COME TO THEM. • GOOD AT INFORMAL PROBLEM SOLVING AND ADEPT AT MANAGING ARISING PROBLEMS. • FEEL ENERGIZED BY LAST-MINUTE PRESSURES AND OFTEN DO THEIR BEST WORK UNDER PRESSURE. • THRIVE ON SPONTANEITY AND DON’T MIND SURPRISES • CHALLENGES • BIGGEST PROBLEM IS PROCRASTINATION. • MAY MAKE A CALENDAR OF THINGS TO DO BUT OFTEN WON’T FOLLOW IT. • OFTEN FIND IT DIFFICULT TO COMPLETE TASKS. • NEED TO FIND NOVEL WAYS TO DO ROUTINE ASSIGNMENTS TO INCREASE THEIR INTEREST.. • IDEAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS • FOR LENGTHY ASSIGNMENTS OR PROJECTS, THEY WILL WORK BEST IF THEY DIVIDE THE WORK INTO SEVERAL SUB-ASSIGNMENTS. • LIKE SOME CHOICES IN ASPECTS OF ASSIGNMENTS. • WORK BEST WHEN THEY UNDERSTAND THE REASONS FOR ASSIGNMENTS AND WHEN ASSIGNMENTS MAKE SENSE TO THEM. • ENJOY VARIETY AND SPONTANEITY.

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Learning Types: Visual Auditory Kinesthetic (Physical)

Gardner’s Multiples Intelligences • Visual/Spatial Intelligence • Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence • Logical/Mathematical Intelligence • Bodily/Kinesthetic Intelligence • Musical/Rhythmic Intelligence • Interpersonal Intelligence • Intrapersonal Intelligence

Visual/Spatial Intelligence DESCRIPTION • ability to perceive the visual. • tend to think in pictures • need to create vivid mental images to retain information. • enjoy looking at maps, charts, pictures, videos, and movies. SKILLS • puzzle building, reading, writing, understanding charts and graphs • good sense of direction, sketching, painting, creating visual metaphors and analogies • manipulating images, constructing, fixing, designing practical objects, interpreting visual images. POSSIBLE CAREER INTERESTS: • navigators, sculptors, visual artists, inventors, architects, interior designers, mechanics, engineers

Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence DESCRIPTION • ability to use words and language. • have highly developed auditory skills and are generally elegant speakers. • think in words rather than pictures. SKILLS • listening, speaking, writing, story telling, explaining, teaching, using humor • understanding the meaning of words, remembering information. • convincing someone of their point of view, analyzing language usage. POSSIBLE CAREER INTERESTS • Poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, translator

Logical/Mathematical Intelligence DESCRIPTION • ability to use reason, logic and numbers. • think conceptually in logical and numerical patterns making connections between pieces of information. • Always curious about the world around them, these learner ask lots of questions and like to do experiments. SKILLS • problem solving, classifying and categorizing information, • handling long chains of reason to make local progressions, doing controlled experiments, questioning and wondering about natural events, • performing complex mathematical calculations, working with geometric shapes POSSIBLE CAREER INTERESTS • Scientists, engineers, computer programmers, researchers, accountants, mathematicians

Bodily/Kinesthetic Intelligence DESCRIPTION • ability to control body movements and handle objects skillfully. • express themselves through movement. • have a good sense of balance and eye-hand co-ordination. (e.g. ball play, balancing beams). • remember and process information Through interacting with the space around them SKILLS • dancing, physical co-ordination, sports, hands on experimentation, • using body language, crafts, acting, miming, using their hands to create or build • expressing emotions through the body POSSIBLE CAREER INTERESTS • Athletes, physical education teachers, dancers, actors, firefighters, artisans

Musical/Rhythmic Intelligence DESCRIPTION • ability to produce and appreciate music. • musically inclined learners think in sounds, rhythms and patterns. They immediately respond to music either appreciating or criticizing what they hear. Many of these learners are extremely sensitive to environmental sounds (e.g. crickets, bells, dripping taps). SKILLS • singing, whistling, playing musical instruments, • recognizing tonal patterns, composing music, remembering melodies, • understanding the structure and rhythm of music POSSIBLE CAREER INTERESTS • musician, disc jockey, singer, composer

Interpersonal Intelligence DESCRIPTION • ability to relate and understand others. • try to see things from other people's point of view in order to understand how they think and feel. • often have an uncanny ability to sense feelings, intentions and motivations. • are great organizers, although they sometimes resort to manipulation. • Generally try to maintain peace in group settings and encourage co-operation. • use both verbal (e.g. speaking) and non-verbal language (e.g. eye contact, body language) to open communication channels with others. SKILLS • seeing things from other perspectives, listening, using empathy, • understanding other people's moods and feelings, counseling, co-operating with groups, noticing people's moods, motivations and intentions. • communicating both verbally and non-verbally, building trust, peaceful conflict resolution, establishing positive relations with other people. POSSIBLE CAREER INTERESTS • Counselor, salesperson, politician, business person

Intrapersonal Intelligence DESCRIPTION • ability to self-reflect and be aware of one's inner state of being. • try to understand their inner feelings, dreams, relationships with others, and strengths and weaknesses. SKILLS • Recognizing their own strengths and weaknesses, reflecting and analyzing themselves • Awareness of their inner feelings, desires and dreams, evaluating their thinking patterns • Reasoning with themselves, understanding their role in relationship to others POSSIBLE CAREER INTERESTS • Researchers, theorists, philosophers

Bloom’s Taxonomy Learning Types Cognitive Intellectual Knowledge Affective Emotional Attitude Psychomotor Physical Skills

Bloom’ Taxonomy Cognitive Domain: • Recall • Comprehension • Application • Analysis • Synthesis • Evaluation

Recall – Knowledge & Comprehension Knowledge - Recall data or information. Comprehension - Understand the meaning, translation, interpolation, and interpretation of instructions and problems. State a problem in one's own words.

Application Use a concept in a new situation or unprompted use of an abstraction. Applies what was learned in the classroom into novel situations.

Analysis Separates material or concepts into component parts so that its organizational structure may be understood. Distinguishes between facts and inferences.

Synthesis Builds a structure or pattern from diverse elements. Put parts together to form a whole, with emphasis on creating a new meaning or structure.

Evaluation Make judgments about the value of ideas or materials.

Learning Theories and Their Implications for the Classroom