Learning styles and multiple intelligences play a huge role in the success of college students today. “changes and advances in technology have led many educators to reconsider traditional, uniform instruction methods and stress the importance of considering student learning styles in the design and delivery of course content”(Romanelli et al., 2009). In order to prepare students for their online college career Baker College has created a course called “College Success Online”. This course introduced the concept of the three learning styles and the seven multiple intelligences in order to increase the students awareness of how they best learn and which of the multiple intelligences are their strongest. This is done by having the students complete two surveys entitled, Learning Styles Inventory and Multiple Intelligences Inventory.
The three learning styles are; “Visual Learners: learn through seeing”, “Auditory Learners: learn through listening”, “Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners: learn through, moving, doing and touching” (LdPride, n.d.). The result of my Learning Styles Inventory suggests that my strength lies within the Auditory Learning category. I still scored relatively high in the Visual Learners category and find it most difficult to learn through moving, doing, and touching. However, I did find the results to be balanced in regards to my learning styles as there was only a one or two point spread between the categories.
The next survey was in regards to Multiple Intelligences which are broken down into seven categories; “Visual/Spatial Intelligence: ability to perceive the visual, Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence: ability to use words and language, Logical/Mathematical Intelligence: ability to use reason logic and numbers, Bodily/Kinesthetic Intelligence: ability to control body movements and handle objects skillfully, Musical/Rhythmic Intelligence: ability to produce and appreciate music, Interpersonal Intelligence: ability to relate and understand others, Intrapersonal Intelligence: ability to self reflect and be aware of one’s inner state of being”(LdPride, n.d.). Out of these seven categories I scored highest in both Logical and Intrapersonal intelligences which explains my pursuit of a technical degree in computer science. My weakest category was in Interpersonal Intelligence which was what I had originally projected as my weakest since part of my personality type is a conditioned mildly expressed extrovert.
Ultimately, being aware of Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences will have a direct impact on success in college. For me, understanding that I learn best by both by audio and visual means allows me to utilize techniques such as reading aloud or taking notes to ensure that I can absorb as much information as possible. Also, understanding my weakness in interpersonal intelligence allows me to be more cautious when dealing with people as well as take part in activities such as group discussion and communication courses that will further develop my skill in regards to that category.
References
Romanelli, F., Bird, E., & Ryan, M. (2009, Feb). Learning styles: a review of theory, application and best practices. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. 73.1. Retrieved May 1, 2009, from Academic OneFile Database.
LdPride (n.d.). Learning styles explained. Retrieved May 1, 2009,