Reflection: Week 6

Dear All

Last week I read interesting and useful articles by Gardner (1999) at http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic68.htm, and by Barbara A. Soloman and Richard M. Felder (index of learning style) at http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html and at http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm (Learning Styles and Strategies). It is very important to know that without addressing learning strategies of students there is no meaning of teaching. At the same time, it is also true that there is no single learning style in a class. Learning styles are also shaped by the socio-cultural background of the students. However, without considering socio-cultural contexts, Howard Gardner (1999) argues that there are nine different learning styles: Verbal-Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical, Visual/Spatial, Bodily/Kinesthetic, Musical/Rhythmic, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Naturalist and Existentialist. These intelligences are very difficult to identify since they are psycholinguistic attributes. Moreover, this is very difficult to distinguish one intelligence with another.

Dee Dickinson’s (1998) article How Technology Enhances Howard Gardner's Eight Intelligences at http://www.america-tomorrow.com/ati/nhl80402.htm which is similar to the article Technology and Multiple Intelligence at http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic68.htm. These articles deal with how technology helps to address these intelligences. I learned that technology can help integrate these styles. For example, Wiki helps to enhance interpersonal and verbal-linguistic intelligences. Likewise, the use of videos from YouTube addresses the visual learning style.
I also read Enhancing Learning by Engaging Students by Rick Finnan and Donna Shaw at http://oregonstate.edu/dept/eli/osu-hedp/large_classes_engaging_students.html. This article discusses various tools like Minute Paper, Concept Map, Think-Pair-Share, Scripted Cooperative Learning to assess students’ performance on various skills. For example, minute paper will assess short-term memory of students.

There are some major issues emerged from the discussion. First, how to integrate different learning styles. Second, how to select valid tools for testing skills and ability of students. Third, how to deal with as many learning strategies as possible in a class. I would love to discuss on these issues.

Regards
Prem