Coping with the Plurality of Intelligences
Under the multiple intelligences theory, an intelligence can serve both as the
contentof instruction and themeansor medium for communicating that content.
This state of affairs has important ramifications for instruction. For example,
suppose that a child is learning some mathematical principle but is not skilled
in logical-mathematical intelligence. That child will probably experience some
difficulty during the learning process. The reason for the difficulty is straight-
forward: the mathematical principle to be learned (the content) exists only in the
logical-mathematical world and it ought to be communicated through mathe-
matics (the medium). That is, the mathematical principle cannot be translated
entirelyinto words (a linguistic medium) or spatial models (a spatial medium).
At some point in the learning process, the mathematics of the principle must
‘‘speak for itself.’’ In our present case, it is at just this level that the learner
experiences difficulty—the learner (who is not especially ‘‘mathematical’’) and
the problem (which is very much ‘‘mathematical’’) are not in accord. Mathe-
matics, as amedium, has failed.
Although this situation is a necessary conundrum in light of multiple intelli-
gences theory, we can propose various solutions. In the present example, the
teacher must attempt to find an alternative route to the mathematical content—
a metaphor in another medium. Language is perhaps the most obvious alter-
native, but spatial modeling and even a bodily-kinesthetic metaphor may prove
appropriate in some cases. In this way, the student is given asecondaryroute to
the solution to the problem, perhaps through the medium of an intelligence
that is relatively strong for that individual.
Two features of this hypothetical scenario must be stressed. First, in such
cases, the secondary route—the language, spatial model, or whatever—is at
best a metaphor or translation. It is not mathematics itself. And at some point,
the learner must translate back into the domain of mathematics. Without this
translation, what is learned tends to remain at a relatively superficial level;
cookbook-style mathematical performance results from following instructions
(linguistic translation) without understanding why (mathematics retranslation).
Second, the alternative route is not guaranteed. There is nonecessaryreason
why a problem in one domainmust be translatableinto a metaphorical problem
in another domain. Successful teachers find these translations with relative fre-
quency; but as learning becomes more complex, the likelihood of a successful
translation may diminish.
While multiple intelligences theory is consistent with much empirical evi-
dence, it has not been subjected to strong experimental tests within psychology.
Within the area of education, the applications of the theory are currently being
examined in many projects. Our hunches will have to be revised many times in
lightofactualclassroomexperience.Stillthereareimportantreasonsforcon-
sidering the theory of multiple intelligences and its implications for education.
First of all, it is clear that many talents, if not intelligences, are overlooked
nowadays; individuals with these talents are the chief casualties of the single-
minded, single-funneled approach to the mind. There are many unfilled or
poorly filled niches in our society and it would be opportune to guide individ-
uals with the right set of abilities to these billets. Finally, our world is beset
with problems; to have any chance of solving them, we must make the very
776 Howard Gardner and Joseph Walters