Republic of the Philippines

Commission on Higher Education

Region V (Bicol)
Province of Albay
LIBON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Libon, Albay

Module 5

Learning/Thinking Styles and

Multiple Intelligences

Prepared by:

Dr. Bernard S. Pantonilla – BTVTED II

Dr. John Michael R. Amor-BEED-II/BECED III
Mrs. Ana Belle L. Pulvinar- BSED II

Instructor

MODULE 5

Learning/Thinking styles and Multiple Intelligences

INTRODUCTION:
 One factor that brings about student diversity is thinking/learning styles. Individuals think
and learn in distinct ways. In any group of learners, there will always be different learning
characteristics, particularly in the learners’ manner of processing information. Some would
absorb the lesson better when they work with their hands than when they just listen. Others
would prefer to watch video about topic. Students, likewise, have preferred ways of expressing
their thoughts, feelings and ideas. Some would prefer to write, other would draw or even dance
and sing. These preferences involve thinking/learning styles and multiple intelligences.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

In this module, challenge yourself to attain the following learning outcomes:

 Describe the different learning/thinking styles and multiple intelligences.
 Pinpoint your own learning/thinking style/s and multiple intelligences.
 Plan learning activities that match learners’ learning/thinking styles and multiple
intelligences.

YOUR INITIAL TASK

Activity 1 : What type of learner are you? What’s your style? Answer the Learning Style
Inventory below, and find out!

1. If you have to learn to do something, I learn best when I:

(V) Watch someone show me how.
(A) Hear someone tell me how
(K) Try to do it myself

2. When I read, I often find that I:

(V) Visualize what I am reading in my mind’s eye
(A) Read out loud or hear the words inside my head.
(Fidget and try to feel’ the content.

3. When asked to give directions, I;

(V) See the actual places in my mind as I say them or I prefer to draw them.
(A) Have no difficulty in giving them verbally
(K) Have to point or move my body as I give them

4. If I am unsure how to spell a word, I:

(V) Write it in order to determine if it looks right
(A) Spell it out loud in order to determine if it sounds right
(K) Write it in order to determine if it feels right

5. When I write, I:
(V) Am concerned how neat and well-spaced my letters and words appear
(A) Often say the letters and words to myself
(K) Push hard on my pen or pencil and can feel the flow of the words or letters as I form
them.

6. If I had to remember a list of items, I would remember it best if;

(V) Wrote them down
(A) Said them over and over to myself
(K) Moved around and used my fingers to name each item

7. I prefer teachers who:

(V) Use the board or overhead projector while they lecture
(A) Talk with a lot of expression
(K) Use hands-on activities

8. When trying to concentrate, I have a difficult time when:

(V) There is a lot of clutter or movement in the room
(A) There is a lot of noise in the room
(K) I have to sit still for any length of time

9. When solving a problem, I:

(V) write or draw diagrams to see it
(A) Talk myself through it
(K) Use my entire body or move objects to help me think

10. When given written instructions on how to build something, I:

(V) read them silently and try to visualize how the parts will fit together.
(A) Read them out loud and talk to myself as I put the parts together.
 (K) try to put the parts together first and read later.

11. To keep occupied while waiting, I”

(V) Look around, stare or read
(A) Talk or listen to others
(K) Walk around, stare or read.

12. When trying to recall names, I remember:

(V) Faces but forget names.
(A) Names, but forget faces
(K) The situation that I met the person other than the person’s name or face.

Scoring Instructions: Add the number of responses for each letter and enter the total below. The
area with the highest number of responses is your primary mode of learning.

Visual Auditory Kinestetic

V =______ A=________ K =________
(Retrieved from: http://www,gigglepotz.com/learnstyles.pdf)

1. What do your scores tell you about your learning and thinking styles?
2. Do you agree with your scores?
3. It is possible for one to score equally on the three styles? Explain.

The inventory you just answered reflects whether you are a visual, auditory or
kinesthetic learner. This is only but one way of describing the variations of learning and
teaching styles. Howard Gardner identified nine kinds of intelligences that individuals may
have.

YOUR GUIDE
_____________________________________
_____________________________________

Learning/Thinking Styles

Refer to the preferred way an individual processes information. They describe a person’s typical
mode of thinking, remembering or problem solving. There are several perspectives about
learning-thinking styles. We shall focus on sensory preferences and the global-analytic
continuum.

Sensory Preferences. Individuals tend to gravitate toward one or two types of sensory input and
maintain a dominance in one of the following types:

Visual Learners – These learners must see their teacher’s actions and facial expressions to fully
understand the content of a lesson. They tend to prefer sitting in front so no one would block their view.
They may think pictures and learn best from visual aids, videos, flipcharts and hand-outs.

Ri Charde further breaks down visual learners into:

a. Visual Iconic – Those who prefer this form of input are more interested in visual imagery such as
film, graphic displays or pictures in order to solidify learning (picture memory)
b. Visual-symbolic – Those who prefer this form of input feel comfortable with abstract symbolism
such as mathematical formulae or the written word. They would prefer to read book than a map
and would like to read about things than hear about them.

Auditory Learners – They learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through and
listening to what others have to say. Auditory learners interpret the underlying meanings of speech
through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed and other nuances.

Auditory learners also fall into two categories:

a. The Listeners. This is the more common type. “Listeners” most likely do well in school. Out of
school too, they remember things said to them and make the information their own.
b. The Talkers. They are the ones who prefer to talk and discuss. They often find themselves
talking to those around them.

Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners – These learners benefit much from a hands-on approach, actively exploring
the physical world around them. They tend to prefer “learning by doing,” preferring the use of
psychomotor skills to, say, abstract thinking skills. They tend to have good motor memory and motor
coordination.

Global-Analytic Learners.
 Analytic – Analytic thinkers tend toward the linear, step by step processes of learning. They
tend to see finite elements of patterns rather than the whole; they are the “tree seers”.

Global – Global thinkers lean towards non-linear thought and tend to see the whole pattern
rather than particle elements. They are the “forest seers” who give attention only to the overall structure
and sometimes ignore details.

Several theorists have tied the global-analytic continuum to the left-brain/right-brain continuum.
(Roger Sperry’s model)

LEFT BRAIN (Analytic) RIGHT BRAIN (Global)

Successive Hemispheric Style Simultaneous Hemispheric Style
1. Verbal 1. Visual
2. Responds to word meaning 2. Responds to tone of voice
3. Sequential 3. Random
4. Processes information linearly 4. Processes information in varied order
5. Responds to logic 5. Responds to emotion
6. Plans ahead 6. Impulsive
7. Recalls people ‘s names 7. Recalls people’s faces
8. Speaks with few gestures 8. Gestures when speaking
9. Punctual 9. Less punctual
10. Prefers formal study design 10. Prefers sound/music background while
studying
11. Prefers bright lights while studying 11. Prefers frequent mobility while
studying

Multiple Intelligences – the theory of multiple intelligences (MI) was first described by Howard
Gardner in Frames of Mind (1983). Gardner defines intelligence as “an ability or set of abilities
that allows a person to solve a problem or fashion a product that is valued in one or more
cultures.

In order to facilitate learning effectively, teachers should use strategies that match these kinds of
intelligences. The nine kinds are:

1. Visual/Spatial Intelligence (Picture Smart) – learning visually and organizing ideas spatially.
Seeing concepts in action in order to understand th’em. The ability to “see” things in one’s
mind in planning to create a product or solve a problem.
2. Verbal/Linguistic (Word Smart) – learning through the spoken and written word. This
intelligence is always valued in the traditional classroom and in traditional assessments of
intelligence and achievement.
3. Mathematical/Logical (Number Smart/Logic Smart) – learning through reasoning and
problem solving.
4. Bodily/Kinesthetic (Body Smart) – learning through interaction with one’s environment.
This intelligence is the domain of “overly active” learners.
5. Musical (Music Smart)- learning through patterns, rhythms and music. This includes not
only auditory learning but also the identification of patterns through all the senses.
6. Intrapersonal (Self Smart) – learning through feelings, values and attitudes. This is a
decidedly affective component of learning through which students place value on what they
learn and take ownership for their learning.
7. Interpersonal (People Smart) – learning through interaction with others. Talkative or overly
social. This intelligence promotes collaboration and working cooperatively with others.
8. Naturalist (nature Smart)- learning through classification, categories and hierarchies. It is
not simply the study of nature; it can be used in all areas of study.
9. Existential (Spirit Smart) – learning by seeing the “big picture”. Why are we here?...What is
my role in the world?.....what is my place in my family? This intelligence seeks connection to
real world understanding and application of new learning.

Teaching Strategies guided by Thinking/learning Styles and multiple Intelligence

1. Use questions of all types to stimulate various levels of thinking from recalling factual
information to drawing implications and making value judgements.
 2. Allow sufficient time for information to be processed and then integrate using both the right-
and left brain hemispheres.
3. Set clear purposes before any listening, viewing or reading experience.
4. Warm up before the lesson development by using brainstorming, set induction, etc…..
5. Use a variety of review and reflection strategies to bring closure to learning (writing summaries,
creating opinion surveys, etc.)

YOUR DISCOVERY TASK

1. Choose a topic from your field of specialization.

2. Think of at least five learning activities relevant to the topic you picked.
3. Indicate the thinking/learning styles and multiple intelligences that each learning activity
can address. Remember a learning activity may address both thinking/learning style and
multiple intelligence.
Topic Learning Activity Learning Style/Multiple
Intelligence
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Let’s SUM IT UP!

YOUR FINAL TASK

Multiple Choice. Based on your reading, please pick the BEST answer for each item below. Pick
only one answer per item.
1. Multiple intelligences refers to
a. How smart you are c. the variety of ways individuals can solve problems
 b. How individuals process information d. many straight a students

2. Which of the following is not one of Gardner’s nine intelligences?

a. Spatial c. linguistic
b. Criminal d. logical – mathematical

3. If you do better when you see charts, diagrams and graphs than you would if you heard a
paragraph with the same information, you are probably a visual learner.
a. True
b. false

4. If your learning style is auditory that means you learn best by

a. Hearing c. analyzing
b. Writing d. doing

5. If you are a kinesthetic learner you learn best by

a. Hearing c. seeing
b. Writing d. doing

6. Interpersonal intelligence means you

a. Understand yourself
b. Have the ability to recreate your world visually
c. Understand, explain and relate to the natural world around you
d. Understand the mood and motives of your associates

7. Spatial intelligence means you

a. Have a sound sense of direction c. might do well as a painter
b. Can recreate the world visually d. all of these

8. If a person has a strong naturalistic intelligence he has a strong understanding of himself.

a. True
b. false

9. “how can I use language to help me with a task?” might be the type of question you would
ask if you were strong in….
a. Linguistic intelligence
b. Musical intelligence
c. Interpersonal intelligence
d. Logical-mathematical intelligence

10. When it comes to environment and learning

a. Neither has an impact on the other
b. Learning will affect the environment but not the other way around
c. Environment is the most important
d. Environment can have an impact on your learning

11. If when putting together a computer desk you do better if you can see a diagram, you may
conclude that your learning style preference is
a. Auditory c. visual
b. Kinesthetic d. intrapersonal

12. According to Howard Gardner, since education depends on a good vocabulary, linguistic
intelligence is the most important of all the intelligences.
a. True
b. False
c.
13. Once you discover your learning style it is important to understand that this label will
determine how high your intelligence is
a. True
b. False

14. I have trouble following lectures and am easily distracted by sound.

a. Auditory
b. This is a trick question
c. Visual learner
d. Hands on
 15. I may not be able to read body language and I prefer hearing a book read to me
a. Hands-on learner
b. Visual
c. Non-auditory
d. Auditory learners

Well done! I know you can do it.

Thank you for learning with me today and I hope you have learned many things from our
learning tasks.

Keep up the good work and see you on our next lesson.

“Anything that is worth teaching can be presented in many ways. These multiple ways can make use of
our multiple intelligences.”

Howard Gardner.