Tips #10

Posted October 11, 2001

A well known saying in the competitive running world is that elite runners are born, not made. People are born with different percentages of slow twitch muscles (which are the muscles suited for endurance), with varying heart and lung capacities, and with different skeletal constructions. Through training, everyone can run faster for longer distances. But if people are not born with the right kind of body, no matter how long and hard they train, they will never run as fast as elite runners. As a matter of fact, most of us can not even run one mile at the same pace that elite runners run a marathon (about 26 miles).

To some extent our potential for learning is also determined by our biological inheritance. However, there are many different components to our cognitive abilities. Howard Gardner has identified ten separate kinds of "intelligences" based upon biological evidence, logical analysis, developmental psychology, and psychological research. These intelligences are linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, spiritual, and existential. These kinds of intelligences are relatively distinct, and all of us have varying levels of skills at each form of intelligence. When we are given a task, we act using our distinctive blend of intelligences. One person may approach the task through the written word, another person may analyze the situation, another may visualize the desired results, and another may work with others to accomplish a goal. Our culture typically determines what kinds of tasks are valued in specific situations, and our upbringing will often determine how our intelligences develop. Most people can strengthen their intelligences if they focus on developing their skills on that particular area. You can take a test that helps indicate the relative strengths of each of your different kinds of intelligences by going to the following web site: http://surfaquarium.com/MIinvent.htm.

There is also some evidence that suggests that we have preferred styles of learning. One way of thinking about learning styles is in terms of three modality categories: visual learners, auditory learners, and kinesthetic (or haptic) learners. Visual learners prefer to see what they are trying to learn, auditory learners prefer to hear what they are trying to learn, and kinesthetic learners prefer to learn by doing. We can learn effectively in more than one way, but we may prefer seeing a diagram, or listening to a lecture, or doing something active. To take a quick modality preference test, go to the following web site: http://www.wcupa.edu/_ACADEMICS/cae.tut/Modality.htm

Today's learning tip is not just about multiple intelligences or learning preferences. The tip is about the importance of knowing your own strengths and weaknesses. Some kinds of tasks may be easy for you. What are those tasks? Do you prefer to take a class from a professor with a certain teaching style? Do you hate mathematics? Do you prefer to process information in certain ways. Do you learn best when working with others? There are also tasks that are harder for you. Do you struggle when taking an essay tests? Do you have a hard time learning from lectures? Is abstract thinking difficult for you? Do you have a hard time working with people in groups?

Once we understand our strengths and weaknesses as learners, we can recognize situations where we may have problems, and we can develop strategies to reach our potential and to compensate for our weaknesses. Act like a detective about your learning. Become a stronger learner by understanding how you learn, trying out new learning techniques, and working hard to develop your skills.

You and I may never become elite runners, no matter how much time we spend training. However, the mind is a marvelous instrument; it offers us many ways to travel down the road to knowledge. We just need to explore those avenues, keep track of where we are, keep moving, measure our successes and failures, and try to find alternative ways to reach the same destinations.

The next LAC workshop is on using internet search engines. Come to the Learning Assistance Center at 2016 Ninth Street Hall at 5:00 on Tuesday, October 16, 2001, to learn how to find the information you need faster.