Restructuring our notions of Learning and Intelligence
Intelligence
4 Characteristics:
Adaptive – modifying behavior to accomplish new tasks successfully
Learning Ability – Learn new info quickly & easily
Use of Prior Knowledge – to analyze & understand new situations
Culture Specific - intelligence in one culture isn’t always same in another
Intelligence & Culture
Intelligence is adaptive
Must help learner survive & thrive in their particular culture
Since cultures differ, intelligence must be different in various cultures
Intelligence
Not a measure of what a person has learned (i.e. school achievement)
Often thought of as innate
But intelligence depends on prior knowledge
Not necessarily a permanent, unchanging characteristic
Can be modified through experience & learning
Measuring Intelligence
Hard to measure & define
Lead to creation of an Intelligence Test to measure:
General knowledge
Vocabulary
Perception
Memory
Abstract Thought
I.Q. – Intelligence Quotient
Traditionally thought of as a ‘fixed’ trait, but some research shows some gains are possible.
Especially if child was in inadequate environmental conditions (malnourished, no school, etc.)
Largely predictive of school success
IQ History – Early 1900’s
Developed when mass education became the norm.
Originally designed to identify and help “slower” students in France.
Tested many children of the same age & identified patterns.
Sample IQ Test Questions
What does the word quarrel mean?
How are a goat and beetle alike?
What should you do if you get separated from your family in a large department store?
Sample IQ Questions….
Three kinds of people live on the planet Ziropox; bims, gubs, and lops. All bims are lops. Some gubs are lops. Which one of the following must be true?
A) All bims are gubs
B) All lops are bims
C) Some gubs are bims
D) Some lops are bims.
IQ Continued…
IQ tests are age specific – only compared to others of your age
Tests are different depending on age
IQ Test by Age
Elem. Tests – Ability to manipulate & work with concrete objects
MENSA – “welcomes people from every walk of life whose IQ is in the top 2% of the population”
http://www.mensa.org/workout.html
World’s Smartest Person ….
According to the High IQ Society, the world’s smartest person is a graduate student at the University of Michigan.
“there's a little bit of difference between being the world's smartest person and winning this contest – the smartest person in the world probably wouldn't bother entering this contest. I just thought it would be fun.” – Andrew Nierman
I.Q. Score Cautions
Questions may be culturally biased.
Ex: What is a toboggan?
Environmental Conditions
Poor nutrition, lack of books, toys, schooling, etc
Test Anxiety
Predicative of school success – not necessarily life success
A Different Take: Multiple Intelligences
Developed by Howard Gardner in the early 1980’s at Harvard.
Attempt at a more complete understanding of intelligence.