Multiple Intelligences Resources For The Adult Basic Education Practitioner: An Annotated Bibliography. NCSALL Occasional Paper
Author: Viens, Julie
Date: 2001-12-00
Type: Reference Materials - Bibliographies
Subjects: Multiple Intelligences,Learning Theories,Adult Basic Education,Annotated Bibliographies,Adult Education,Adult Learning,Theory Practice Relationship

Dr. Howard Gardner's introduction of multiple intelligences theory (MI theory) in 1983 generated considerable interest in the educational community. Multiple intelligences was a provocative new theory, claiming at least seven relatively independent intelligences. MI theory presented a conception of intelligence that was in marked contrast to the traditional view of a unitary, &quot;general&quot; intelligence. The Adult Multiple Intelligences (AMI) Study began in December 1996 with the question, &quot;How can Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory support instruction and assessment in Adult Basic Education (ABE), Adult Secondary Education (ASE) and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)?&quot; AMI was the first systematic, classroom-based study of MI theory across different adult learning contexts. This annotated bibliography, compiled by AMI Study staff through the course of the AMI Study, represents resources deemed most relevant or informative to those involved in the field of adult education. The fact that MI is a theory of intelligence, not a learning theory or an educational approach, leaves room for interpretation as to its practical applications. It also puts the onus on educators who want to use MI theory well in their own settings to develop a good grounding in the theory and in current MI-based practices. Therefore, studying available literature about MI theory, research, and practice becomes something of a prerequisite to applying the theory well and &quot;in the spirit of&quot; its key features. The goal of this annotated bibliography is to help colleagues in the adult education field--basic education, ESOL, pre/GED or diploma programs--with their initial search for MI resources that fit their needs. Of the 200 MI-related resources initially previewed, the authors identified the 45 included in this bibliography as pertinent or informative to our target audience. As readers are probably well aware, there are scant resources available about MI theory for adult basic education. Therefore, a search for resources helpful in applying MI theory in this field has to go beyond the bounds of resources geared specifically to adult education. Fortunately, many ideas and activities can be generalized beyond the original contexts from which they emerged. Included herein is any resource, no matter what the originating context, that is relevant or useful or has been recommended and used by AMI teachers or other colleagues. The annotations are organized in three categories: (1) MI Theory: This section includes books and articles that focus on the theory of multiple intelligences, such as Dr. Gardner's original texts. A range of more to less scholarly presentations of MI theory are included. Items typically include references to implications and examples of MI theory in practice. (2) MI Research Projects: This section shares articles and reports presenting research findings of MI-based studies. These resources describe specific applications of MI theory in schools and report findings such as the effect of MI theory in the classroom, attitudes toward MI theory, and levels of MI implementation. Finally, (3) MI Practices: Entries in this section focus on implementation. Some emphasize frameworks or formats for using MI theory, while others primarily present collections of activities. [This bibliography was produced with the assistance of Gina Cobin, Deborah Anderson, Peggy Kong, and Marina Livis.]