Infodasar.com – Many educators have had the experience of not being able to reach a few students until presenting the information in a completely different way of giving a new option for student expression. Perhaps it is a student who struggles with writing until the teacher gives you the option to create a graphic story, which develops into a beautiful and complex narrative. Or maybe it was a student who seemed unable to catch a fraction until he created them by separating the oranges into slices.

Understanding of Compound Intelligence

The theory of compound intelligence says that every human being has its own intellect that characterizes the information they receive. So the theory is that there is basically no stupid child because they have their own intelligence.

Compound Intelligence

Because of such experiences, the theory of compound intelligence spreads rapidly to educators. This theory provides great hope for every student to develop their own potential. However, this theory is also often misunderstood that every student should only develop one's own potential so that the ability of the other students will be on-site and have no development and tend to limit the potential of other students. Meanwhile, compound intelligence theory is a powerful way to think about learning, and it is also very important to understand the research that supports it.

Various sorts of Howard Gardner compound intelligence

The theory of compound intelligence challenged the idea of a single IQ, which assumed that intelligent children were those with high IQ intelligence. Howard Gardner was a Harvard professor who originally proposed a compound intelligence theory, saying that there are several types of human intelligence, each representing a different way of everyone in processing the information. The compound intelligence in question is:

  • Verbal Intelligence-Linguistics 

Refers to an individual's ability to analyze information and produce works involving spoken and written language, such as speeches, books, and emails.

  • Logical-Mathematical Intelligence

Describes the ability to develop equations and evidence, make calculations, and solve abstract problems.

  • Visual-Spatial Intelligence 

Allows people to understand maps and other types of graphical information.

  • Music Intelligence 

Allows individuals to produce and make meanings of different types of voices.

  • Naturalistic Intelligence 

This refers to the ability to identify and distinguish between different types of plants, animals, and weather formations found in the natural world.

  • Kinaesthetic-Body Intelligence

It requires the use of the body itself to create products or solve problems.

  • Interpersonal Intelligence  

Reflects the ability to recognize and understand the moods, desires, motivations, and intentions of others.

  • Intrapersonal Intelligence 

Refer to the ability of people to recognize and assess the same characteristics in themselves.

Benefits of Implementing Compound Intelligence in Education

Have an understanding of the different teaching approaches as well as the presentation of the material that fits with choosing the right learning medium for each student in the class.  It is invaluable to improve the accessibility of learning experiences for all students. To apply this theory of learning, it's important to gather ongoing information about the students ' strengths and challenges as well as the interests and activities they love. Provide different context for the students and involve their various senses. 
For example, learning about fractions through musical notes, petal flowers, and poetry meters is backed by research. Specifically, the benefits of implementing compound intelligence are:

  • Provide students with a variety of ways to access content enhancing learning provide students in a variety of ways to demonstrate knowledge and skills to improve engagement and learning and to give teachers a more accurate understanding about student knowledge and skills.
  • Instruction must be informed as much as possible with detailed knowledge of the strengths, needs, and specific areas of the student for growth.