Summary: Carol Dweck and others have Identified two implicit theories of intelligence. Those learners who have an “entity” theory view intelligence as being an unchangeable, fixed internal characteristic. Those who have an “incremental” theory believe that their intelligence is malleable and can be increased through effort.
Originators: Carol Dweck, based on over 30 years of research on belief systems, and their role in motivation and achievement.
Key Terms: entity theory, incremental theory
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is defined as the ability to identify, assess, and control one’s own emotions, the emotions of others, and that of groups.
Key Concepts
In the 1900s, even though traditional definitions of intelligence emphasized cognitive aspects such as memory and problem-solving, several influential researchers in the intelligence field of study had begun to recognize the importance of going beyond traditional types of intelligence (IQ). As early as 1920, for instance, E.L. Thorndike described “social intelligence” as the skill of understanding and managing others. Howard Gardner in 1983 described the idea of multiple intelligences, in which interpersonal intelligence (the capacity to understand the intentions, motivations and desires of other people) and intrapersonal intelligence (the capacity to understand oneself, to appreciate one’s feelings, fears and motivations) helped explain performance outcomes.
The first use of the term “emotional intelligence” is often attributed to A Study of Emotion: Developing Emotional Intelligence from 1985, by Wayne Payne. However, prior to this, the term “emotional intelligence” had appeared in Leuner (1966). Stanley Greenspan (1989) also put forward an EI model, followed by Salovey and Mayer (1990), and Daniel Goleman (1995). A distinction between emotional intelligence as a trait and emotional intelligence as an ability was introduced in 2000.
Daniel Goleman’s model (1998) focuses on EI as a wide array of competencies and skills that drive leadership performance, and consists of five areas:
Know one’s emotions, strengths, weaknesses, drives, values and goals and recognize their impact on others while using gut feelings to guide decisions.
Manage or redirect one’s disruptive emotions and impulses and adapt to changing circumstances.
Manage other’s emotions to move people in the desired direction.
Recognize, understand, and consider other people’s feelings especially when making decisions
Motivate oneself to achieve for the sake of achievement.
To Golman, emotional competencies are not innate talents, but rather learned capabilities that must be worked on and can be developed to achieve outstanding performance. Goleman believes that individuals are born with a general emotional intelligence that determines their potential for learning emotional competencies[3].
Emotional Intelligence is not always widely accepted in the research community. Goleman’s model of EI, for instance, has been criticized in the research literature as being merely “pop psychology.” However, EI is still considered by many to be a useful framework especially for businesses.
Additional Resources and References
Summary: The GOMS Model is a human information processing model that predicts what skilled users will do in seemingly unpredictable situations.
Originators and proponents: Card, Moran and Newell in 1983[1]; Bonnie E. John and David E. Kieras in 1996[2].
Keywords: Goals, operators, methods, selection rules
GOMS Model (Card, Moran, and Newell)
This model is the general term for a family of human information processing techniques that attempt to model and predict user behavior. Typically used by software designers, a person’s behavior is analyzed in terms of four components:
One of the most validated methods in Human Computer Interaction (HCI), the GOMS model assumes expert user and well-defined tasks. It should be noted that there are various limitations to this technique, e.g.: (more…)
Multiple Intelligences Theory posits that there are seven ways people understand in the world, described by Gardner as seven intelligences.
Key Concepts
Developed by Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner in 1983 and subsequently refined, this theory states there are at least seven ways (“intelligences”) that people understand and perceive the world[1][2]. These intelligences may not be exhaustive. Gardner lists the following:
The ability to use spoken or written words.
Inductive and deductive thinking and reasoning abilities, logic, as well as the use of numbers and abstract pattern recognition.
The ability to mentally visualize objects and spatial dimensions.
The wisdom of the body and the ability to control physical motion.
The ability to master music as well as rhythms, tones and beats.
The ability to communicate effectively with other people and to be able to develop relationships.
The ability to understand one’s own emotions, motivations, inner states of being, and self-reflection.
The verbal-linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences are the ones most frequently used in traditional school curricula[3]. A more balanced curriculum that incorporates the arts, self-awareness, communication, and physical education may be useful in order to leverage the intelligences that some students may have.
This theory, while widely popular over the last two decades, has its share of critics. Some argue that Gardner’s theory is based too much on his own intuition rather than empirical data. Others feel that the intelligences are synonymous for personality types.
Summary: A theory that focuses the load on working memory during instruction.
Originators and proponents: John Sweller (1946-)
Keywords: cognitive load theory, working memory, multimedia learning
Summary: Self-Determination Theory is a theory of motivation and personality that addresses three universal, innate and psychological needs: competence, autonomy, and psychological relatedness.
Originators: Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan, psychologists at the University of Rochester.
Key Terms: motivation, competence, autonomy, relatedness
Summary: Etienne Wenger summarizes Communities of Practice (CoP) as “groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.” This learning that takes place is not necessarily intentional. Three components are required in order to be a CoP: (1) the domain, (2) the community, and (3) the practice.
Originators: Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger in 1991 and further elaborated in 1998.
Key Terms: domain, community, practice, identity, learning
Summary: Cognitive Apprenticeship is a theory that attempts to bring tacit processes out in the open. It assumes that people learn from one another, through observation, imitation and modeling.
Originator: Collins, Brown and Newman
Key Terms: Modeling, coaching, scaffolding, articulation, reflection
Summary: Actor-Network Theory is a framework and systematic way to consider the infrastructure surrounding technological achievements. Assigns agency to both human and non-human actors (e.g. artifacts)
Originator: Michel Callon[1] (1991) and Bruno Latour[2] (1992); John Law[3]; others.
Key Terms: actor, network, generalized symmetry, equal agency
A four-stage cyclical theory of learning, Kolb’s experiential learning theory is a holistic perspective that combines experience, perception, cognition, and behavior.
Key Concepts
Building upon earlier work by John Dewey and Kurt Levin, American educational theorist David A. Kolb believes “learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (1984, p. 38)[1]. The theory presents a cyclical model of learning, consisting of four stages shown below.
One may begin at any stage, but must follow each other in the sequence:
The first stage, concrete experience (CE), is where the learner actively experiences an activity such as a lab session or field work.
The second stage, reflective observation (RO), is when the learner consciously reflects back on that experience.
The third stage, abstract conceptualization (AC), is where the learner attempts to conceptualize a theory or model of what is observed.
The fourth stage, active experimentation (AE), is where the learner is trying to plan how to test a model or theory or plan for a forthcoming experience.
Kolb identified four learning styles which correspond to these stages. The styles highlight conditions under which learners learn better[3]. These styles are: