Intelligence Self-Assessment Can Lead to Better College Major Selection

Intelligence and its various forms influence the fields that college graduates are likely to be successful. Ever since Howard Gardner’s book Frames of Mind was published theorists and educators have been trying to understand the multiple and complex ways of knowledge accumulation. A journal article by Tai Fang-Mei (2014) highlights the forms of intelligence that are appreciated in student learners and how these intelligences should guide career paths.

Intelligence has always been in debate in terms of how to measure and understand it. When Gardner released his book it became possible to see intelligence on multiple planes of existence. He included seven intelligences of verbal/ linguistic, visual-spatial, musical, intra-personal, interpersonal, logical mathematical, and bodily-kinesthetic. Each uses different skills to navigate and understand the environment.

We can see these intelligences at work when a great play is written, a musical piece is masterfully played, and a scientist finds a new discovery. The problem is that not all intelligences are rewarded in society in precisely the same way and different intelligences can lead to higher financial rewards. Society seems to appreciate certain types of intelligences over others even though all have merit at different times and places.

The study seems to focus on encouraging incoming students to understand their intelligences and then using those intelligences to encourage them select a suitable educational and career path. Helping students to understand themselves and where their skill lays also fosters a separation of socially bounded “expected” perceptions their friends have to something they are most likely to be happy with. It is a process of aligning goals with the skills that will get them there.

Putting a student in an art class when their skills are heavily focused in the mathematical domains seems to be a waste of talent unless there is a method of bridging that gap. Perhaps something more focused in mechanical drawing or engineering would be helpful to match interest and skill into something that results in gainful employment. Understanding the student and the employment needs of society seems beneficial to proper placement.

The study found that it is helpful to students when they find out where their intelligences lay and then use that knowledge to select a second major or minor. Students are often unaware of where their skills lay and what that means in terms of future employment. For example, English majors should also rank high in linguistics skills. Helping students become aware of their innate and learned skills is a process of awareness that pays off throughout their educational process.

Today’s Internet offers opportunities to simply help students self-assess through quizzes valid tests they can conduct independently. Such methods would better take student misperceptions about life and employment and let them find matches between their skills and viable career options that further their personal development. The student still has the choice to use or ignore them but administrators have a place to point students that are struggling with majors. Not all things can be measured but they can help an indecisive student make a better decision.

Fang-Mei, T. (2014). Exploring multiple intelligences. The Journal of Human Resource and Adult Learning, 10 (1).

Single Assessments in Business Colleges May Not be Telling the Whole Story

Education is a process that helps students widen their understanding of their fields of study as well as the world around them. The problem is that many colleges may not be aware of whether their students are actually learning. As colleges seek to improve learning assessment in light of budget difficulties they are seeking ways of assessing learning. However, such assessments may actually fail in their overall ability to determine higher levels of student learning. A single method of assessment may not actually be telling the whole story. 

Teaching is an important component of any quality of education. Through this understanding we see that all universities should continuously improve upon their teaching methods as much as possible. A study by Pritchard, Saccucci, and Potter in 2010 helps highlight how one AACSB accredited school improved upon their teaching practices by focusing closely on their mission statement. 

The mission statement is the main guide by which all other functions of the organization are derived.  In order for the organization to effectively use this mission statement they should use it as an overriding philosophy to measure effectiveness as well as a way to review those measurements for continuous improvement. The process should be one that continually analyzes itself for improvement and development. 

This study was longitudinal by nature and looked at teacher and program effectiveness over a period of 12 semesters. They measured the teaching quality by using a SIR II assessment given to students every class and every semester. Each professor was required to do an analysis of their teaching results as well as a personal plan of improvement. The assessment design helped teachers to use data to reflect on their overall performance and find ways to improve. 

The results showed that even though professors were seeking overall improvement they did not actually get it. It was also found that students were more engaged in class and putting forward more effort but did not actually learn more. The results of individual analysis did change over time but the single measure was relatively ineffective in assessing what was occurring.

Since the study relied only on SIR II the results were skewed. Proper assessment of instructors and overall learning of students requires multiple avenues of assessment in order to assess complex teaching well. Furthermore, programs themselves may require multiple assessments and ways of looking at learning in order to adequately reflect what is occurring. However, the process of assessment, analysis of results, and implementation of the results remains a valid method of improving student learning. 

Pritchard, R., Saccucci, M. & Potter, G. (2010). Evaluating a program designed to demonstrate continuous improvement in teaching at an AACSB-Accredited college of business at a regional university: a case study. Journal of Education for Business, 85.