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Use your preferred multiple intelligences
Click on the highlighted text to see how you can use your preferred multiple intelligences.
- Linguistic intelligence
- Spatial intelligence
- Logical-mathematical intelligence
- Musical intelligence
- Interpersonal intelligence
- Intra-personal intelligence
- Bodily-kinaesthetic intelligence
- Naturalistic intelligence
Spatial intelligence
You excel at seeing visual patterns and ideas .
Your spatial learning and study techniques
I used to find it hard to organise my essays or to see where certain sections should go. Someone gave me an idea about mapping out or planning my essay outline on a bus route on my way home and after a while I started to be able to link what I would include with each image and create a visual map of it.
— Angelina
I knew that I organised everything spatially so what I would do was change my computer screen to different images and then I'd put all the important assignments I was working on in a particular segment of the screen for example... I'd change the screen by season too and I'd place important information in the centre of the screen and I'd file the folders once I'd finished the task. It meant that I was able to get to my working folders quickly without looking around everywhere for them. I'd also always use a 'Current Work Folder' on my desktop for whatever I was currently working on.
— Peter
- Use diagrams and concept maps to visualise your thinking
- Use colour to structure and categorise your ideas and notes.
- Use visuals such as graphs, diagrams or photos to anchor ideas and concepts to memory and for understanding.
- Use coloured 'Post-It' notes to position your ideas in hard copy.
- Place multitextual summaries (both text and image) to capture ideas.
- Use flowcharts to map out information and procedural steps, for example, a laboratory sequence and so on.
- Use flash cards (writing out small chunks of relevant information on small cards) for memory and carry these with you and go through them.
- Organise information on your computer visually using a pattern that suits you.
- Use visual and spatial objects to anchor information. For example, you could use the idea of a filing cabinet to organise information for a report or assignment where each drawer represent a section and then within each drawer, there are main points and evidence.
- Use visual calendars and visual prioritised 'To do' lists as reminders.
Logical-mathematical intelligence
You excel at logical thinking!
Your logical-mathematical learning and study techniques
- Start your study with concepts and the big picture view of a topic.
- Arrange information into systematic lists and categories.
- Divide information into logical sections.
- Use logical connectors to summarise information such as 'because, if, so, but...'
- Use flow chart diagrams to organise your thinking and show relationships.
Musical intelligence
You excel at music and sound memory!
Your musical learning and study techniques
- Link information to sounds and music. For example, link ideas to your favourite and memorable songs. How often do you find you might be driving along to your favourite song and you can remember the words without even realizing that you know them? How many advertisement jingles linger in your memory?
- Use rhythm mnemonics
to remember information and use pitch intonation also. - Listen to music in the background to help with study. This allows the brain waves to enter the alpha relaxed wave states to absorb information. Baroque music is said to be conducive, such as music by Handel and Vivaldi, also try Mozart. Go with what works for you, but don't choose something that'll put you to sleep!
- Use music to relax.
- Listen to music for inspiration!
Interpersonal intelligence
You excel at being with people!
Your interpersonal learning and study techniques
- Form study and discussion groups.
- Explain your ideas to others as this helps clarify your understanding.
- Tell a friend about why a particular solution works.
- Select projects that allow you to work with others.
- Assign team roles when working on group projects.
Intra-personal intelligence
You excel at reflecting!
I'm a very reflective learner and I need to allow time for the information to sink in, but really what I do is I work on seeing how it's relevant to people and why it's important. I like to think of this time as incubation time.
— Chinh
Your intra-personal learning and study techniques
- Find quiet uninterrupted study spaces that suit you.
- Think about the personal impact of what you are studying.
- Allow time and space to reflect on material you are studying.
Bodily-kinaesthetic intelligence
You excel at learning through physical experiences and doing!
I have ADHD and I just find it hard to sit still to focus on any study, so what I do is use 10 minute blocks and I move to a rhythm with a book in hand as I read. At least I get some reading done every 10 minutes or so. I also use the old stress ball technique of bouncing it on a table or the floor... it's such a small trick, but it saved my degree.
— Alan
Your bodily-kinaesthetic learning and study techniques
- Remember information by anchoring it to your body or movement, by tapping information to your body for example. Every time you get off a bus or walk into the library then decide to remember some piece of information. Every time you go to carry your backpack, anchor some information to it and so on. This increased association helps link information to your memory kinaesthetically. You'll be surprised how much you can get to remember!
- Transform your subject material into more dynamic formats. For example, if you are studying an Engineering water problem then convert this information into a debate between the different stakeholders, or into a performance or play and get some action happening.
- You may find that moving around while you're learning is useful.
- Some people like to anchor information or learn by squeezing or bouncing a stress ball when they're reading.
Naturalistic intelligence
I used to find I'd bring in some eucalyptus leaves and place them in front of my computer just to get a sense of their scent and set the mood for study. I just loved the leaves of Melbourne's trees.
— Fatima
Look it was amazing, during my honours thesis I didn't get to exercise much as I was sitting so much at the computer, but eventually I realised that I just had to get out and walk to get oxygen into my brain, so after intensive writing sprints I'd go for a 15 minute walk round the block or uni just to get my circulation moving! It was a life saver! I think I did my best writing after some of those sprints and breathing in fresh air and just being around trees!
— Linda
I used aromatherapy to help get me into the mood of different study techniques and then I also found that I even started associating different subjects with different oils. It worked for me.
— Ella
You excel at being in nature!
Your naturalistic learning and study techniques
- Find ways to bring the outdoors into your study environments. You can use flowers and green foliage in vase arrangements in your study.
- Find beautiful outdoor spaces or study spaces that overlook beautiful settings.
- Take your laptop to a park, or write that essay overlooking the ocean if you can.
- You can take breaks and be inspired and refreshed by going for walks in natural settings.
- Aromatherapy can help create stimulating moods for study, but be sure your're not allergic to any of the scents!
Did you learn something new about yourself? Go back to do other quizzes, go on to Expand your learning approaches – or visit any of these websites to do a multiple intelligences quiz.
- Assessment: find your strengths
Multiple intelligence for adult literacy and education - What are my multiple intelligences? Canada prospects
- Multiple intelligences quiz
- Multiple intelligences self profile
- The Rogers indicator of multiple intelligences
- Multiple intelligence inventory Learning disabilities resource community
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Linguistic intelligence
You excel at words and verbal skills!
Your linguistic preference learning and study techniques