Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
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Operationalsing Multiple Intelligence Theory in the
classroom using a Multiple Intelligence Teaching Approach
Presenters: Margaret Denny (Lecturer); Dr. John Wells (Head of
the Department of Nursing) ; Suzanne Denieffe (Lecturer)
Workplace: Waterford Institute of Technology
Mailing Address: School of Health Sciences, Department of
Nursing, Waterford Institute of Technology, Cork Road Campus,
Waterford, Ireland.
E-Mail: mdenny@wit.ie; jwells@wit.ie; sdenieffe@wit.ie
Overall aim of workshop: The aim of this workshop is to explore
and inform educationalists about the application of Multiple
Intelligence (MI) theory, as explicated by Gardner
(1993,1995),using a multiple intelligence teaching approach (MITA
Weber, 1999) in a third level educational setting (Denny 2007).
Abstract
Multiple intelligences theory has only recently entered the teaching
and learning dialogue in education and research. It is argued that
despite the rhetoric of a student centred approach, nurse education
remains wedded to conventional teaching approaches, which fail to
engage with the individual and unwittingly silence the student’s
voice. This workshop will examine the concept of multiple
intelligences (MI) and outline Gardner’s (1983) contention that the
brain functions using eight intelligences, which can be employed to
improve learning at an individual level. It will then outline how the
use of a five-phase model, developed by Weber (1999), known as a
multiple intelligence teaching approach (MITA) can impact on
student learning. It is contended that MITA has great potential in
nurse education, particularly in terms of reinforcing learning beyond
the educational domain and into the individual’s professional
development and clinical practice. It is contended that MITA has
great potential in nurse education, particularly in terms of
reinforcing learning beyond the educational domain and into the
individual’s professional development and clinical practice. Arguably
this departure will contribute to the present post-technocratic model
of education, and to the conceptual understanding of MITA brainbased
approaches and impart a more in-depth understanding of the
significance of MI and MITA approaches to teaching and learning in
third level education.
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