Page 6 - Describing Learners

3. Individual variations

There are two theories which have tried to explain the individual variations and
which can be useful for teacher in order to use them for the benefit of their learners:

a) Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP)
According to its practitioners, we use a number of ‘primary representational systems’

to experience the world, described as VAKOG:

 Visual = we look and see;
 Auditory = we hear and listen;

 Kinaesthetic = we feel externally, internally, or through movements;

 Olfactory = we smell things;
 Gustatory = we taste things.

b) Multiple Intelligences Theory (MI Theory)
It is a concept introduced by Harvard Psychologist Howard Gardner. In his

book Frames of Mind, he suggested that we do not possess a single intelligence, but a range of

intelligences, such as:
 Musical/ Rhythmic

 Verbal/ Linguistic

 Visual/ Spatial
 Bodily/ Kinaesthetic

 Logical/ Mathemarical

 Intrapersonal
 Interpersonal

4. What to do about individual differences?
We can simply do observation, or through more formal devices. We might ask

students what their learning preferences are in questionnaires with items, or we might try to
find out which preffered sensory system our students respond to.