Multiple Intelligences in Virtual and Traditional Skill Instructional Learning Environments

The purpose of this investigation was to examine (a) how Multiple Intelligence (MI) strengths correlate to learning in virtual and traditional environments and (b) the effectiveness of learning with and without an authority figure in attendance. Participants (N=69) were randomly assigned to four groups, administered the Multiple Intelligences Developmental Assessment Scales (MIDAS[TM]), were taught to fly cast, and were assessed on skill, form and accuracy. Results from this investigation imply that participants who score high in verbal/linguistic will be more likely to excel in virtual environments for tasks that require skill and accuracy, whereas when tasks require extensive form acquisition components the traditional classroom environment will most likely be more effective. Additionally, traditional instruction correlated with more MI profiles than any groups suggesting that for the gamut of MI in an instructional setting, traditional methods may be more effective than virtual learning environments. (Contains 2 figures and 5 tables.)