An assessment of multiple intelligences theory applied to the delivery of online history courses: A case study

Distance Education has provided a tremendous number of opportunities for students to complete their education without having to physically present themselves in a classroom. the use of the online format also presents challenges related to the approach, the use of resources, the structure of the content and the quality of the course delivery. while taking courses in such a setting has an obvious appeal as seen with the growth of online offerings in many schools, a challenge that exists is how to structure such courses in ways that account for various learning styles, individual differences rooted in age, culture, life experiences and other variables. This study is based on the application of multiple-intelligences theory to the teaching of American history survey courses in an online format. the research was conducted as a case study using mixed methodology over three online sessions at a Midwestern private liberal arts college. The focus of the inquiry was centered on allowing students who has enrolled in course sections of the introductory American history courses offered by the college online to deviate from completing one of the standard course requirements, which is the completion of a five page research paper. Students who elected to participate in the research were provided a survey to complete that assessed their preferred multiple-intelligence learning style. They were then asked to complete a project based on their individual style. This study examines the experiences and outcomes of the students who did participate in comparison to those who did not.