It would seem:

• Intelligence and IQ are still confusing concepts. Neisser (1996) says it is unfortunate that we still refer to IQ as an Intelligence Quotient, since there is nothing divided to make a quotient anymore. We might go further and say that it is unfortunate that we still refer to IQ and an Intelligence Quotient, as it is arguable that what we are measuring is intelligence, or at least a complete picture of it

• Gardner does some thoughtful explanation of the three kinds of "students" he believes exist, and how they learn what makes them intelligent:

  • the naive learner learns through experience alone. Think about children who think the earth is flat, but learn instead it is round. Some understand round to mean like a ball, and some like a pancake.

  • the academic learner takes classes to gain knowledge. They bring their naive learning with them, and may have fundamental errors in their thinking of which they are unaware. Sometimes seems to apply that knowledge to the real world and sometimes doesn't

  • the expert learner has taken classes and thought on his or her own to learn more knowledge, and applies it to real world settings regularly

Gardner talks about studies they have done with physics students (academic learners) who can predict the path of a moving object on paper tests, but when shown a computer game based on the same principles can not predict where an object (a turtle or a space ship) will land and how fast it will be going. The expert learner however can apply the principles to daily life without difficulty. I had a fraternity brother who understood physics well enough to play pool one handed, and still beat the rest of us.

Why is this important? Not only do these kinds of learning relate to how people learn in their daily life, they also relate to you. You are coming to graduate school as a naive learner, and most of what you know about intelligence is based on your experience with it (or sometimes the absence of it). This year, you'll become academic learners who take classes and are taught how to use the constructs. Next year we hope you'll take your first step toward being an expert learner, seeing the concepts applied in daily clinical practice.

• Being an expert learner after 10 years in the field, there are four truths I'll share with you about intelligence:

  • Truth #1: Intelligence is a basic construct to our field; if you can understand how we've come to understand it, can articulate and understand the issues debated, can formulate your own understanding of how it works, and can recognize the potential help and harm we can do with the concept…. Then you can understand and use any concept we throw at you for the rest of your career

  • Truth #2: Intelligence, when misused, is probably the most harmful construct our field has developed

  • Truth #3: Intelligence, when properly used, is probably the most boring construct in our field

  • Truth #4: Use of Intelligence falls into three groupings: 1) those who misuse it (harmful), 2) those who properly use it (bored), and 3) those who ignore it (indifferent)

• Finally, in the future, Daniels offers that:

  • we will come to understand the structure of thinking more clearly (e.g., Planning, Attention, Sequential, Simultaneous processing)

  • we will learn more with Structure Equation Modeling of how data fits together and explains different things

  • "modifiability" or ability to show a weakness, receive help, and improve, will become important as it helps predict performance in real world settings. (However, consider the Learning Potential Assessment Devise, a test based on Sternberg's ideas, including finding your way with a map, writing samples, verbal abstract and real world problems… Wonderful idea, right? It takes 4 to 8 hours to give. How many eight year olds do you want to test?)

  • and last, other theories of intelligence will be developed