Intelligence describes the level of development of our brain’s general performance dispositions that enable us to learn from experience and act successfully. We need specific and general solution strategies to solve the constantly changing problems of our living environment. What makes us experts does not automatically serve our intelligence development. This increases to the extent that we learn to transfer our application-related skills to other fields of thought and action. By focusing the educational process on a few subject-specific key skills, however, we are neglecting one of our brain’s most vital services. The plasticity of our brain functions serves to adapt to changes in environmental conditions.
As soon as we only do what we are used to and good at, our brain works efficiently and at the same time stagnates in its development. There is no challenge or need to adapt to new performance requirements. As soon as we are confronted with unfamiliar problems, we need our creative, analytical and practical intelligence. Without the constant demand for these three strategies to utilize our general brain power, we do not effectively exploit our potential for thought and action.
Modern societies are characterized by constantly changing communication conditions, which places high demands on our intelligence development. Through the verbal and descriptive formation of our abilities and skills for knowledge and understanding as well as problem solving and communication, we equally promote our competence and intelligence development. It is therefore essential that we focus education on the process of thinking and acting. The result, on the other hand, only contributes to our own educational process to the extent that it gives us and our teachers an opportunity to reflect on the path we have taken. The learning process is even more effective in groups if all participants take part in comparing each other’s solutions, mistakes and strategies.
