Most university classrooms rely on conventional assessments rooted in verbal-linguistic and logical-mathematical approaches. However, research shows that integrating creativity can deepen students’ understanding of academic content through complex thinking. This research project qualitatively examines how university students choose to demonstrate learning through aesthetic representation (AR)—artistic forms such as visual art, music, or poetry—and how
these align with Multiple Intelligences (MI). The eight MI domains, which reflect diverse ways individuals process information, guide the categorization process.
This study explores the following research question: When using aesthetic representations (ARs) in the university classroom, how do students choose to demonstrate their learning beyond and including conventional verbal-linguistic and logical-mathematical domains? Drawing from a culminating assessment, we analyzed approximately 30 ARs using textual and photographic evidence and narrative evidence of the professor (also co-researcher for the project). To ensure consistency, student work was categorized by the eight MI domains and analyzed dichotomously as conventional or unconventional. The strong presence of ARs beyond a conventional academic approach suggests that, when given autonomy, students often choose non-conventional ways to demonstrate learning. Preliminary outcomes suggest students choose to move beyond the conventional areas of MI to demonstrate learning. This suggests that Aesthetic Representations are a model for guiding university instructors in implementing meaningful and creative assessments.