From the article, "Teaching Learners to be Self-Directed"

by Gerald Grow, Ph.D.
School of Journalism, Media & Graphic Arts
Florida A&M University
Tallahassee, FL 32307 USA

available at: http://www.longleaf.net/ggrow

Referencing this publication

Motivating Stage 3 Learners



(Learners with intermediate self-direction)

Introductory note.

Attributional Assumptions

 "Students are responsible for using acquired ability to solve problems and for maintaining motivation and enthusiasm for assignment with encouragement from the teacher. Students believe they have ability and motivation as long as supportive environment is available."

 

Facilitate High Level of Student Participation
  • Give learners the opportunity to select topics projects and assignments that appeal to their curiosity and need to explore. (K)

  • Assign students to work in groups on focused projects. (G)

  • Redirect attention: What do YOU think? (G)

  • Play devil's advocate. (K)

Increase self-directed learning
  • Provide opportunities for self-directed learning. (W)

  • Provide personal choices for organizing one's work. (K)

  • Facilitate self-direction, goal setting, and the articulation of student values (G)

  • Promote the learner's personal control of the context of learning. (W)

  • Allow students opportunity to become increasingly independent in learning and practicing a skill. (K) Reinforce students for working independently. (A)

  • Have students practice goal-setting and independence (G)

  • Provide meaningful alternative methods for accomplishing a goal. (K)

  • To make instruction responsive to the power motive, provide opportunities for responsibility, authority, and interpersonal influence. (K)

  • In a self-paced course, use those who finish first as deputy tutors. (K)

Further cultivate responsiblity for learning
  • Attribute student success to effort, rather than to luck or ease of task when appropriate (i.e., when you know it's true!) (K)

  • Encourage student efforts to verbalize appropriate attributions for both successes and failures. (K)

  • Have students practice well-learned tasks under realistic conditions. (K)

  • Remind students that they already know how to break a task down into subgoals, make plans for accomplishing these goals, and monitor their own progress. Encourage them to engage in these self-motivational behaviors. (A)

  • Teach students how to develop a plan of work that will result in goal accomplishment. (K)

  • Use contracting methods. (W) Such as the contract described by Knowles for adult learners.

  • Provide self-evaluation tools which are based on clearly stated goals. (K)

  • Generally, let students initiate requests for help. (A)

  • Be available to help students set realistic goals if they need help. (A)

  • If students come for help, help them identify the problem, allow them to develop solutions to the problem, and encourage them to continue working on their own. (A) Avoid external evaluations whenever it is possible to help students evaluate their own work. (K)

  • When students need feedback, ask them for their own self-evluation first, and ask them to give good reasons for that self-evaluation. (A)

  • Listen to learners as equals (G)

  • Encourage students to keep trying; tell them you know that they know how to do it. Help them build confidence by trying it on their own. (A)

  • When students misbehave, ask them to describe what they are doing, to evaluate their behavior, and encouage them to follow through on their plan for improvement. (A)

Develop cooperative learning
  • Encourage learners to work together (G)

  • Encourage learners to encourage one another (G)

  • Use cooperative goal structures to develop and maximize cohesiveness in the learning group. (W)

  • Learn more about own and others' learning strategies (G)

  • Learn more about personality types as a basic relational skill (G)

  • Allow a student who masters a task to help others who have not yet done so. (K)

Build skills
  • Expand repertoire of tools and strategies (G)

  • Learn advanced conceptual tools in the field (G)

(This section still under development.)



Motivating Stage 4 Learners