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 4 Learners

(students with a high degree of self-direction). Introductory note.

Because Stage 4 learners have a high degree of self-motivation, teachers use fewer motivational strategies with them, and the ones listed here are more speculative than those in previous sections. The divisions below follow Keller. The following suggestions tend to assume that the learners are graduate students, but they can be adapted to self-directed learners of any age. Remember, these are strategies used by teachers; most S4 learning takes place without teachers.


Attributional Assumptions

 "Students are responsible for own motivation and using their ability to solve problems; believe they have motivation and ability to do work." (A) Such independence may be task-specific.

Attention Strategies
  • Begin discussions and self-directed study by posing important questions which do not have simple answers. (G)

  • Introduce for discussion two equally plausible facts or principles, only one of which can be true. (K)

  • Be a sounding board for learner's ideas. (G)

  • Acquaint learner with new sources of information. (G)

  • Network learner with others in subject area. (G)

  • Review learner's project management plan. (G)

  • Monitor and celebrate learner's milestones. (G)

  • Suggest resources, books, topics, etc., and provide opportunity for students who have taken your suggestions to report on what they learned (G).

Relevance Strategies
  • Expect students to review on their own what they already have learned, (A) and monitor to assure that they have done so (G).

  • Let students set own short- and long-term goals (A) and verify the appropriateness of those goals (G).

  • Allow students to set own action plan for how they will complete projects and assignments (A), with teacher as consultant (G).

  • Send learner reprints of important articles. (G)

  • Share new applications and solutions in the field. (G)

  • Have advanced students tutor beginners. (G)

  • Dissertation links student to scholarship of profession. (G)

  • Internship links student to working world of profession. (G)

Confidence Strategies
  • Pass along compliments you have heard. (G)

  • Offer collegial suggestions on improving learner's work. (G)

  • Expect students to monitor their own progress, work through difficulties themselves, and only call on you as a last resort. (A) But continue to monitor them to ensure progress and to dicsuss the process they go through as self-directed learners (G).

  • Let students work through difficulties they have on an assignment on their own. (A) At the end, have students report on the difficulties they encountered and how they worked through them (G).

  • Expect students to reward themselves for intermediate and long-term goal accomplishment. (A)

  • Provide little or no teacher guidance (A), but monitor to make certain students understand what is required, define the project adequately, and have the skills to complete it. (G)

  • Ask advice of the learner in an area of the learner's expertise. (G)

  • Ask learner to help you in some way that requires high-level performance. (G)

  • Discuss with learner the major unsolved problems of the field. (G)

Satisfaction Strategies
  • Be comfortable knowing that students desire to do well, will think about success, and will feel bad if they fail. (A)

  • Give infrequent feedback--mainly at the conclusion of assignments. (A) Continue, however, to monitor student progress; when needed, coach learners on the process of learning; require self-evaluation at intervals and at the end of the project (G).

  • Give complete, undivided attention when a learner approaches you to discuss progress. (G)

  • Share your own ideas-in-progress with learner. (G)

  • Suggest topics learner can write about for publication. (G)

  • Ask learner to coauthor an article. (G)

  • Collaborate on books and articles with junior colleagues and graduate students (WS)

  • Organize colloquia for to share research, conference papers, and drafts for publication (WS)

  • Share successful course materials with other faculty (WS)

  • Pool resources with other writing instructors (WS)

  • Volunteer to be a mentor (WS)

  • Request subscriptions to relevant journals (WS)

  • Awards and recognitions from school and professional groups. (G)

(This section is still under development.)


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