Learner characteristics and styles Flashcards
Characteristics of learners:
Motivation or need to know. Readiness to learn. Performance orientation/Mastery orientation. Level of experience. Self-directed learning strategies. Lifelong learner orientation.
Motivation or need to know:
Perceived value of knowledge to learners. Adult learners prefer skills programmes that focus on life issues.
Readiness to learn:
Amount of prerequisite knowledge the learners possess. Opinion of their ability to learn the material.
Performance orientation:
Concerned about doing well. Not open to learning environments in which mistakes and errors are encouraged. Often inflexible and tries to avoid criticism.
Mastery orientation:
Concerned with increasing competence. View errors and mistakes as part of the learning process. Are flexible, adaptable and motivated to learn.
Level of experience:
Inexperienced learners benefit more from longer and structured learning programmes. Experienced learners thrive in shorter, less structured skills programmes. Support and enhance natural energies and talents for learning.
Self-directed learning strategies:
Set own pace, establish own structure. Based on experience regarded as a valuable learning resource.
Lifelong learner orientation:
Have critical insight, independent thought and ability to analyse reflectively. Make judgments about different theories. Manage own learning acting out of free will.
Has ability to:
Develop curiosities.
Formulate questions answered through inquiry.
Identify information to answer questions.
Locate relevant reliable sources.
Select most efficient methods of collecting information.
Organise, analyse and evaluate information.
Generalize, apply and communicate answers.
Theories of learning:
Behaviorist approach.
Cognitive approach.
Social learning.
Humanist perspective.
Behaviorist approach:
Highlighting specific elements that need to be considered. Demonstrates how behavior can be shaped. Learning occurs when desired behavior is praised. Form association between stimulus and a response. Advantage encourages facilitators to make learning outcomes explicit.
Cognitive approach:
Focus on how individuals process and interpret information.
Social learning:
Observing other people. Focuses on social environment relationships that provide correct context for learning. Can often be unintentional.
Humanist perspective:
Claims we have a natural aptitude for learning. Approached from a learner-centered perspective.
