BEING IN CONTROL OF
YOUR OWN LEARNING
Are you an independent learner?
Is your Learning effective?
What does independent
learning mean?
It probably means different things to different people.
Ultimately it is about being in control of your own learning being self-motivated, self-organised, seeking support,
finding out, trying to improve, not waiting for others to do
things for you.
Independence is a learned skill - it is something you can
improve with practise.
What you need to do
• You will be presented with 10 questions about
independent learning.
• For each question your response will produce
a score of between 1- 4.
• Add up your 10 scores throughout the
presentation.
I am very self motivated - I
don't need parents or teachers
to motivate me to work
• Strongly agree - score 4
• Agree - score 3
• Disagree - score 2
• Strongly disagree - score 1
I feel comfortable seeking
support when I need it - I can
ask a teacher for help
• Strongly agree - score 4
• Agree - score 3
• Disagree - score 2
• Strongly disagree - score 1
I chose my courses - I feel
totally in control of my choice
• Strongly agree - score 4
• Agree - score 3
• Disagree - score 2
• Strongly disagree - score 1
I put a lot of effort into listening
in lessons - to the teacher and
to colleagues
• Strongly agree - score 4
• Agree - score 3
• Disagree - score 2
• Strongly disagree - score 1
My attendance is excellent - it
is rare for me to miss a lesson
• Strongly agree - score 4
• Agree - score 3
• Disagree - score 2
• Strongly disagree - score 1
I get to my classes on time - it
is rare for me to be late
• Strongly agree - score 4
• Agree - score 3
• Disagree - score 2
• Strongly disagree - score 1
I study hard outside lessons usually for around 3 hours a
day
• Strongly agree - score 4
• Agree - score 3
• Disagree - score 2
• Strongly disagree - score 1
I always catch up on work
if I miss a lesson
• Strongly agree - score 4
• Agree - score 3
• Disagree - score 2
• Strongly disagree - score 1
I am highly organised – notes are
filed, I meet deadlines, and bring
equipment & notes to class
• Strongly agree - score 4
• Agree - score 3
• Disagree - score 2
• Strongly disagree - score 1
I feel comfortable asking
questions - I can admit I don't
understand
• Strongly agree - score 4
• Agree - score 3
• Disagree - score 2
• Strongly disagree - score 1
I am more concerned about making
progress than constantly seeking
praise and scoring easy marks
• Strongly agree - score 4
• Agree - score 3
• Disagree - score 2
• Strongly disagree - score 1
Your score
• 40 - 32 = highly independent
• 31 - 24 = Getting there. Well done.
• 23 - 16 = Some positives but improvement
vital
• 15 - 10 = Major cause for concern
What does independent
learning mean?
• It probably means different things to different
people.
• Ultimately it is about being in control of your own
learning - being self-motivated, self-organised,
seeking support, finding out, trying to improve,
not waiting for others to do things for you.
• Independence is a learned skill - it is something
you can improve with practise.
Is your learning effective?
• Look at the diagram.
• How do you spend most of
your time in lessons? lecture/listening, reading?
• From the diagram, what are
more effective ways of
learning so that you retain
the information?
Teaching others
Forces you to:
• provide the big picture or overview of the idea before you
present the detail
• recall the detail
• structure what you are saying
• answer questions that probe how well you know the information
Using more effective
strategies
• How can you make use of teaching others?
• In your lessons? - suggest it to your teacher?
• Out of the classroom? At home, study periods.
Individual
Reflection…
1)
I can do the following activities to
improve my learning
I can become a more effective learner
if I do the following things
In the next week I will practice being
an independent learner in the
following tasks / lesson
2)
3)