Learning Orientations

Learning orientations describe the individual’s emotional investment in learning, strategic planning and self-directedness, and independence. Learning orientations consider the learner's proclivity to take control, set short- and long-term goals, commit effort, self-assess, self-manage resources, and take risks to learn.

The Four Learning Orientations

Learners situationally fall along the continuum of learning orientations. Depending on the specific learning circumstances, a learner may cover a full range of one learning orientation or move downwards or upwards in response to negative or positive responses, conditions, resources, results, expectations, and experiences. Most learners will respond with some level of resistance in negative environments. Upward change into new learning orientations requires greater effort and learner control and stronger intentions, feelings, and beliefs about learning.

Transforming Learners

Transforming learners deliberately use personal strengths, deep desires, strong emotions, persistent and assertive effort, and sophisticated, abstract or holistic thinking ability and strategies to self-manage learning successfully. They:
* think learning has great value and usefulness to the individual
* enjoy acquiring new expertise and risk making mistakes to attain greater expertise
* take responsibility and control of their learning and become actively involved in managing the learning process
* use stimulating beliefs and emotions, such as intentions, motivation, passion, personal principles, and desires for high, challenging standards, to direct continual high-effort achievement of challenging personal goals.
* are creative, low maintenance learners that learn best in learning environments that encourage and support: risk-taking experiences; mentoring relationships; self-directed learning; complex, problem-solving situations; exploratory, high learner-controlled opportunities; and transformative goals and processes for long-term personal accomplishments and change.
* avoid situations that provide highly structured, non-discovery, low learner-controlled environments, explicit guidance, and low-standard achievement.

To be more successful, transforming learners need to focus on task-completion and taking care of the details. Sometimes these learners are so intent on exploring the unknown, they forget their original goals and tasks and lose focus. Self-discipline helps them complete one goal or a set of goals before they move on to the next goal.

Performing Learners

Performing learners are low-risk, skilled learners that consciously, systematically, and capably use psychological processes, strategies, preferences, and self-regulated learning skills to achieve learning objectives and tasks. In contrast to transforming learners, performing learners are more selective about how hard they work toward learning goals, especially those set by others. They:

* need an important reason or seek benefits, that they value, to push themselves toward more intentional performance (e.g., greater effort and higher standards)
* take fewer risks with mistakes and challenging or difficult goals
* prefer procedures, processes, and principles to theories and abstract concepts
* focus on grades and normative achievement standards
* rely on coaching relationships (e.g., guided discovery), available external resources, and social influences to accomplish a task
* are more detail-, task, and short-term vs. long-term oriented
* prefer team or group relationships and social interaction
* acknowledge that they may limit or constrain learning effort (e.g., they do not have enough time) by focusing on stated objectives, getting the grade, or avoiding exploratory steps or discovery beyond learning requirements
* with higher LOQ scores tend to be more process oriented in contrast to procedural oriented.

To improve, performing learners should acquire more abstract and holistic thinking, strategic planning, and long-term goal-setting skills. They should learn to understand or perceive greater value in areas that they may not otherwise notice or deem important.

Conforming Learners

Conforming learners are deeply influenced by an awareness of the social aspects and external resources that surround them and motivate them. They are less complex learners and typically may prefer not to use initiative, think critically, make mistakes, reflect on progress, synthesize feedback, or give knowledge new meaning to change themselves or the environment. They:

* may prefer safety and security in contrast to change, risk, and exploration
* are often uncomfortable using initiative, (particularly in areas of little experience), thinking critically, making mistakes, and reflecting on their progress
* may have difficulty with complex problem solving, non-verbal communication, and abstract thinking
* may prefer depending on external resources, rely on others for guidance, and have little desire to control or manage their learning
* may prefer to have simple standards set by others and explicit guidance to achieve goals.
* may need simple, explicit feedback and learn best with linear, step-by-step instruction

To be more successful, conforming learners need to become more independent and willing to take risks. In supportive, uncomplicated learning environments, conforming learners will enjoy working hard to achieve simple, clearly explained goals.

Resistant Learners

In contrast to the other three learning orientations, lack a fundamental belief that (1) achieving learning objectives set by others is of value or worth the effort, (2) they can learn and enjoy achieving goals set by others, or (3) academic learning and achievement can help them achieve personal goals or initiate desired changes. A resistant learner's personal goals strongly conflict with learning goals set by others.

Too often resistant learners have suffered repeated, long-term frustration from painful mistakes, academic failure, and disappointing situations. They do not believe in formal education or academic institutions as positive, necessary, or enjoyable influences in their life. Resistant learners are a complex mixture of skilled or unskilled, motivated or frustrated, or passionate or apathetic learners. In most cases they are apathetic or aggressively disobedient learners or passionately assertive non-learners.

More information about learning orientations appears at: http://www.trainingplace.com/source/research/index.html