TEL 431: Learning in Workplaces

L2 Activity: Improving your Ability to be Autonomous

Name: Hannah Jennewein
Date: 3/28/2015
NOTE: Please italicize all your responses so that nothing is missed when your work
is assessed.
This activity will help you realize where your innate abilities lie with respect to being
autonomous, so that you can make good use of opportunities to be self directed. It will
also help you realize your weaknesses, and to set goals that will help you be mindful
about improving your ability to be self-directed.
The process is based on research by Tassarini (2012) related to the distinct but
interrelated dimensions the author believes are supportive to autonomous learning.
Before you begin, please read the following article about assessing language learners
autonomy.
Tassinari, M. G. (2012). Evaluating learner autonomy: A dynamic model with descriptors.
Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 3(1), 24-40. Available at
http://sisaljournal.org/archives/march12/tassinari/

Figure1.Thedynamicmodeloflearnerautonomy(Tassinari,2012)

The model accounts for the wide spectrum of competencies, skills, and actions that
support ones ability to be autonomous.

Following this model, the desire to manage my own learning is superordinate to all
other components, and thus is required in order to address any other component. In
essence, learners can decide to address any component at any point in time, and move
freely from one component to another without following a given path, thus improving
their capabilities to be autonomous.
For this lessons activity, the Tassinari model will be adopted to our context, and adjusted
to eliminate the need for a facilitator.
Recap of Discussion Board
Intrinsic motivation was the small group discussion board topic for this lesson. This was
meant to help you situate yourself in adult learning needs. Summarize what you learned
here:
I learned a lot about intrinsic motivation in regards to myself and what I find that I need
in my life. In my work and school, I am motivated by success for the most part. Being
successful in my work and school continue to push me to do better and achieve the best
work possible for myself and those around me.
YOUR CAPABILITIES
Please reflect about your capability to perform the functions of autonomy, as defined by
Tassinari (2012).
According to the definition of autonomy and the abilities behind it, I believe I am capable
of performing the functions of autonomy. The article states an essential characteristic
of learner autonomy is the capacity of the learner to activate an interaction and a
balance between the necessary dimensions (Tassinari 2012). I believe that there are
some areas where I perform better than others, but what makes me truly successful is my
ability to balance all of those areas together to achieve the autonomy that is discussed in
the article.
Motivating Yourself. It is important to be able to motivate yourself at the beginning of the
learning process. As well, it is important to be able to remotivate yourself when the initial
motivation wears thin.
Reflect about your strengths and weaknesses related to this function of being an
autonomous learner:
When it comes to motivation in the beginning of a learning process, I am very successful
at motivating myself to start the necessary work. At this point in the process, I am very
excited about starting something new and learning something new that it is easy to find
motivation in all aspects of the learning. However, I struggle with the remotivation phase
in the learning process. If something brings me down or stops the learning from
occurring, then it is necessary to remotivate yourself to begin again, but that is where I
struggle in the learning process.

Dealing with Your Feelings. It is important to recognize feelings that come up when
learning, and to process your feelings in order to organize learning effectively.
Reflect about your strengths and weaknesses related to this function of being an
autonomous learner:
This is an area that I struggle with in all aspects of my life when it comes to emotions and
dealing with them appropriately. I have strength in recognizing the emotions that I am
feeling and being able to name them, but where my weakness lies is dealing with those
emotions in order for learning and life to continue. It is hard for me to deal with these
emotions appropriately and know what to do with them for life and the learning process
to continue moving forward.
Structuring Knowledge. The ability to structure knowledge, sometimes disparate
knowledge bases, is a component that plays a role in all autonomous learning phases and
activities.
Reflect about your strengths and weaknesses related to this function of being an
autonomous learner:
There are many strengths that I possess in regards to structuring knowledge. I have
always been a quick learner and being able to structure all of that new knowledge is
something that has always come easy to me in my past learning experiences. I do
struggle with adapting my time when organizing the new knowledge in my life and
structuring it in order the be a successful learner.
Planning. It is important to recognize ones own needs, to formulate these into realistic
learning objectives, and to structure these into steps that create a learning plan. In
addition, one has to be flexible enough to change the learning plan if the situation or
needs should change.
Reflect about your strengths and weaknesses related to this function of being an
autonomous learner:
I have always been successful in planning and creating a timeline for tasks to be
accomplished. Many areas of my life have always required strategic planning, such as
my job, personal life, and schooling. All of these have required forming a plan with dates
for things to be accomplished and achieved by a certain date. I am very effective at
creating these plans and dates for items to be accomplished, but I do have some struggles
with sticking to the dates and accomplishing the necessary items by that point.
Choosing Materials and Methods. The ability to choose and work with suitable learning
materials, methods, and strategies is acquired and developed bit by bit.

Reflect about your strengths and weaknesses related to this function of being an
autonomous learner:
Throughout my schooling career, I have always known what materials and methods work
best for me to be the best learner possible. I found out early in my schooling what
worked and didnt work for me in regards to learning and achieving the best grades
possible. The problem that I experienced over the years was knowing what I needed to
do in order to learn better, but actually completing these methods and gathering these
materials has been an area of weakness for me in the past and present.
Completing Tasks. The ability to complete tasks is reliant upon access to any necessary
tools and resources, organizing time to learn, completing individual or multiple tasks, and
employing appropriate methods and strategies.
Reflect about your strengths and weaknesses related to this function of being an
autonomous learner:
Completing tasks is a strength of mine, but where I struggle is with completing them by a
certain date and time. I can complete tasks with my best work, but if I have a time or
deadline to complete it by, then I find I wait until the last moment to accomplish that task.
However, I have found that I do create some of my best work before the deadline, but that
also causes unnecessary stress in my life that makes future work harder to complete.
Monitoring. The ability to reflect on topics, tasks, the learning process, and observing
oneself helps learners to identify their strengths and weaknesses and to structure or restructure learning activities accordingly.
Reflect about your strengths and weaknesses related to this function of being an
autonomous learner:
Monitoring and reflection has always been apart of my life as an education student.
Reflection is a large part of learning in the education world in order to learn more and
learn what works best for you. I have always been successful at completing the reflection
or monitoring process, but I have found that it warrants the same results, which do not
help in advancing my learning and success if the results are the same.
Evaluating. The ability to review what you have learned, how well you have learned, and
what progress has been made toward competencies is the hardest part of autonomous
learning. It requires practice and normally occurs through an exchange with other
learners or superiors.
Reflect about your strengths and weaknesses related to this function of being an
autonomous learner:
I believe that I have a strength in evaluating my work and what I have learned, but I do
not take the necessary time to do so, which is an extremely important part of the learning

process. I have many past experiences with evaluation my own work and the work of
others, which has given me the sufficient practice and skills that are needed in order the
evaluate work.
Cooperating. The ability to cooperate extends learning from an isolated independent
activity to learning in association with others. Cooperation can support learners to
complete tasks, realize a project, negotiate resources, evaluate the outcome, etc.
Reflect about your strengths and weaknesses related to this function of being an
autonomous learner:
All throughout my life, there have been many experiences where it was necessary to
cooperate with others to learn. Group work is a large part of college education, so it is
necessary to have the skills and experience with cooperating with others to learn more
and grow together. I am very experienced in working with a team and cooperating
together to achieve a task or outcome, but I have found throughout those experience that
my weakness occurs in taking over the group because there is a lack of effort and
commitment in others, which requires someone to step up and complete the work and that
person is often myself.
PLAN FOR IMPROVEMENT
Reflect about your overall strengths and weaknesses related to the function of learner
autonomy (75-100 words):
There are many areas that I excel in with the regards of being an autonomous learner, but
also areas that I struggle in a require more work in. Overall, I have strengths in
cooperating with a team, completing tasks, planning, and choosing materials and
methods. My weaknesses lie in dealing with emotions, monitoring and evaluating, and
motivating myself.
Pick 3 areas that, if strengthened, would create the most impact in your ability to be an
autonomous learner:
Dealing with emotions (#1), monitoring and evaluating (#2), and motivating myself (#3)
would all be areas if strengthened would then impact my abilities the most to become a
better autonomous learner.
Explain how you made this decision:
What short-term and long-term activities would help you address the deficit in these
areas?

Deficit Area #1:

Activities
Learning
different
emotions
Learning
emotion dealing
techniques

Deficit Area #2:

Activities

Research that would

be helpful

People who
might help or
support me
Family,
colleagues, and
friends

Research different
emotions and
understand the
differences between
them
Online research about Family,
techniques and
colleagues, and
talking with
friends
professionals about
different methods

Online databases and

print materials

Research that would

be helpful

Supplies/materials that
would be helpful

People who
might help or
support me
Family,
colleagues, and
friends

Completing a
reflection after
trying
something new

Looking at different
ways to complete
reflection

Having others
evaluate/monito
r me

Looking at ways to
accomplish
evaluation (through
technology or print
based)

Family, friends,
and colleagues

Research that would

be helpful.

People who
might help or
support me.
Friends, family,
and colleagues
who can offer
their own advice
and techniques
Friends, family,
and colleagues to
support my
endeavors

Deficit Area #3:

Activities

Supplies/materials that
would be helpful

Finding new
motivation
techniques

Looking online and

researching new
ways to motivate
myself

Practicing those
new techniques
in my own life

Online research and

evaluating the
benefits of each new
technique

Online databases and

print materials

Research from online

and in print
Supplies to complete
reflection (computer or
journal)
A computer to complete
evaluations or print
material where
evaluation can be
completed by hand
Supplies/materials that
would be helpful
Online research along
with print materials that
would provide new
techniques.
Online research and
print materials to learn
about new techniques
and how to assess their
validity

VISION FOR SELF-DIRECTEDNESS

Review the resources provided for this lesson. Then write a vision for how you will
address your professional learning from a self-directed standpoint. Following APA
guidelines, use in-text citations to refer to at least 3 of the information sources from this
lesson and one or more outside resources that are helpful. Create a reference list
following APA guidelines.
(300-500 word count, not including references).
I believe it is challenging for any person to learn in a self-directed manner. It takes
practice and hard work to actually complete the learning and then evaluate if that learning
that occurred was beneficial or actually working. I know that personally this an area that
I struggle very much with. I have always been someone who needs to be taught by a
teacher or have someone who is guiding me through the process. Completing my own
learning takes a great deal of devotion and hard work from my end. I think the first steps
in addressing my own professional learning from a self-directed standpoint is to really
strive to work on my areas of weaknesses that are holding me back from learning. The
above activity was completed in the hopes of improving our weaknesses and I believe
that is a good area to start. Working on my weaknesses will improve other areas as well,
including my strengths. Actually devoting the time to work on all of these areas, whether
they are weaknesses or strengths, will further advance my confidence in learning on my
own and ability to complete the learning process.