L2: Assignment

TEL 431: Learning in Workplaces

L2 Activity: Improving your Ability to be Autonomous
Name: Brooke Bell
Date: 3/28/2016
NOTE: Please bold all your responses so 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 you can make good use of opportunities to be self directed. It will also help you
to realize your weaknesses, and to set goals to 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/
Figure 1. The dynamic model of learner autonomy (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 abilities to be
autonomous.
For this lessons activity, the Tassinari model will be used, with adjustments made to eliminate
the need for a facilitator.
Building on 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. This activity will build on the discussion
board conversations.
YOUR CAPABILITIES
In the following prompts, you are asked to reflect about your capability to perform the functions
of autonomy, as defined by Tassinari (2012).
Recall the factors of the Tassinari model listed below:
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 re-motivate yourself when the initial
motivation wears thin.
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.
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.
Planning. It is important to recognize ones 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.
Choosing Materials and Methods. The ability to choose and work with suitable learning
materials, methods, and strategies is acquired and developed bit by bit.
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.

Monitoring. The ability to reflect on topics, tasks, the learning process, and to observe oneself
helps learners to identify their strengths and weaknesses and to structure or re-structure
learning activities accordingly.
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.
Cooperating. The ability to cooperate extends learning from an isolated and independent activity
to learning in association with others. Cooperation can support learners to complete tasks,
realize a project, negotiate resources, evaluate the outcome, etc.
Reflection can occur using a variety of different techniques. To comprehensively reflect on your
learning for this activity, you will use this thinking routine:

What?
What do you do, when you are not so mindful (or maybe when you are stressed)?
Describe how you are now. What thoughts and behaviors challenge you? What environmental
factors, personal patterns, beliefs, etc. exacerbate your challenges?

So What?
How do you want to be?
Describe how you would like to be. What thoughts and behaviors would you like to change?
What environmental conditions (that you have influence over) would you like to change?

Now What?
What would you like to learn?
Describe whats in store for the future now that youve learned more about yourself. What you
are going to do to continue your professional development in light of this learning. What future
learning opportunities will help you grow in this area? What new experiences or situations will
help you grow in this area? How will you engage in them differently now? What mistakes do you
want to prepare to avoid?
Of the factors from the Tassinari model, pick 3 areas that, if strengthened, would create the
most impact in your ability to be an autonomous learner.
Reflect ONLY on those three. To attain maximum points, provide relevant details and examples
from your life in your reflection.
Factor #1: Planning
I choose this factor because:
Reflect about this factor using the thinking routine outlined above (400-500 words) (15 pts.)
Planning is one factor that is in Tassinaris model of learner autonomy that I do
need to work on, and if it was strengthened, I would be able to achieve so many more
goals and be more successful in school and at work. I try my best to plan ahead, for
example I have a planner and I write out all of my assignments that I have for each class
at the beginning of each semester, as well as write in my work schedule so that I can see
exactly what I have going on each week. Although I attempt to plan ahead, I tend to
procrastinate on assignments and other tasks that I need to get done. I dont
procrastinate necessarily because I want to, but because I am so busy throughout the
day that I never seem to find time to get these things done. I work 40 hours a week, and
can get stuck at work late, which can get me off schedule and fall behind on other
important things that I need to get done. To help myself grow in this area of planning, I
am going to plan ahead in even more detail, and try to take my schedule day by day.
Since I already have my assignments and my work schedule written out in my planner, I
would benefit from looking at my schedule every morning and night, and seeing what it
is I specifically need to get done for that day, so that I can better manage my time. This
will also give me the chance to see what I wasnt able to get done the previous day, and

try to plan other time to make sure I get it done. It is essential for me to make realistic
goals that I can plan around, and make sure that my learning plan is flexible in case
something does come up that I will have to work around. Last semester I failed miserable
and made the mistake of not planning ahead, and it had a negative impact on academics.
I took on a work load that was too much for me, working full time and attempting to take
18 credits, and since I didnt have it planned out, I didnt realize until it was too late that I
had taken on too much responsibility for my own good. This was a good learning
experience for me though, but it taught me that although I want to, I couldnt do it all. In
the future, I have learned that in order to strengthen my learner autonomy, I need to
create a realistic schedule and plan ahead of time so that I can ensure I have enough
time to be successful.
Factor #2: Completing Tasks
I choose this factor because:
Reflect about this factor using the thinking routine outlined above (400-500 words) (15 pts.)
Completing tasks sort of goes along with planning ahead, and is one of the side
effects from not planning, at least for me. By strengthening my ability to complete tasks,
my ability to be an autonomous learner would be impacted greatly, and being able to get
certain tasks is something that I struggle with. I want to be a student that is able to get all
of their assignments done in a timely manner because it will help me throughout my
professional development. In order to strengthen my abilities to complete task, I not only
need to plan ahead and set goals, but I need to look at the details to make sure I have the
right tools and I am going about the task in the most efficient way possible. When Im
given a task, on many occasions, I find myself unable to complete it because I over think
what I need to do, and I tend to make things more complicated than they need to be. In
the future, I will be able to strengthen my skill of completing tasks in school and at work.
Before I do an assignment or write a paper, I will look at the directions more carefully,
and make sure I understand what it is I need to do before I start. When given a task that
is more broad, for example writing a paper, I will make sure I look at all the requirements
and the main points before I start researching and writing it, that way I dont waste time.
At work I can get distracted very easily while Im in the middle of doing a task, which can
result in the task not getting done. At my job, residents and potential new residents can
distract me from the other work I need to get done because they have an issue to report,
or because they want to take a tour of the property and possibly want to sign a lease.
This will distract me from the bigger task I was working on, and although Im still doing
my job, the original task could take up to twice as long to get done. In the future in order
to strengthen this, I will take the larger task and divide it up into different, smaller tasks.
By planning on exactly how Im going to get it done and by planning to potential
interruptions, I will be more likely to complete my work.
Factor #3: Motivating myself
I choose this factor because:
Reflect about this factor using the thinking routine outlined above (400-500 words) (15 pts.)
Motivation is key to being an autonomous learner, as well as being successful
throughout life. For myself, I chose motivation out of the other factors because I think it
is something I could work on, and lately I have felt unmotivated, which is not like me.
Learning opportunities to help me grow is to reflect on the bigger picture and why it is
necessary for me to put in hard work now, so that it will pay off in the future. For
example, I could motivate myself to learn new things by reminding myself at how lucky I
am for all of the opportunities I have been blessed with in my life, and that I should
appreciate being able to go to college to expand my learning. Reflecting on that
motivates me to do my best and will strength myself to be an autonomous learner.
Strengthening the factor of motivation in the autonomous learning model will also help

strengthen other factors of the model, and motivation is the first step to being an
autonomous learner. But although it is the first step, motivation doesnt stop there.
Motivation has to continuously work in all of the factors in order to be a successful
autonomous learner. In the past, I think I used to be more motivated because I had more
free time on my hands, and I had the time to plan ahead and motivate myself and get
excited about learning new things on my own. Recently, I have been so busy between
work, school, and my internship that I lose motivation because I start to forget about the
bigger pictures and why Im working so hard. I can strengthen my motivation for future
learning experiences by sitting down and writing out all of my goals and dreams I have in
life, and to remember that there is always room for improvement. I can also strengthen
my motivation by surrounding myself with positive people who have the same
aspirations as I do, so that we can work together and motivate each other in our own
times of doubt. I will need to avoid negative thoughts and doubts in myself to keep my
motivation strong, and I have made that mistake before, which has decreased my
motivation to work hard. When I look at an assignment, task, or a new concept that
seems foreign and difficult for me to understand, I need to believe in myself and
remember that I can work through it and overcome those obstacles. Sometimes I look at
something that I dont understand, and I give up immediately and not even try to do it. In
future learning experiences, I will improve myself but pushing through it, so that I can be
an autonomous learner and develop my professional learning skills.
PLAN FOR IMPROVEMENT
Write a detailed plan for improvement of the three areas by completing the tables below.
Deficit Area #1 (5 pts):
PLANNING
Activity Explanation

Create a detailed
schedule for each
day; prioritize what
goals are most
important, and what
needs to be done.
Understand what
learning outcomes
are most important,
and plan ahead of
time to meet those

Information
sources that
would be helpful
to your
understanding of
the need, or to
your ability to
address the
need.
(Provide
References)

People/mentors who
might help or support
you in this activity.
(Explain their related
expertise or
experience.)

Supplies, materials, or
experiences that are
needed for this activity
to be successful.

My friends and my
family can help me
with planning,
especially my mom
and my sister. My
older sister is very
good at planning
ahead and making
schedules, so she
could help me get
started on this and

A wall calendar to put

in my room and or a
reminder board to
remind me of
important events,
assignments, or
goals I want to
achieve so I can stay
on task. Setting
reminders on my
phone and/or alarms

goals. Once I
complete an
assignment or meet
a learning goal, I
can cross that off
on my list and my
planner and then
move onto the next
thing I have
planned.

give me advice on how

to stay organized
through planning out
my learning outcomes.

to remind myself
what I have
scheduled for the day
and so I dont forget
about anything and
so that I can keep on
time. A planner would
be useful to write out
more detailed notes
about the learning
outcomes I want to
achieve, homework
assignments that are
due, and things I
need to remember or
get completed at
work.

Deficit Area #2 (5 pts):

COMPLETING TASKS

Activity Explanation

Information sources
that would be helpful
to your
understanding of the
need, or to your
ability to address the
need.
(Provide References)

People/mentors who
might help or support
you in this activity.
(Explain their related
expertise or
experience.)

Supplies,
materials, or
experiences that
are needed for
this activity to be
successful.

Make a checklist of all of

the tasks I need to get
done, in order of what is
most important to what
is least important, and
make restrict myself to
not start one task until I
have finished the
previous task.

Deficit Area #3 (5 pts):

MOTIVATION
Activity Explanation

Information sources
that would be
helpful to your
understanding of the
need, or to your

People/mentors who
might help or support
you in this activity.
(Explain their related
expertise or

Supplies,
materials, or
experiences that
are needed for this
activity to be

ability to address
the need.
(Provide
References)
Come up with 5 I can
statements that relate
to the goals I am
currently trying to
accomplish, and 5 I
can statements for the
long-term goals/dreams
I have for my future.

experience.)

successful.

Note cards and

pen and paper.
Tape a note card
with the
motivational
quotes on my
bathroom mirror.

VISION FOR SELF-DIRECTEDNESS (20 pts)

Review the resources provided for this lesson. Then write a vision for how you will address your
professional learning from a self-directed standpoint. Follow APA guidelines for in-text citations
and references. Include in-text citations to at least 3 of the information sources from this lesson
and one (or more) outside resource. Save your sources, as you will be asked to create a
Reference list for these sources below.
(400-500 word count):
Self-directed learning is a very important aspect of my vision for my professional
learning, and self-directed learning has been beneficial for me throughout my
professional development. Now that I am an adult, I agree with Knowless view of
andragogy, and that adults become more self-directed in their learning as they mature.
(Merriam, 2001, p.8) Now that I have developed interests and have motivation and interest
in my field of study, education, I am self-directed with my learning and my professional
learning doesnt happen because someone is making me learn, but I am learning about
these things because I have interest in learning for myself.
I experience professional learning through my job as a leasing consultant, and
through my internship as a mentor for youth who face adversity. At my job, my coworkers and I learn from each other, and share ideas we have about what we could be
doing at work to make our job better and to better serve our residents that live in the
community we work at. Personally, I learn best through experience. If something
happens, whether it is at my job or my internship, I like to share it with my co-workers so
that they can learn from my experience. Adult learners like to share past experiences and
relate them to new concepts and ideas, and it helps give them a better understanding of
what is being taught to them. (Queensland Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Collaborate,
2007, p.2) My professional learning is self-directed in that I am inspired to continue
learning and I have the motivation for myself to continue learning about new concepts,
topics, and idea so that I can be more knowledgeable in my professional career. I like to
take advantage of every opportunity I have to further myself in my professional career
and my professional development. In my professional workplace, I like to ask questions
about different things at work, not because I have to know the information, but because I
want to be better in the workplace. I would consider myself to be a self-directed learner
because I like working on understanding things around on my own. Self-directed
learners take responsibility for his or her own learning, and more often chooses or

influences the learning objectives and makes priorities on their own. (Guglielmino, 2008,
p. 2)
As my years in my undergraduate studies come to an end, developing and
mastering my professional skills will not only help me be successful in my career, but it
is absolutely necessary. Being an adult learner, I prefer to set goals for myself, and I am
able to obtain those goals by creating a plan on how Im going to get there. Our world
and society is rapidly changing because of all of the new technology that is being used
for social and professional reasons. According to Knowles in 1975, self-directed learning
is necessary for our survival of the human race in our rapidly changing environment.
(Guglielmino, 2008, p.4)
References (10 pts)
Professional presentation (professional language, grammar, spelling, word count) (10
pts).
Please proofread your work to be sure it meets university level writing standards. Note that if
your written work does not meet this standard, you will be asked to revise and resubmit within 3
days, and these points will be lost. The Writing Center can provide support. See
https://tutoring.asu.edu/writing-centers for details.

Guglielmino, L. M. (2008). Why self-directed learning? International Journal of

Self-Directed Learning 5(1), 1-14.
Merriam, S. B. (2001). Andragogy and Self-Directed Learning: Pillars of Adult
Learning Theory. New Directions For Adult & Continuing
Education, 2001(89), 3.
Queensland Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Collaborative. (2007). Adult learning
theories and principles: Become familiar with adult learning theory and the
six principles of adult learning.