The Reluctant Learner

Shoumita Dasgupta, PhDAssociate Professor of Medicine

Angela Jackson, MDAssociate Professor of Medicine

Karen Symes, PhDAssociate Professor of Biochemistry

Goals of the session:

• Define Reluctant Learner

• “Diagnose” the reluctant learner

• Discuss effective approaches to engage the reluctant learner

The Reluctant Learner

• Definition:– A learner who appears not to be

eager, willing and ready to learn what you want to teach

Reluctance is not a permanent personality “trait”, but a modifiable “state”

Approach the reluctant learner as you would an experiment

• STEP 1- Generate a hypothesis

• STEP 2 –Use intervention to test the hypothesis

• STEP 3- If intervention is not working, modify the hypothesis

1- Generate a hypothesis

You are in the middle of facilitating a small group discussion when one student takes out her cell phone to send a text message. Later on, she appears to be staring out the window.

The Learning Process

TEACHER LEARNER

CONTENT

TeacherLearners

Content

The Learning Process

TEACHER LEARNER

CONTENT

1- Generate a hypothesis:

• Diagnose the Learner:

“ASK”

Does the learner:

• Have a problem with Attitude?- judgmental- “bleeding heart” who can’t set limits

• Lack Skill?- unable to put knowledge to practical use- uncomfortable asking the questions

• Lack Knowledge?- clinical relevance of material- missing some “background information”

Example: Teacher Learner Content

Appears Bored

Too longwinded?

Monotone?

Exhausted from all-nighter

Just reviewed this in another class?

Distracted by life?

Scientific relevance not clear?

Background knowledge missing?

Generate a hypothesis for Educators:

STEP 2 – Use intervention to test the hypothesis

• It usually takes more than one try

• Keep the focus on the behavior

• Keep your goal realistic

What the student is doing that works

against their learning

Educational intervention strategy

The Bored/Disinterested Learner:You are in the middle of facilitating a small group discussion when one student takes out her cell phone to send a text message. Later on, she appears to be staring out the window.

STEP 3 – If intervention is not working,modify the hypothesis

•Seek help from other colleagues

Take Home Points:

• “Reluctance is in the eye of the beholder”

• The same systematic approach and the same skills that work with challenging experiments, work with challenging (reluctant) learners

• Examples of reluctant learners…

– Disinterested/Bored

– The Shy Learner

– The Know It All

– The Minimizer

– The Lazy Learner

– Passive-Aggressive

– The Head Bobber