Christine A. Johnston
Intentional Learning for College Success, Second Edition
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Brief Contents
Chapter 1 Learning in the 21st Century . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter 2 Knowing Yourself as a Learner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Chapter 3 Taking Charge of Your Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Chapter 4 Developing an Adept Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Chapter 5 Learning to Live Your Potential . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Contents
About the Author xiii
Acknowledgments xv
Preface xvii
Chapter 1 Learning in the 21st Century 1
1.1 The World of the Nontraditional College Student 2
1.2 What Is Learning, and Why Is It Important? 3
A Brief History of Learning 4
Learning Today 4
The Importance of Learning 5
1.3 Learning in the Digital Age 6
Incubation of Thought 7
Attention and Multitasking 8
Participatory Learning 9
1.4 Learning Theory in the 21st Century 10
Science Versus Pseudoscience 10
® 12
The Let Me Learn Process
1.5 Case Study: The Benefits of Knowing Your
Learning Patterns 15
David’s Background 15
David’s Learning Patterns 15
Gaining Confidence in Yourself as a Learner 16
Conclusion 16
Chapter 2 Knowing Yourself as a Learner 21
2.1 Understanding Learning Patterns 22
Your Scale Scores 22
Your Mental Processes 24
Your Learning Patterns 25
Contents
2.2 Sequence 26
Use First Sequence 26
Use as Needed Sequence 27
Avoid Sequence 27
2.3 Precision 28
Use First Precision 28
Use as Needed Precision 29
Avoid Precision 29
2.4 Technical Reasoning 31
Use First Technical Reasoning 31
Use as Needed Technical Reasoning 32
Avoid Technical Reasoning 32
2.5 Confluence 33
Use First Confluence 33
Use as Needed Confluence 34
Avoid Confluence 35
2.6 Understanding the Different Pattern Combinations 36
Dynamic Learner 37
Strong-Willed Learner 38
Bridge Learner 39
2.7 Building Your Personal Learning Profile 41
2.8 Becoming an Intentional Learner 43
Metacognition 44
Self-Regulation 45
Conclusion 46
Chapter 3 Taking Charge of Your Learning 49
3.1 The Importance of Studying With Intention 50
Vincent 50
Cari 51
Duane 52
3.2 Using Metacognition to Achieve Success 53
Phase 1: Planning 54
Phase 2: Performing 56
Phase 3: Learning 58
Contents
3.3 Techniques for Success: Decoding 62
Identifying the Required Learning Pattern 62
The Decoding Process 64
Practicing on Your Own 65
3.4 Techniques for Success: FITing 66
Forge 68
Intensify 69
Tether 70
3.5 Techniques for Success: Strategy Cards 71
Completing a Strategy Card 72
Using Different Formats 74
Conclusion 76
Chapter 4 Developing an Adept Mind 79
4.1 The Adept Mind 80
4.2 Becoming a Critical Thinker 80
Assessing Yourself as a Critical Thinker 81
Developing Critical-Thinking Skills 81
4.3 Becoming a Critical Reader 83
Explore 84
Read 84
Revisit 84
4.4 Case Studies in Critical Reading 85
Sequence 85
Precision 87
Technical Reasoning 88
Confluence 89
4.5 Becoming a Critical Writer 90
Becoming Informed 91
Developing Your Perspective and Making Your Case 92
Attending to the Details 92
4.6 Case Studies in Critical Writing 93
Sequence 93
Precision 94
Technical Reasoning 95
Confluence 96
Contents
4.7 Acting With Integrity 97
Making Defining Decisions and Principled Choices 98
Writing Original Content 99
Conclusion 102
Chapter 5 Learning to Live Your Potential 105
5.1 Using Your Patterns in Everyday Life 106
Frank in the Workplace 106
Frank at Home 107
Your Turn 108
5.2 Addressing Pattern Conflict 109
Pattern Bias 110
Pattern Miscues and Misfits 111
How to Combat Pattern Bias and Conflict 112
5.3 Developing Soft Skills 113
Key Soft Skills 114
The Patterns of Others 117
5.4 Charting Your Future 119
Developing a Personal Vision 119
Refining Your Career Path 120
Conclusion 122
Glossary 125
References 129
About the Author
Dr. Christine A. Johnston, originator and lead researcher
®
of the Let Me Learn Process , has an abiding passion for
helping people understand themselves as learners and
improve their learning and their relationships with others.
As a professor in the Department of Educational Leader-
ship at Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey, she served
as director of the Center for the Advancement of Learning,
where she directed K–16 research on learning. Her pro-
fessional life has included managing the State of Illinois
Department of Local Government Affairs Internship and
Urban Planning Programs, developing workforce training
and management programs for adult learners, and serving
as a founding member of the first charter school district
in the United States to fully employ the Let Me Learn Pro-
®
cess as its mission.
Johnston’s work spans several decades and continents,
including working with universities across the United
States, the United Kingdom, central Europe, the Mediterranean rim, and Australia, as well as
with corporate leaders, learners returning to the workforce, and learners in formal educa-
tion settings. She has authored and coauthored eight books on learning, communication, and
®
the Let Me Learn Process , as well as numerous articles and chapters. In 2010 she published
Finding Your Way: Navigating Your Life by Understanding Your Learning Self, a guide for pro-
®
fessionals, and coauthored Intentional Teaching: The Let Me Learn Classroom in Action. In
2015 she coedited A Learning Paradigm Informed by Knowledge of the Learning Self: A Com-
®
pendium of Applied Research on the Let Me Learn Process , marking the 20th anniversary of
Let Me Learn’s inception. Dr. Johnston continues to work with educators, students, teachers,
parents, job trainers, and business professionals worldwide.
Johnston earned her BA from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, her MA from the Uni-
versity of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and her EdD from Rutgers University.
Acknowledgments
You are reading the second edition of Intentional Learning for College Success. There are other
how-to-succeed-in-college books on the market, but this one begins and ends with you as the
focus, the difference maker. I hope it will be your guide to success in the future wherever and
whenever you are called on to learn at home, at work, or within a formal academic setting.
The book is based on new research and fieldwork into intentional learning, metacognition,
and the development of personalized learning tools and strategies. It features an advanced
®
learning system (the Let Me Learn Process ) that can help each reader become a more per-
sistent, efficient, and effective learner. Each chapter provides case studies that underscore the
power and importance of being an intentional learner. Several individuals have contributed
significantly to the development of this book: Dr. Jeffrey Hall, whose Use First Confluence
envisioned a text that would help adult learners adjust to the college learning environment,
and Rebecca Paynter, whose Precise edits and Sequential revisions helped articulate the mes-
sage of the book more clearly.
This edition incorporates the stories of those who found increased success in their personal
and professional lives as a result of employing the LML Process introduced in the first edition.
I would like to thank Brian Frieda, Elke Fromm, and Brennan LeClair (each Use First Technical
Reasoning) for allowing me to draw on their experiences as springboards for the Perspectives
in Learning portion of this edition.
Others who contributed to this book in a less public but equally essential manner include Joel
T. Johnston (Use First Sequence and Precision), the executive director of Let Me Learn, with-
out whose bolstering there would be no book; and my husband, Dale, Strong-Willed learner,
whose bedrock support and patience appear to be without limit.
My hope is that you will be inspired and empowered by this book to continue becoming a true
intentional learner for life.
—Christine A. Johnston (S14, P21, TR20, C33)
A special thanks to Jeffrey Hall, Debby Hailwood, and Julie Nideffer of Ashford University for
their thorough and detailed feedback, as well as to the following reviewers for their feedback
and helpful guidance:
Christie Carr, Austin Community College Jeff Meyerholz, Ashford University
Cynthia Combs, Ashford University Amanda Nimetz, Midwestern
State University
Tanya Harris-Rocker, Lake Sumter
State College Suzanne Schneider, Manhattan College
Connie Lower, Ashford University Sherrie Timoll-Mueller, Ashford University
Preface
Intentional Learning for College Success, Second Edition, aims to help students understand
how they learn and how they can approach challenges with the right mindset. Through meta-
cognition, self-regulation, and personal learning tools, students can develop strategies and
skills that will help them succeed in the online educational environment, in the workplace,
and beyond.
Textbook Features
Intentional Learning for College Success, Second Edition, includes a number of features to help
students understand key concepts:
Learning objectives at the beginning of each chapter identify what the student should be
able to do after completing each chapter. They provide a guide for important elements of
each chapter and serve as a teaching tool for the instructor.
Figures and images throughout the book illustrate key concepts.
Tips & Tools feature boxes provide practical advice intended to help students succeed
in the online classroom.
Interactions and videos in the e-book help students understand, explore, and apply dif-
ficult concepts.
Worksheets and templates are available for download in the e-book and allow students
to complete some of the exercises described in the book and record their answers.
Self-check quizzes in the e-book enable students to assess their knowledge both before
and after reading each chapter.
End-of-chapter resources include chapter summaries that provide a snapshot of chap-
ter discussions, discussion questions that help students further explore and apply ideas,
a list of additional resources that students can review for further information, and a list of
the key terms bolded in the chapter.
Some material in this book has been published previously in Finding Your Way (2015) and
Strategic Learning (2012) by Christine A. Johnston. This includes the story of David Ramirez,
descriptions of the different types of learners, examples of decoding, instructions for com-
pleting a strategy card, examples of students and critical writing, and suggestions for using
your Patterns to develop your cover letter and résumé. This material has been adapted for
this edition and reprinted with permission from Let Me Learn, Inc.
Learning in the 21st Century 1
SergeyNivens/iStock/Thinkstock
“We need a better understanding of how we learn so we can break through
and handle the learning punches that come at us every day.”
—Stephen Lehmkuhle, chancellor, University of Minnesota Rochester
(personal communication, November 2, 2011)
Learning Outcomes
After reading this chapter, you should be able to
• List the factors that make it more likely for students to successfully complete their college degree.
• Define what it means to learn and describe the importance of intentional learning.
• Analyze the challenges of learning in the digital age.
• Describe the characteristics of a science-based theory of learning and, specifically, the Let Me Learn
Advanced Learning System.
• Explain why it is important to be aware of your personal Learning Patterns.
The World of the Nontraditional College Student Section 1.1
1.1 The World of the Nontraditional College Student
Years ago, when you thought about what it meant to go to college, you might have envisioned
brick-and-mortar classrooms, living in a dormitory, and studying late into the night in the col-
lege library. This is no longer an accurate description of what it means to be a typical college
student, however. Today millions of college students around the world learn online at times
convenient to their lifestyles and work schedules.
If this describes you, then you are a
nontraditional student and part of
the fastest growing phenomenon in
higher education. Individuals’ cir-
cumstances may differ, but the need
to complete a college degree remains
the same: to develop your career and
establish a sound economic future.
Nontraditional students face a variety
of challenges. Most are employed and
work part time, if not full time. Many
are single parents or individuals who
Halfpoint/iStock/Thinkstock
Working parents are just one group that can benefit have made the decision to juggle work,
from the flexibility of an online education. family, and school. Scheduling time to
study and prepare for class is one chal-
lenge; keeping up with the workload
is another. For some students, these issues can make it very difficult to complete a degree
(“Degrees of Difficulty,” 2010).
Which students ultimately earn a diploma? What makes some students more successful than
others? For most nontraditional students, life is a balancing act, and many have learned sur-
vival and time-management skills to do it well. But even more important than being good
managers of their time, successful adult students are those who persevere in life and persist
in learning.
It is very difficult to be persistent in the face of such challenges—especially for students who
already have a lot on their plates. Pursuing an online degree requires focus and commitment.
You will need to persist in completing assignments thoroughly and on time. You will need
to persevere when a subject is particularly demanding and when you need to express your
thoughts in writing. In other words, you will need grit, a term you will see often in the pages
and chapters that follow. It describes the degree to which you demonstrate ferocious deter-
mination, resilience, hard work, and a laser-like sense of direction (Duckworth, 2016). The
extent of your grit—how “gritty” you are—
strongly influences whether you persist to
I may not be the smartest person in the complete your college degree. Being persis-
room, but I’ll strive to be the grittiest. tent will help you become a better, stronger,
more capable learner.
—Angela Duckworth (2016, p. xv), researcher
and author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Another equally important determiner of
Perseverance nontraditional students’ success is their
mindset: their sense of self as learners, their
What Is Learning, and Why Is It Important? Section 1.2
belief in their ability to learn, and their willingness to invest in learning something that exceeds
their current skill. Like grit, mindset will be a recurring concept in this chapter and through-
out the text. For now, you need only know that having a mindset open to growth and change
positions a person to succeed in learning and in life. Such a mindset enables you to persist in
learning and developing tools that will help you succeed and earn your college degree.
The following questions will help you reflect on the major factors that influence your success
(Johnston, 2015, p. 17, reprinted with permission). Use them to explore factors that influ-
ence your degree of grit and contribute to your mindset. Your motivation, purpose, values,
discipline, focus, and readiness for online education will affect whether you can persist to
complete your degree program.
• What motivates me most to pursue a college degree?
• What is my main purpose in seeking a college degree?
• What values am I demonstrating by seeking my college degree?
• How willing am I to schedule my life to include time to study and prepare for class?
• What will I say to myself that will help me persist and move forward even when dis-
tracted by my responsibilities at work or home?
• How have I prepared myself to begin or continue my online degree? How have I pre-
pared my family and others to support my journey toward this goal? Do I understand
how online education works? Have I prepared my finances?
Nontraditional students do not succeed by chance. They succeed because they are intentional.
They focus on making things work in their lives, including learning. They learn not just to pass
a test—they learn for themselves. They see learning as a way to prepare for their future. In
this book, you will explore what it means to actively attend to becoming an intentional learner
who takes advantage of learning opportunities and embraces this educational endeavor.
1.2 What Is Learning, and Why Is It Important?
Many students think that the college learning experience simply involves acquiring informa-
tion, just at a fast speed or a high level of understanding. Some believe that college will be
similar to their earlier classroom experiences, in which the teacher told students information
and the students memorized and regurgitated it on demand.
Not only is this description inaccurate and very limited, it is also not what a student in an
online-learning environment will be expected to do. Indeed, the key to successful college-
level performance involves knowing how to learn. Learning, whether in a classroom, the real
world, or online, involves taking in the world around you and connecting to what you are
experiencing. It requires you to make sense of the experience and come to an understanding
of it. Finally, learning involves using critical-thinking skills and sound judgment to respond
appropriately to a task, whether it is an online assignment or a workplace duty (Johnston,
2010). Getting a college education involves learning how to use your mind with intention
so that you can apply that skill in any workplace, career, professional training, or team situ-
ation and conduct yourself as a competent and capable professional. When you read about
intentional learning in this book, understand that the term refers to leveraging your under-
standing of yourself as a learner to achieve on every assignment and assessment. The power
of intentional learning is derived from your self-awareness, focus, persistence, and passion.
What Is Learning, and Why Is It Important? Section 1.2
Much of your previous formal educational experiences likely featured a classroom, a teacher
who stood in front of the room, textbooks, lots of words on paper, and many, many words spo-
ken aloud. Today your classroom is a virtual one. Your communication is delivered via various
technologies. Your texts are interactive, and your work products are submitted electronically.
Yet the work of learning remains centered within you. No digital tool can take the place of
your grit or your effort to become an intentional learner. A look at how learning in the past
compares to the learning of today will help you assess how prepared you are to take on this
challenge.
A Brief History of Learning
In the early part of the 20th century, formal education in the United States moved from
being an elite commodity, available primarily wealthy White men, to being a widely
available service that could accommodate members of the working class. The shift from the
elite model of educating the few to the industrial model of educating the masses occurred
as a result of social and economic demands.
As immigrants began to arrive in the United States in great numbers, they needed a means by
which to enter both the workforce and mainstream American life. The answer was to organize
public schools and develop a standard set of learning goals—called a curriculum of study—
whereby each learner would acquire literacy skills: simple reading comprehension, writing,
and calculating, or ciphering (Callahan, 1962).
Within this setting, students were expected to gain knowledge—that is, learn things. But the
concept of learning only extended to reading and reciting, a technique that was based primar-
ily on recall and was limited to how much a person could memorize.
Learners were almost never asked to use their own judgment. In fact, it was not often, if at all,
that they were asked to weigh information, consider alternative approaches, or discern the
best way to solve a given problem. They were not encouraged or allowed to develop multiple
responses and were instead required to give a single right answer. In other words, using judg-
ment to respond appropriately to a given situation was neither encouraged nor permitted.
Learning Today
The world of learning today is very
different. Education is no longer lim-
ited to those of a certain race, class,
or socioeconomic status or defined as
that which occurs in a formal class-
room setting. Contemporary learning
has no formal boundaries. In fact, it is
virtually impossible to live and engage
in our rapidly changing world and not
continue to learn. Every time you con-
sult your computer or phone to review
AntonioGuillem/iStock/Thinkstock a weather forecast, check sports scores,
How does the use of digital technology contribute to or read a breaking news bulletin, you
intentional learning? are taking basic steps in the learning
What Is Learning, and Why Is It Important? Section 1.2
process: gathering information and storing it in your memory for convenient use. Beyond
those basic steps are the daily activities we do not usually perceive as learning at all—work-
ing, meeting new and diverse people, thinking about new ideas, interacting with people with
whom you might disagree, helping your kids with their homework, or engaging in a number of
other activities that require skills well beyond the basics. As a student in the classroom of the
real world, you constantly exercise judgment and critical thinking as you live and work.
Your life experiences will serve you well as you participate in the online classroom. As some-
one who has likely worked in the real world, you are well positioned to “take in the world
around you (gain knowledge), make sense of it (develop your skills), and respond appropri-
ately (use sound judgment to determine the best course of action)” (Johnston, 2010, p. 169).
This is what is known as purposeful learning.
The actions of (a) taking in the world around you, (b) making sense of it, and (c) responding
appropriately to it are considered the three central aspects to all types of learning. Once you
define learning in this way, you begin to recognize that the learning process is not a single act
or a simple experience; learning involves interaction. As a learner, you interact with words,
thoughts, ideas, experiences, and other people. Learning requires time, space, and opportuni-
ties to stop, think, consider, and gather information and insights. It requires that you test your
thoughts, perspectives, and understandings of the world around you.
The Importance of Learning
Learning is a natural and necessary aspect of life. It is an ordinary activity—yet it holds
extraordinary potential for growth and change when pursued with specific, intense purpose
in an academic setting. Then it empowers you! In fact, understanding how you take in the
world and make sense of it is an important factor in determining your success.
Learning empowers you in three significant ways:
1. It allows you to gain new knowledge that enables you to understand yourself, others,
and life more clearly.
2. It enables you to develop new skills that can be used to increase productivity in your
life and in your work.
3. It prepares you to initiate change, which allows you to grow, adapt, and mature.
The idea that learning can empower you is very exciting, but your potential to be empowered
depends on how well you learn. As 19th-century scientist Louis Pasteur cautioned, “Chance
favors the prepared mind” (as cited in Platt, 2003). In other words, learning empowers you
when your mind is ready to learn. The unprepared may not recognize or be ready for an
opportunity when it comes along.
Have you ever felt lost when working on an assignment, reading directions for assembling a
toy, or participating in a team meeting? Have you ever felt ill equipped when finding yourself
in a classroom, lecture hall, or corporate training room? You may have thought, “I’m getting
lost here. I’m not following this. How am I supposed to wrap my mind around this? Am I the
only one who doesn’t understand this stuff?”
Developing a prepared mind is the key to purposeful, intentional learning. Learning is not
about knowing “stuff.” Rather, it involves knowing how to take in the world in a way that works
Learning in the Digital Age Section 1.3
for you, how to make sense of what you have just encountered, and how to respond appropri-
ately (not just automatically) to what is asked of you. Every time you apply new knowledge
or new skills to situations that arise in your workplace, in your family, or within yourself, you
are actively learning (Alexander, Clugston, & Tice, 2010).
Learning is central to who we are as human beings. It affects our sense of self and shapes
how others perceive us. It determines our economic future because it is crucial to finding
and maintaining a career path. In fact, leaders in business, commerce, labor, and education
recognize one’s ability to take responsibility for his or her own learning as the single factor
most likely to determine a person’s economic success (Stein, 2001). Employers want to know
if their employees are ready to learn and grow within their organizational environment, and
they are looking for individuals who both work and learn with intention.
As an example, organizations like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other professional
groups promote intentional learning and sponsor online courses through the National Work
Readiness Council (2006). Participants in these online courses receive workforce credentials,
which serve to document one’s professional development and enhanced skill sets. Although
these are not formal college courses, those seeking workforce credentials are called on to be
intentional learners. The council’s course materials state that each participant is required to
do the following:
• Establish learning goals that are based on an understanding of one’s current and
future learning needs.
• Identify strengths and weaknesses as a learner.
• Become familiar with a range of learning strategies to help build self-concept as a
learner.
• Identify and use strategies that are appropriate to goals, task, context, and the
resources available for learning.
• Monitor progress toward goals and modify strategies or other features of the learn-
ing situation as necessary to achieve goals.
• Test out new learning in real-life applications. (Ford, Knight, & McDonald-Littleton,
2001, p. 62)
These are all acts of intentional learning. As a 21st-century learner, you must be familiar with
the process of intentional learning, regard yourself as a learner, understand what affects your
learning, and know how to develop your skills as an intentional learner. This book challenges
you to discover your personal approach to learning, which is the first step in becoming an
intentional learner.
1.3 Learning in the Digital Age
Yours is not the first generation to be affected by technological breakthroughs. The mobil-
ity provided by the invention of the wheel, the scheduling of life after the emergence of the
clock, and the rapid spread of information made possible by the advent of the printing press
all resulted in major social changes. Each new technology has altered the manner in which
people live, connect, and interact. In this way the age of digital technology is similar to other
periods of technological advancement.
Learning in the Digital Age Section 1.3
New advancements in technology
require society to adjust to its effects,
which include a faster pace of com-
munication, the increased availability
of information, and greater proximity
to one another. However, the age of
digital technology is also different,
because unlike other technological
inventions, digital technology is avail-
able to virtually everyone. This acces-
sibility has allowed technology to
strongly affect how we learn, which is
an important part of becoming an Rawpixel/iStock/Thinkstock
intentional learner. Because technology has become so accessible, it has
influenced how we learn. How has your smartphone,
Incubation of Thought tablet, laptop, or other digital device affected how
you learn?
You are likely very familiar with the
role that technology plays in your life.
Chances are you are reading this text on a digital device. The latest sports score, controversial
tweet, bit of mundane trivia or instructions (“How do I boil an egg?” “What’s the best place
to eat in Seattle?”), and other information is only seconds away. Digital technology records
you, connects you, and speeds the pace of your life’s transactions. As a result, you constantly
feel the effects of living in the digital age. The playwright Richard Foreman depicts this real-
ity quite vividly in his play The Gods Are Pounding My Head when he writes that we have “all
become ‘pancake people’—spread wide and thin as we connect to the vast network of infor-
mation accessed by the mere touch of a button” (as cited in Carr, 2008, para. 36).
Interestingly, you are not experiencing a new phenomenon. Centuries ago, the Roman phi-
losopher Seneca “felt so burdened by the connectedness of his own time and the crazy pace of
life in ancient Rome that he suffered from, and these are Seneca’s words, ‘The restless energy
of a haunted mind’” (Powers, 2010, p. 111). Centuries later the digital age has compounded
restless mind syndrome as we tap away on our smartphones. It is in this context of 24/7 con-
nectedness that learning is most affected.
How exactly does the digital age affect learning? The faster the world connects, the faster
learning needs to occur to keep pace. The speedier new technology becomes, the faster your
mind needs to learn and adapt. In the 21st century the frontier to be conquered is no longer
found on this planet or even in the space that surrounds it. The challenge is the reduced
amount of time between stimulus and response, between e-mail and response, and between
text message and response.
The digital age has truly complicated issues such as downtime, rest, and incubation of
thought. Simply stated, incubating your thoughts gives you time to consider the implications of
what you have just seen or read, to make sense of new information before you need to respond
to it. Without time to incubate our thoughts, we tend to react to stimuli in knee-jerk fashion.
On the other hand, if we can allow our thoughts to settle, gel, and connect, we can respond
more appropriately to the situation. Trouble arises “when so much information is coming at
us all day long, we don’t have any gaps, any breaks in which to make sense of it, do something
Learning in the Digital Age Section 1.3
new with it, create with it, enjoy it” (Simmons-Duffin, 2010). In other words, “Technology goes
24/7, but we don’t” (Moos, 2011). Actually, we can’t. As journalist Thomas Friedman (2016)
explains in his book, Thank You for Being Late, it is critical that we take time to slow down
and allow our minds to catch up. An accelerated pace does not equal a faster, better, or deeper
understanding of information. Instead, more information requires more time to process.
Attention and Multitasking
In the digital age, inattentiveness is an increasing problem. Digital-age students may be text-
ing and have multiple screens open so they can check social media while studying. While
students often say they know that texting while driving is dangerous and that texting while
working is inefficient, they continue to respond immediately to a friend’s message, putting
others, their work, and themselves at risk.
The learning outcomes of those who
multitask reflect the lack of attention
to learning. Instead of meaningfully
interacting with course resources or
connecting to their learning, multitask-
ers gain only bits and pieces of stimuli
and store only minimal course content
(Levy, 2006). This behavior has earned
multitaskers the description “learners
with continuous partial attention.”
The act of paying attention, or attend-
ing to something, is a cognitive func-
BernardaSv/iStock/Thinkstock tion. When you attend to learning, you
Multitasking may be beneficial for completing tasks allow your working memory—the
on time; however, research shows that it actually part that processes stimuli as it enters
makes us less productive because it prevents us the mind—to select between relevant
from being mindful.
and irrelevant information and to store
the relevant parts so it can be retrieved
at a later date (Jha, Stanley, & Baime, 2010). When you use intention, you stop distracting
stimuli from preventing your mind from doing its work. You are being mindful.
Most individuals multitask because they do not have enough time to concentrate on their
work, family, and life goals. They see multitasking as the way to be more productive. However,
science has proved this is largely a myth: You can do multiple tasks at one time, but you can
only give full attention to one.
David Meyer, one of several scientists at the University of Michigan who has studied this phe-
nomenon over the past 20 years, says that multitasking causes a sort of “brownout” in the
brain, where “all the lights go dim because there just isn’t enough power to go around” (Ham-
ilton, 2008, para. 14). Meyer’s research reveals that
for tasks that are at all complicated, no matter how good you have become at
multitasking, you’re still going to suffer hits against your performance. You
will be worse compared to if you were actually concentrating from start to
finish on the task. (as cited in Hamilton, 2008, para. 13)
Learning in the Digital Age Section 1.3
According to research on attention and multitasking, it is possible to become addicted to
changing to new screens and digital toys, or to constant auditory and visual stimulation. It
may even become harder to read and analyze longer texts in hard copy, so someone with this
issue may be sacrificing a more comprehensive understanding of content (Carr, 2008).
Participatory Learning
Participatory learning is an outgrowth of the digital age. It replaces the walled classroom
as the laboratory for learning and requires that you personally contribute to the educational
community. As a participant learner, you move away from working alone and move toward
engaging with the larger learning environment.
It is critical for online learners to understand how they learn. As you will read in Chapter 2,
how you learn as an individual affects your level of interest in participating with others in
learning. Your readiness and willingness to be a participatory learner is key to your success,
since virtually all online course work requires you to contribute ideas, feedback, and insights
for your instructor and peers to see. Participatory learning leaves no hand unraised, no voice
unheard, no contribution ignored. Check out the Tips & Tools feature box for some practical
tips on how to be an effective participatory learner.
Tips & Tools: Participating Effectively in the Online Classroom
Since most (or even all) of your communication in a participatory learning environment
occurs online, it is imperative to know how to write effectively. While you may be accustomed
to using informal language when e-mailing friends or posting on social media, remember that
academic and workplace communication requires a more professional tone.
In both the discussion boards in the online classroom and in many workplaces, your written
words will be the most important means by which your knowledge, skills, and character will
be judged. In other words, your writing is all your fellow students and instructors (and poten-
tial employers) will have to go on, at least at first. For this reason, it is in your best interest to
make a good impression.
Follow these tips when writing for discussion boards and assignments:
• Keep your audience and the assignment’s purpose in mind. Does the reader already
know what you are talking about or do you need to provide context?
• Do you need to add details? Tighten sentences? Explain things more clearly? Have you
looked at the topic from other angles?
• Plan, draft, revise, and proofread before posting, just as you would if you were writing a
formal essay.
• Not all replies must be instantaneous. Take some time to think about your response.
Save your replies as drafts, look them over after some time has passed, and then hit
“send.” When we rush, we are more likely to make typos or express ourselves unclearly.
• Use standard language and avoid abbreviated slang that is more appropriate for texting.
• Double-check your work to be sure you have answered questions thoroughly, not just
with “filler” text, but with enough detail and support to satisfy the reader’s curiosity.
Learning Theory in the 21st Century Section 1.4
1.4 Learning Theory in the 21st Century
Demands on learners continue to escalate in the 21st century. Intentional learners must
develop the tools and strategies to capitalize on the benefits of the digital age while coping
with its distractions. Understanding how you learn will help you learn most effectively.
Science Versus Pseudoscience
In the past century, multiple theories or models representing learning have been proposed
and promoted. While some are more credible than others, many explain the brain and learn-
ing using overly simplified, nonscientific explanations, including “right brain/left brain learn-
ers,” “women are from Venus; men are from Mars,” and, the most common, “learning styles”
(visual, auditory, kinesthetic). Each explanation represents a limited understanding of the
brain and mind, but such explanations have become popular due to their use in advertising
campaigns.
While the simplicity of these ideas certainly has broad appeal, these explanations ignore the
scientific fact that all senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell) bring stimuli into the brain
when learning is taking place. These ideas also lack a theoretical basis, including a set of con-
structs or components and a depiction of how those components interact or lead to a learn-
ing outcome. Finally, and most importantly, these pseudoscientific explanations lack a track
record of research and data-based outcomes to demonstrate that they explain how learning
works in the real world.
Learning is a very complex human activity that requires a much more in-depth, scientifically
based explanation. How can you know whether an explanation is rooted in science or mar-
keting? World-renowned scientist Carl Sagan provides some guidance with what he calls his
“Baloney Detection Kit” (Sagan & Druyan, 1997). Here are a few of the questions he suggests
asking yourself when determining whether a theory or explanation is based in science:
1. Is this an explanation that has caught your fancy, or have you compared it to other
explanations and found it to be the best?
2. Can you track with its line of reasoning to see if the pieces of its explanation link
together?
3. Does its use make a difference? Can its application or benefits be quantified?
4. Have others duplicated research studies using it and arrived at the same outcomes or
conclusions? (Sagan & Druyan, 1997, p. 210)
It is usually up to you to figure out which theories are scientifically sound, have published
research to back them up, and can be best applied to your situation. Using these questions,
you, as the intentional learner, can discern whether a learning theory is sufficiently strong
to warrant your confidence in it. After all, if the theory you are relying on is weak, it will not
assist or enhance your learning experience.
Carol Dweck’s concept of mindset—introduced earlier in this chapter (Section 1.1)—has
developed into a sound theory of how one’s mindset can affect his or her perspective on
learning. Dweck’s theory explains that people hold primarily one of two mindsets: fixed or
growth. If you hold a fixed mindset, you believe your intelligence and talents are innate and
cannot change. Such a mindset causes you to stress and avoid failure or see challenges as
being too risky. You may try to prove you are smart and capable; individuals with a fixed
Learning Theory in the 21st Century Section 1.4
mindset usually worry that others are watching to see if they make a mistake or how well they
perform when they hit obstacles or setbacks, as proof that they aren’t smart or lack talent.
Conversely, a growth mindset is the understanding that we can develop our intelligence
and abilities. Those with a growth mindset believe they can develop their intelligence and
abilities by using feedback, facing challenges, and applying appropriate strategies. Dweck’s
theory suggests that the more you believe in your ability to grow and develop, the more open
your mindset is to achieving growth. Figure 1.1 illustrates the differences between fixed and
growth mindset.
Figure 1.1: Fixed mindset versus growth mindset
Which mindset are you pursuing?
Source: Carol Dweck; graphic by Nigel Holmes
Learning Theory in the 21st Century Section 1.4
Nobody has a growth mindset all the time. While you may have a growth mindset for many
challenges, there may be situations in which you have a fixed mindset. This could be something
outside your comfort zone or something that is consistently difficult for you. For instance,
you might persist through learning a new computer program, but your eyes glaze over the
moment you have to do some basic mathematical calculations. As learners, it is important to
recognize what triggers your fixed mindset and to be mindful of when you are slipping into it.
Ultimately, the growth mindset theory leads us to recognize that the ability to learn is not
limited to those who are born intelligent; rather, the ability to learn is the result of a variety of
actions we do for ourselves—most importantly, adopting a growth mindset that allows us to
believe we can learn, grow, and change.
Clearly, in the 21st century, learning must be built not only on a science-based theory, but
on one that guides learners to intentionally use their brains and minds to grow and develop.
The theory of learning that best serves the needs of 21st-century learners is one that dem-
onstrates how learning works in theory, how it operates within a person in real life, and how
it helps people become autonomous, independent, and successful adults. In other words, a
theory that teaches people how to become intentional learners.
The Let Me Learn Process
One comprehensive explanation of learning that addresses the challenges that confront 21st
®
century learners is the Let Me Learn (LML) Process . While there are other valid systems
and theories of learning, this book covers the LML system because it focuses on developing
intentional learners using a very systematic process. Therefore, it is highly applicable to adult
students in their personal and professional lives. The remainder of this text will use the LML
system to explore how you learn and to identify strategies you can use to be successful in col-
lege and beyond.
The LML system begins by advancing learners’ understanding of themselves and their Learn-
ing Patterns. Next it equips them with the skills to decode tasks, and finally it helps them fit
themselves to the task (which is key to becoming an intentional learner). It also helps learners
develop personal strategies that can be transferred from one learning situation to another.
The Let Me Learn Process was born from research that began more than 20 years ago when a
group of academic researchers and educational practitioners sought to understand the source
and potential of intentional learning. Their exploration and experimentation resulted in a
theory of learning called the Interactive Learning Model, which explains how our thoughts,
actions, and sense of self as learners operate as we learn. The Interactive Learning Model
became the basis for the Learning Connections Inventory (LCI), the LML survey instrument.
The LML system demonstrates how our brain–mind connection and Learning Patterns work
together to help us develop a growth mindset and grit as we strive to learn with greater inten-
tion. The figures and explanations that follow explain what makes this system effective.
The Brain–Mind Connection
The most credible learning theories are based on scientific research directed at understand-
ing the brain–mind connection—that is, the relationship between the physical brain and the
Learning Theory in the 21st Century Section 1.4
more abstract mind. To illustrate the difference between the brain and the mind, take your
hands and place them on that part of your body that holds your brain. Now take your hands
and try to place them on your mind. Though your brain is situated in one place, your mind can
travel far beyond your physical limitations.
In the LML system, the brain is represented as a physiological structure, an engine, which
processes the stimuli that enter it. The mind, on the other hand, is not physically confined and
consists of human consciousness. It produces human thought, determines conscious actions,
and generates complex human responses in the form of words, facial expressions, and body
language.
The LML system recognizes the importance of the brain–mind connection and incorporates
it as a key component in its representation of how learning occurs. Understanding how the
brain and mind work together (Bruer, 1997) begins with understanding that there are only
five ways to take in the world around you—through your five senses.
Stimuli enter the brain in the form of sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. Your ears, eyes,
nose, tongue, and sense of touch determine how much of each sense enters the brain. For
example, if you have hearing loss, sound stimuli may be distorted. If you have a particular sen-
sitivity to sound, you may experience an extreme reaction to the auditory stimuli that enter
your brain through hearing.
Once inside the brain, stimuli are processed using various sectors. The brain sends the stimuli
down different pathways to locations within the brain. Some factors that contribute to the
brain’s ability to process these stimuli include alertness, fatigue, brain health, brain injury, and
the functionality of different operating sectors. The brain’s function is also affected by other
factors, such as dehydration, medications, brain damage, or disease (Ornstein & Thompson,
1984).
After stimuli have been processed, they pass from the brain to the mind. The work of the mind
is as important as that of the brain, because the mind does the difficult and tedious work of
translating stimuli into symbols, such as language, numbers, Braille, and so on, giving them
meaning within a life setting. As if that were not enough, the mind then stores the information
for retrieval and use (Bruer, 1997). The work of translating the stimuli is done by the mind’s
working memory. When our minds are distracted, overscheduled, or overworked, our work-
ing memory cannot translate or store new information well. We can liken this state to when
our computers do not have sufficient RAM and thus experience slow processing. The same
is true of our minds. They too can become overtaxed and less efficient when we attempt to
multitask or if we experience stimulus overload.
The Concept of Learning Patterns
According to the LML theory, in order to reach the mind, stimuli must pass from the brain
through a brain–mind interface. The brain–mind interface consists of four filters. Think of
the four filters as having varying densities through which stimuli flow. For example, a broad
mesh filter allows large amounts of stimuli to pass into the working memory for translation
and storage. However, a tightly woven filter may limit stimuli from passing through to the
mind. The degrees to which your four filters allow stimuli to pass through can be described as
your individual Learning Patterns or Learning Processes. Each Learning Pattern performs
Learning Theory in the 21st Century Section 1.4
a specific function within your mind. The name of each Pattern—Sequence, Precision, Tech-
nical Reasoning, and Confluence—suggests the role it plays in influencing how you learn
(see Figure 1.2—or check out the interactive version in your e-book). These Patterns will be
explained in detail in Chapter 2.
Figure 1.2: The brain–mind interface
To reach the mind, stimuli pass from the brain through a brain–mind interface, which consists of four
filters, or Learning Patterns. The mind then translates the stimuli, gives them meaning, and stores the
information for retrieval and use.
Source: From Finding Your Way: Navigating Your Future by Understanding Your Learning Self (p. 30), by C. A. Johnston, 2015,
Glassboro, NJ: Let Me Learn, Inc. Copyright 2015 by Let Me Learn, Inc. Reprinted with permission.
Each of the four Patterns is found within all individuals regardless of race, gender, age, and
ethnicity. However, the degree to which each person uses them is very person-specific (John-
ston & Dainton, 1996). Research indicates that all four Learning Patterns work simultane-
ously within our brain–mind interfaces, but most of us do not use each of the Patterns with
equal comfort (Johnston, 1994). We may maximize our use of one or more of them and use
others only as needed; or we may even avoid one or more of them. To date, research has found
no pair of identical twins that have the same combination of Learning Patterns.
Case Study: The Benefits of Knowing Your Learning Patterns Section 1.5
Your combination of Learning Patterns plays a key role in how you feel about yourself as a
learner before, during, and after completing a learning task. These Patterns can give you a
sense of confidence or fill you with dread as you consider the task that lies ahead. Can you
remember situations when you sat and stared at an assignment, wondering where to begin?
Do you remember getting to the end of a similar assignment and realizing you had not been
successful? Can you recall your thoughts and actions? Did you procrastinate because you
lacked the confidence to move forward? To be an intentional learner, you need to recognize the
powerful role your Patterns play and how to control and direct them before they control you.
1.5 Case Study: The Benefits of Knowing Your
Learning Patterns
Understanding who you are as a learner and how you use your Learning Patterns can help
you approach assignments and challenges with more confidence and grit. As an example,
consider the case of David.
David’s Background
David entered college right out of high school and within 6 months had flunked out. He
spent the next few years employed but always feeling restless and unsettled. Eventually, he
reentered college. David told others that he chose to return to college because he wanted the
challenge—but more than that, he wanted to redeem his sense of self as a learner. He wanted
to overcome the negative feelings from his prior experience. He viewed college as a means of
gaining self-confidence and self-worth. As an adult, he no longer was concerned with pleas-
ing others; he sought personal fulfillment. David was taking his first step as an intentional
learner.
However, without understanding himself as a learner, David soon fell back on his old, unsuc-
cessful habits, which included not completing assignments and failing to communicate with
his instructors and peers. Within
weeks, his dreams of success were fad-
ing fast. When a friend suggested he
find a learning coach, David jumped at
the idea.
David’s Learning Patterns
During his very first session, David’s
coach helped him identify his Learn-
ing Patterns and how to make them
work for him instead of against him.
He quickly recognized the effect his
Learning Patterns had on his academic Kerkez/iStock/Thinkstock
performance. How do you think understanding your Learning
Patterns can positively change your attitudes about
learning?
Conclusion
David learned many things about himself, including why he
• had a fixed mindset. He had been told he was a capable learner, so he thought he
could coast on his abilities and talents and never invested in striving to achieve.
• found it difficult to follow someone else’s directions. Even when something didn’t
make sense to him, he avoided asking for clarification because he didn’t want to
appear less than knowledgeable.
• didn’t turn his work in. David often didn’t think he could meet his instructor’s
standards.
As a result of his combination of Learning Patterns coupled with a fixed mindset, David never
reached out for help, didn’t post his papers, and failed to receive the coaching and mentoring
from peers and instructors that could have made a big difference. However, as soon as his
coach helped make him aware of his Learning Patterns, he recognized why he was failing his
courses. David feared striving for something and falling short. He feared sharing his thoughts
in writing and the feedback he would receive.
David had anticipated that when he reached out for help from a coach, he would hear what
he had always heard from instructors. He was pleasantly surprised when his learning coach
turned to discussing how he learned. Specifically, his coach discussed
• how to use his brain–mind connection with intention,
• how to recognize the source and effect of his negative internal talk on his
learning, and
• how to respond appropriately to build confidence and develop the will to persist.
A few weeks after learning about his Patterns, David e-mailed his learning coach. “I don’t
know what things would have looked like now if I hadn’t met with you,” he wrote. “The little
we shared really helped turn around a lot of my thinking and the course of perhaps my aca-
demic career.” By the time his courses ended, David had completed all his papers and taken all
his tests. Used by permission of David Ramirez.
Gaining Confidence in Yourself as a Learner
To determine your own combination of Learning Patterns, you will take the LCI, the Let Me
Learn Process’s survey instrument. As in David’s case, you can use what you discover about
your Learning Patterns to better understand how to achieve your goals with greater aware-
ness and intention.
Over the past 20 years, our understanding of how we learn has grown tremendously. This
growth makes it possible for each reader to develop specific, personalized knowledge of how
he or she learns and to use that awareness to succeed.
Conclusion
Your identity as a learner has a major impact on how you engage in learning. Just as learn-
ing in life is not a “one and done” experience, so too does online learning in a college context
require sustained effort and commitment, or grit. Learning at the college level involves accu-
mulating experiences, growing through feedback, exchanging ideas, and revisiting learning
Conclusion
challenges to reconsider your previously held thoughts or outlook (also known as having a
growth mindset).
The goal of a college education is to move you from nonproductive learning behaviors to
productive ones and from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset (see Table 1.1).
Table 1.1: Learning behaviors
Nonproductive learning behaviors Strategy-based learning behaviors
(fixed mindset) (growth mindset)
You express an idea without filtering or weighing it You think critically and analyze an idea for applica-
against reality. bility and feasibility.
You have information and repeat it without consid- You anchor your opinion on information that is bal-
ering its source. anced and well referenced.
You read and memorize information without con- You read text using critical-reading techniques, ana-
sidering its value or importance. lyze what you read using critical-thinking skills, and
gain an understanding of what you read and apply
it to different situations at work and home.
You skim readings and look at graphics without You examine text, reading critically; you connect
reading for depth. graphics and figures to what you are reading; you
formulate your own thoughts about what you
have read.
You complete an assignment and move on to the You complete the assignment, then go back and
next task without understanding its purpose or review the experience to note what you learned and
linking it to future learning. what you would do differently the next time you
have a similar assignment.
You turn the assignment in and wait for feedback Before turning in the assignment, you note that the
without personally evaluating its quality. experience of completing it has caused you to grow
in knowledge, skill, and judgment.
Source: Adapted from Finding Your Way: Navigating Your Future by Understanding Your Learning Self (p. 30), by C. A. Johnston,
2015, Glassboro, NJ: Let Me Learn, Inc. Copyright 2015 by Let Me Learn, Inc. Adapted with permission.
In the ensuing chapters, you will have an opportunity to grow your knowledge, skill, and
use of learning tools so you are well equipped to succeed personally, professionally, and
academically.
In many ways comprehending and using the information contained in this course will be the
key to your academic success. Once you know yourself and open yourself up to learning for
yourself, you will feel a lot less anxiety about new assignments and course work. Like David,
if you take the time to learn with intention, you can chart your path to success in school and
beyond.
Discussion Questions
At the heart of all learning is the question “How does this apply to me?” In other words,
“How does this add to my life?” The point of a college education is to be able to examine
what you are learning and apply it to your home life, work life, and community life. Each
time you examine your life and ask, “How can I use this? Reframe it? Grow in my under-
standing and application of it? Explain this to someone else?,” you are growing in your use of
critical thinking.
Conclusion
Critical thinking will be a key topic in Chapter 4. To help you develop critical thinking, you
will find a series of questions at the end of each chapter. Read and consider each and be
prepared to write a response.
1. Think of a time when you found yourself in a situation similar to David’s—that is,
you felt you were not succeeding and were unable to communicate your thoughts
or ideas. How would you describe that experience? What three things would you do
now to help you move beyond your frustration or lack of productivity?
2. Read the “Habits of Mind” (Hazard & Nadeau, 2012) list of successful student habits
below. Note which of these you practice and which you do not. Then look back on
the chapter and identify whether your lack of a certain habit is due to a lack of sound
judgment, the effects of the digital age, a lack of confidence in your sense of self as
a learner, a lack of understanding of how you learn, or a combination of all of these
issues. Make a plan for how you plan to develop that habit.
Habits of Mind
1. Possess humility.
2. Ask for help.
3. Have the willingness to change and take risks.
4. Cultivate critical-thinking skills.
5. Form healthy relationships and practice healthy habits.
6. Develop a heightened consciousness and self-consciousness.
7. Manage your time and behavior.
8. Respect diversity.
9. Take responsibility.
10. Develop a growth mindset.
3. In this chapter, you read about how Louis Pasteur once wrote, “Chance favors the
prepared mind.” What does this quotation mean to you? What can you do specifically
to prepare your mind before each session?
Additional Resources
Duckworth, A. L. (2013). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance [Video]. Retrieved from https://www
.youtube.com/watch?v=H14bBuluwB8
Angela Duckworth is known for her theory that grit is a predictor of success. Click on the link to watch
her TED Talk.
Duckworth, A. L. (2017). Grit scale. Retrieved from https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale
Want to know how gritty you are? Find out by using the Grit Scale. This website also gives you the
opportunity to explore grit from Duckworth’s perspective.
Dweck, C. (2014). The power of believing that you can improve [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube
.com/watch?v=_X0mgOOSpLU
Click on the link to watch Carol Dweck’s TED Talk about growth mindset.
Hallowell, E. M. (2007). CrazyBusy: Overstretched, overbooked, and about to snap. Strategies for handling your fast
paced life. New York: Ballantine Books.
CrazyBusy is a fast read and a helpful one. It roots the reader in practical approaches to coping with the
stress and pace of life. Students can expect to find practical strategies for dealing with their oversched-
uled lives.
Conclusion
Let Me Learn. (n.d.). Home page. Retrieved from http://www.letmelearn.org
The Let Me Learn website operates in a user-friendly fashion, giving visitors to the site options for delv-
ing into learning. Click on the necktie icon and you will be directed to Let Me Learn Solutions, where
you can learn the many applications of the Let Me Learn Process to the world of work.
National Work Readiness Council. (n.d.). Home page. Retrieved from http://www.workreadiness.com
The National Work Readiness Council, in association with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is a helpful
resource alerting you to state requirements for careers involving licensure and accreditation needed
over and above a college degree. This organization provides up-to-date online resources to assist you in
preparing for job interviews and resume development.
Rose, M. (2004). The mind at work: Valuing the intelligence of the American worker. New York: Penguin.
The Mind at Work reminds the reader that human intelligence comes in many different forms, all of
which are worthy of respect. This is an ideal read for those who think they may not have what it takes
to succeed at the college level. The book puts to rest the elitism of the academic world.
Key Terms
brain–mind connection The relation- incubation of thought The process of
ship between the physiological structure of allowing the mind sufficient time to deter-
the brain, which processes stimuli in each mine the most appropriate way to respond
human body, and human consciousness, to incoming stimuli and to process that
which is not physically limited. stimuli more slowly.
brain–mind interface The patterned intentional learning Using a clear educa-
processes that operate as a filter of stimuli tional goal, a laser-like learning focus, grit,
passing from the brain to the mind. These and a growth mindset to drive your Learn-
filters welcome, inhibit, or limit the move- ing Patterns to achieve success on every
ment of stimuli as they seek to enter the assignment and assessment.
working memory to be translated into
language, numerals, and so forth and are learning The process of taking in the
directed into any number of memory world around us and making sense of it so
channels, where they are stored for later we can respond efficiently, effectively, and
retrieval and use. appropriately.
fixed mindset A mindset based on the Learning Connections Inventory (LCI) A
belief that our ability is fixed at birth and two-part, 28-question, self-report tool with
needs to constantly be proved. Failure three open-response written questions that
implies we are not smart, talented, or can identify an individual’s combination of
successful. Learning Patterns.
grit The degree to which we demonstrate Learning Patterns A set of four distinct
ferocious determination, resilience, hard components that work simultaneously and
work, and a laser-like sense of direction. act as filters to determine the degree to
which stimuli pass from the brain to the
growth mindset A mindset based on the mind. Each Learning Pattern performs a
belief that our ability and talent can be specific learning function within an indi-
developed through learning. We can actu- vidual. Each Learning Pattern is named for
ally grow our potential through failing and the role it plays within the learner’s mind:
learning from our failures. Sequence, Precision, Technical Reasoning,
and Confluence. Also known as Learning
Processes.
Conclusion
Learning Processes See Learning Patterns. nontraditional student A college student
who is not a recent high school graduate or
Let Me Learn (LML) Process A system necessarily taking classes full time; exam-
for developing intentional learners that ples include students who work full time,
includes (a) the Interactive Learning Model are returning to school after a period away,
theory; (b) a conceptualization of the brain– are attending classes part time, or have
mind interface; (c) an instrument (the LCI) dependents.
that captures the extent to which an individ-
ual uses of each four Learning Patterns; (d) participatory learning The many ways
a glossary of descriptive terms that identify that learners (of any age) use new technolo-
discrete actions used when learning; and gies to participate in virtual communities
(e) a set of tools to help the learner success- in which they share ideas, comment on one
fully complete a learning task, including the another’s projects, and plan, design, imple-
personal learning profile, which is dis- ment, advance, or discuss their practices,
cussed in Chapter 2, and the word wall, the goals, and ideas.
metacognitive steps, and the strategy card,
which are discussed in Chapter 3. working memory The part of memory
that translates stimuli that have passed
mindful Using the mind to attend, focus, through the brain–mind interface formed
and respond to stimuli with intention rather by our Learning Patterns and turns it into
than instinct. symbolic representation (words, numbers,
musical notes, and the like) and stores it for
retrieval later.
Knowing Yourself as 2
a Learner
Wessel Du plooy/Hemera/Thinkstock
“The knowledge of your Learning Patterns provides you with an explanation
of how you learn, not an excuse for failing to put forth the effort to learn.”
—Christine A. Johnston (2010, p. 107)
Learning Outcomes
After reading this chapter, you should be able to
• Describe the thoughts, actions, and feelings associated with each Learning Pattern.
• Analyze your use of Sequence.
• Analyze your use of Precision.
• Analyze your use of Technical Reasoning.
• Analyze your use of Confluence.
• Explain the terms Dynamic learner, Bridge learner, and Strong-Willed learner.
• Describe your Learning Patterns within the context of a personal learning profile.
• Identify the role of metacognition and self-regulation in intentional learning.
Understanding Learning Patterns Section 2.1
2.1 Understanding Learning Patterns
Have you ever noticed how your approach to a task differs from that of someone attempting
the same thing? Perhaps you are setting up a new device, interpreting an e-mail from your
boss, or struggling with how to resolve a problem between coworkers. You might watch
how someone else approaches these challenges and think to yourself, “That’s not how I
would do that.”
If you are aware of these differences,
you are not alone. In the 1930s cog-
nitive scientists recognized that the
different ways people undertake iden-
tical tasks, such as solving nonmath-
ematical or verbal puzzles, provided
insights into how they learn. In one
study, participants completed more
than 300 such puzzles to better under-
stand how each learned (Philip, 1936).
More than 80 years later, instead of
completing puzzles to understand
Ivan-balvan/iStock/Thinkstock how you learn, you can take the Learn-
People with different Learning Patterns take ing Connections Inventory (LCI). This
different approaches to completing a task. survey instrument was 6 years in the
Understanding others’ Learning Patterns is key to making and field-tested with over
collaboration.
9,000 children and adults. It takes the
mystery out of how you learn and pro-
vides you with a set of terms to accu-
rately and thoroughly describe your learning processes. The information gleaned explains
what you may have always felt about yourself as a learner but may not have had the words to
describe.
Your Scale Scores
To understand the impact your Patterns have on you as a learner, you need to look first at the
four scale scores that make up your LCI results. Each will be a number from 7 to 35. Notice
that each score falls into a range of Use First, Use as Needed, and Avoid (see Figure 2.1).
• If you use one or more Patterns within the Use First range (25 to 35), you naturally
turn to them to begin your learning experience. You feel their energy, understand
how to employ them, and enjoy the sense of accomplishment each provides.
• If you use one or more Patterns in the Use as Needed range (18 to 24), you don’t
feel the same urgency to use them as you do a Pattern that falls in the Use First
range. Use as Needed Patterns are available all the time. Think of your car idling at
a stop sign until you step down on the gas pedal. At that point, the idling turns from
waiting to moving. The same is true with your Use as Needed patterns. You use them
when you need to, but they are not the Patterns to which you turn first.
• If you have one or more Patterns in the Avoid range (7 to 17), you truly do not feel
comfortable using them. Frankly, you avoid using them whenever you can because
Understanding Learning Patterns Section 2.1
you have a hard time relating to them. You recognize that without specific strategies,
you will find it difficult to make them work for you.
Figure 2.1: LCI score range
Identifying the range of use of each of your Learning Patterns can provide valuable insight into who
you are as a learner.
Source: From Strategic Learning: A Guide to Your Learning Self (p. 11), by C. A. Johnston,
2012, Glassboro, NJ: Let Me Learn, Inc. Copyright 2012 by Let Me Learn, Inc. Reprinted with permission.
Basically, the higher your score, the more at ease you are with a Pattern. A person with a Use
First Sequence score of 35 (represented as S35) will be even more comfortable with Sequence
than someone with a Use First Sequence score of 27 (S27). A person whose score is closer to
the border between two ranges (e.g., a score of 24) will find it easier to adjust as needed
(more on this in Chapter 3.)
It is important to note that there are no “good” or “bad” LCI scores. Unlike other scales, LCI
scores do not indicate that you possess or lack talent in any of the Patterns. The score simply
indicates the degree to which you use the Pattern or the extent to which Sequential, Pre-
cise, Technical Reasoning, and Confluent stimuli pass through each Pattern filter and enter
your mind. In other words, if you have a Use First Pattern, the filter for that Pattern is wide
open, allowing a great deal of stimuli to pass
through. However, for a Pattern you only Use
as Needed, the filter is open to a much lesser Knowing my Learning Patterns helped me
degree. And as you might expect, if you have figure out how to make my writing better.
Patterns that fall into the Avoid range, their
—Quinn Berger, elementary school student
filters are nearly completely closed off, mak-
(personal communication, August 2017)
ing it difficult for you to receive the stimuli,
much less process it with ease. (Check out Knowing my Learning Patterns has given
the interactive version of Figure 2.1 in your me confidence in myself as a learner—
e-book to better understand this concept.) something I never felt before.
It is not necessarily true that having a Use
First score in a Pattern is better than having —Brian Frieda, Ashford University college stu-
an Avoid. Avoiding a Pattern can be as useful dent and police chief (personal communication,
to you in your life as Using it First. It is how March 20, 2017, used by permission)
you apply your awareness of your Patterns,
and whether you do so with intention, that The moment I understood my Learning
is most important. Patterns was a powerful moment—for me
it was so affirming, even life changing.
Throughout this book, you will see scale
—Bonnie U. Dawkins, master elementary school
scores listed as you read about various indi-
viduals and their Pattern combinations. The teacher (personal communication, June 2008,
scores will be abbreviated using letters and used by permission)
numbers to differentiate between the four
Understanding Learning Patterns Section 2.1
Patterns. For example, if a person has a Sequence score of 27, a Precision score of 22, a Techni-
cal Reasoning score of 18, and a Confluence score of 11, his or her scores will be listed as S27,
P22, TR18, and C11. When you encounter sample scores, take advantage of the opportunity to
reinforce your understanding of use levels and compare with your own scores.
Regardless of the level at which you use each Pattern (Use First, Use as Needed, or Avoid),
your scores offer you important insights into how your mind learns. Each gives you a height-
ened awareness of how to leverage your learning potential.
Your Mental Processes
Your LCI scores help you understand the degree to which you use a particular Pattern. How-
ever, you must also understand what each Pattern represents in terms of your thoughts,
actions, and feelings.
Thinking, acting, and feeling are three functions that occur in your mind, otherwise known
as mental processes. Each Learning Pattern is propelled by specific thoughts, feelings, and
actions. These mental processes basically work as a mental driveshaft within each of our Pat-
terns. They energize our Patterns and direct our effort to learn and to assess our learning
outcomes. They also work interactively to form a culture within each Pattern that is distinct
from that found in the other Patterns (Johnston, 2010).
For example, Sequence thinks, “I want structure, order, and organization”; acts by planning,
organizing, and making lists; and feels a sense of achievement when a task is complete and
can be crossed off a daily to-do list.
Precision thinks, “I want details, specifics, the facts”; acts by looking up facts, verifying infor-
mation, and recording data; and feels success when information is proved correct.
Technical Reasoning thinks without words, concentrating on how whatever is being consid-
ered or studied works or functions. Within Technical Reasoning, the action is action: “Just do
it! Get it done!” A feeling of success comes with simply getting the job done—and doing it well.
Confluence thinks, “I want to be able to see the big picture and imagine what does not yet
exist”; acts by looking beyond the immediate situation and imagining what could be; and feels
accomplishment when the risk taken proves to be worth it.
It is important to understand your mental processes, because knowing how you think and act
and what gives you a sense of achievement allows you to better motivate yourself to complete
tasks that don’t match your Pattern combination. This is what it means to be an intentional
learner. The Interactive Learning Model (ILM), the theoretical basis of the LCI, helps us
understand what actually goes on inside our mind as learning is taking place, as well as what
motivates us to learn. The ILM also illustrates how our mental processes interact to motivate
or drive the degree and amount of effort we put forth when completing a learning task (see
Figure 2.2).
At the heart of motivation is effort. Our will to learn is propelled by the effort we put in. There
are three kinds of effort, each a result of the interaction between mental processes.
Understanding Learning Patterns Section 2.1
1. Informed effort uses the thoughts and actions found in each Pattern to keep you
moving toward a goal. When you use informed effort, your learning is focused; your
decisions to act are based on knowledge and understanding.
2. Engaged effort is your effort in action. Your actions pair with your feelings. When
you use engaged effort, you direct your energy with intention; you move forward
actively—with interest and commitment.
3. Reflective effort characterizes your sense of self. Your feelings bond to your thoughts,
creating a can-do attitude. When you use reflective effort, you have an increased
understanding of the effect a task’s completion has both on you and those
around you.
Such broad-based motivation comprises the will to learn. Have no doubt that your success is
based on the effort and grit you put forth to make the interactive processes of thought, action,
and feeling work within each of your Learning Patterns.
Figure 2.2: Interactive Learning Model
How your Learning Patterns think, feel, and act directs your will to learn. Each mental process
interacts with another to produce a certain kind of effort that motivates your will to learn.
Source: Adapted from Finding Your Way: Navigating Your Future by Understanding Your Learning Self (p. 31), by C. A. Johnston,
2015, Glassboro, NJ: Let Me Learn, Inc. Copyright 2015 by Let Me Learn, Inc. Adapted with permission.
Your Learning Patterns
Your LCI results can open many educational, professional, and personal doors because they
allow you to answer a fundamental question about yourself: Who am I as a learner? What
makes me unique as a learner? How does knowing my Learning Patterns add to what I know
Sequence Section 2.2
about myself? How can I apply this information to my life right now? How can I use it to guide
my plans for the future?
The key to being a successful adult learner is to understand your Patterns and apply them
with intention to whatever situation in which you find yourself. In the next four sections (Sec-
tions 2.2–2.5), you will delve further into the Patterns. Each description includes a table that
outlines the specific thoughts (how you think), actions (how you act), feelings (how you feel),
and statements (what you might say) that typify each Use First and Avoid Pattern. This will
help you identify how each of your mental processes works to generate the effort needed to
accomplish a learning assignment.
As you read the descriptions and review the tables, carefully consider your own LCI scores.
With which Pattern descriptions do you identify strongly? To which do you find yourself
less attached? Do any of the descriptions remind you of interactions with family, friends, or
coworkers?
2.2 Sequence
Sequence is the Learning Pattern that organizes, plans, and completes tasks without inter-
ruption, using clear instructions and a time frame that allows you to double-check your work
once it’s completed. Sequence seeks examples, uses lists, and thrives on schedules.
Use First Sequence
The learner who Uses Sequence First
typically begins a task by asking,
“What are the directions?,” “What am
I expected to do?,” or “Can you post
some examples for me to look at?”
Those who use Sequence at a high level
want the security of seeing what the
expectations are; they want to make
sure there is no hidden agenda.
If you have Use First Sequence, you
Coscaron/iStock/Thinkstock hate having your supervisor or instruc-
Do you frequently use a calendar or list-making tor change directions after you have
app on your smartphone? Do you need step-by-step started your work. Your security—
instructions to complete a new task? If so, you may your sense of self as a learner—comes
be Use Sequence First. with “I can do this well by using the
techniques that have brought me suc-
cess before. I will use them over and
over.” If you use Sequence to a high degree, you thrive on practice and enjoy checking with
others to see how they are approaching the task. Online students with Use First Sequence will
post their responses and then anxiously await feedback from their instructors and classmates.
Sequence Section 2.2
Those who are Use First Sequence tend to be highly organized and orderly—sometimes to the
point of inflexibility. In the workplace, those who are Use First Sequence appreciate meetings
that feature agendas. They use lists and calendars to display all family activities for the day,
week, and month. However, they may procrastinate if they do not have directions or a full
understanding of what is expected, and they can become stressed if plans change frequently.
Shane, who was tasked with recruiting volunteers to staff a nonprofit organization’s food
booth, applied his Use First Sequence to develop a list of directions explaining the booth’s
operations (including things like health department restrictions). He also developed a spread-
sheet to track shifts per day and created an online sign-up form. The food booth was so well
operated that the local food bank asked Shane to help organize its volunteer shifts!
Use as Needed Sequence
Use as Needed Sequence finds it helpful to plan and make lists but is not bound by a sched-
ule or concerned when some items on a list are not completed. ‘There’s always tomorrow,”
is the attitude here. When Plan A falls apart, Use as Needed Sequence people can work with
Plan B, C, and so on.
Consider Fran, who turned to her Use as Needed Sequence to put together an itinerary and
purchase tickets for an upcoming trip. When she arrived at the airport, however, she dis-
covered her flight was overbooked. Instead of being upset, she volunteered to take a later
flight and in exchange received two free round-trip tickets. Fran’s Use as Needed Sequence
helped her be accommodating, adaptable, and willing to reset her priorities and schedule.
Avoid Sequence
If you are Avoid Sequence, you often skip reading and following directions, consciously choose
not to live by a schedule, and rarely double-check your work. You often miss deadlines or do
not complete the task as assigned. Avoiding Sequence can make submitting work and post-
ing responses on time feel like an annoyance. It can make you think you don’t need to read or
follow directions. In fact, directions remain a mystery to you, since your mind does not easily
wrap itself around multistep directions, whether they are written or spoken.
Ella, for example, kept getting stuck as she tried to follow her tax software’s step-by-step
directions for describing her home office.
“What do the directions say?” her husband asked.
“It wants the ‘area of the house.’ I’ve put in ‘upstairs.’ I’ve tried ‘second floor.’”
Her husband burst into laughter. “The directions are asking for the square feet of our house,
not the location of your office.”
Like, Ella, those who are Avoid Sequence frequently misunderstand even the most standard
of directions.
Precision Section 2.3
There are benefits to Avoiding Sequence, such as the ability to easily start over when a plan
is not working well. Managers who are Avoid Sequence often create an unstructured work
environment.
Table 2.1 outlines how you might think, act, and feel if you Use Sequence First or Avoid Sequence.
If you Use Sequence as Needed, you might identify with parts of both Use First and Avoid.
Table 2.1: Sequence Pattern
Use Sequence First (25–35)
How you think How you act How you feel What you might say
I think in categories I plan and break tasks I feel secure when I have What’s the goal for
and organizational down into the steps that a plan and can work this? Let’s stay on
objectives. need to be completed in according to it. task!
logical order.
I think with clarity, not I organize my schedule, I thrive on a well- There is a place
clutter. my work space, and my ordered life. for everything and
life space. everything in its
place.
I think in phases: begin- I do a task from begin- I feel complete when I Nothing feels better
ning, middle, and end. ning to end and prefer to can bring closure to a than crossing an
do so without inter- task. item off of my to-do
ruptions or a change in list.
direction.
Avoid Sequence (7–17)
How you think How you act How you feel What you might say
Why practice? I avoid directions and I feel like I’m wasting Do I have to do it again?
practicing. my time.
These directions make I ignore directions and I feel confused by the What do you mean I
no sense! written plans, such as a directions. have to follow these
syllabus. directions?
Why can’t I just jump I begin a task where I I don’t feel the need to Does it really matter
in? am most comfortable. start by using only one what I do first?
entry point.
Source: Adapted from Strategic Learning: A Guide to Your Learning Self (p. 12-13), by C. A. Johnston, 2012, Glassboro, NJ: Let Me
Learn, Inc. Copyright 2012 by Let Me Learn Inc. Adapted with permission.
2.3 Precision
Precision is the Learning Pattern that seeks information and details, asks and answers ques-
tions, and researches and documents facts.
Use First Precision
Verbatim comments found in the short answer section of the LCI indicate that individuals whose
scale scores demonstrated a Use First level of Precision wanted specifics. “Don’t make me guess.”
“I get frustrated when I can’t find accurate information or don’t have the time or opportunity to
Precision Section 2.3
find it.” These individuals want to be
sure they have the right answer.
If you are Use First Precision, you ask
lots of questions and want to receive
thorough explanations. You typically
begin an assignment by gathering a
lot of data and a lot of facts. You can
be relentless in seeking informa-
tion. You probably love trivia—sports
stats, game shows, and so on. When
your Precision is at a Use First level,
you may enjoy taking a test because
it allows you to measure how much
you know about a specific topic. Those BananaStock/BananaStock/Thinkstock
who Use Precision First are meticu- A person who has Use First Precision will most
lous and feel good when the work is likely take detailed notes on a topic.
done exactingly.
One hazard of being Use First Precision is that you do not always use your time wisely, because
you think you can squeeze in one more text message or check your Facebook feed one more
time. Use First Precision learners may procrastinate by getting lost in the details or by spend-
ing too much time researching.
Read the story that follows and see with which person’s Patterns you most identify:
Matt, who is Use First Precision (P35), and his Avoid Precision daughter, Eve (P09), went
shopping for her first car. Before the trip, Matt studied Consumer Reports, while Eve looked at
pictures of popular models. Once at the dealership, Eve suggested that she look around and
talk to the salesperson on her own first, knowing her father would focus on details that were
not important to her. “Once I’ve picked out the model I really want, I’ll come find you in the
waiting room and have you do the number crunching and negotiating. Deal?” Eve said. Matt
conceded. Eve’s strategic decision allowed them both to use their Patterns with intention and
have a more pleasant car-buying experience.
Use as Needed Precision
Use as Needed Precision operates with the understanding that “close” counts, and exactness
isn’t always necessary. Melissa, for example, posted the following on her Facebook page:
I was helping my aunt freeze succotash. Before I began labeling the containers,
my Use First Precision forced me to ask, “How do you spell succotash?” “Corn
and lima beans,” my aunt replied. I guess her Use as Needed Precision was satis-
fied describing the content rather than labeling it by name. (Used by permission
of Melissa Smith)
Avoid Precision
Of course, not everyone uses Precision to the same degree. In fact, you may actually Avoid
Precision. If so, you rarely read for pleasure, don’t attend to details, and tune out long-winded
Precision Section 2.3
conversations. To an Avoid Precision learner, the written responses of a Use First Precision
learner sound like “Blah blah, blah, blah.” Such a learner might say, “I just let all that information
go in one ear and out the other. If I don’t, it just overwhelms me.” Take our earlier example of
Matt and Eve. At one point during her teen years, Eve (P09) referred to her father (P35) as “the
Interrogator” because he asked her so many questions. Her Avoid Precision nature dreaded hav-
ing to come up with detailed responses. At times, not only did she Avoid Precision, she avoided
her father. Only after coming to an understanding of their Patterns was she able to interact with
him in a mutually respectful manner, thus earning him the privilege of car shopping with her.
It might be tempting to think that you cannot do well in the information age if you are Avoid
Precision. That is not true. With the ready availability of information online, you can make
your Avoid level of Precision work for you. For example, information is now at your fingertips
through your mobile devices and allows those who are Avoid Precision to reference factual
information in seconds, versus trying to remember the details. You can more quickly skim
and scan information without getting bogged down in the voluminous amount of detail you
have found. You may turn to reading summaries and abstracts (when appropriate to your
research), rather than reading extensive articles. As long as the source you have selected is
factually based and logically developed, you can use abbreviated sources to make your case
and thereby succeed, even when avoiding Precision.
Table 2.2 outlines how you might think, act, and feel if you Use Precision First or Avoid Preci-
sion. If you Use Precision as Needed, you might identify with parts of both Use First and Avoid.
Table 2.2: Precision Pattern
Use Precision First (25–35)
How you think How you act How you feel What you might say
I think in I challenge statements I thrive on knowledge. I need more information.
information. and ideas that I doubt. Let me write down the
answer to that.
I ask many I prove I am right. I feel confident when I What is . . . ?
questions. have accurate information.
I leave no piece of I write things down. I feel informed when I am currently reading
information unread. people share their three different books
information. on . . .
Avoid Precision (7–17)
How you think How you act How you feel What you might say
Do I have to read all I don’t have specific I am overwhelmed when Don’t expect me to know
of this? answers. confronted with details. names and dates!
How am I going to I skim instead of read- I fear looking stupid. Do all these details
remember all of this? ing details. matter?
Who cares about all I take few, if any, notes. I get frustrated trying to find Stop asking me so many
this stuff? the one right answer. questions!
Source: Adapted from Strategic Learning: A Guide to Your Learning Self (p. 13-14), by C. A. Johnston, 2012, Glassboro, NJ: Let Me
Learn, Inc. Copyright 2012 by Let Me Learn Inc. Adapted with permission.
Technical Reasoning Section 2.4
2.4 Technical Reasoning
Technical Reasoning is the Pattern that learns from real-world experiences, looks for rel-
evance, and prides itself in coming up with practical answers. It emphasizes the ability to
problem solve using independent thinking and hands-on interaction.
Use First Technical
Reasoning
Technical Reasoning is very differ-
ent from Precision in the way it oper-
ates within the mind. While Precision
might be described as the Pattern of
the most words, Technical Reasoning
would be the Pattern of the fewest.
In fact, its most unique trait is that it
allows you to think without words.
However, this same characteristic may
lead you to struggle to find the words
Ondine32/iStock/Thinkstock
to articulate your thoughts, especially
If your Technical Reasoning is at a Use First level,
in writing. Individuals who Use Tech-
that may mean that you enjoy hands-on learning
nical Reasoning First wrote the short-
and may struggle with conveying thoughts aloud or
est answers in the LCI’s short answer
in writing.
section.
If you Use Technical Reasoning First, you look for relevance and practicality. You solve prob-
lems, think in operational terms, and prefer to work by yourself. Michaela, a retail manager,
turns to her Use First Technical Reasoning to build displays and troubleshoot customer ser-
vice problems. Her employees describe her as very hands-on, and she regularly pitches in to
help them look for solutions to the many issues they come across in the warehouse, on the
floor, and at the registers.
Many individuals who Use Technical Reasoning First understand the functionality of tools,
gadgets, and technical instruments. They like to take things apart to see what makes them tick
and put them back together without any leftover screws.
Interestingly, the Pattern of the most words (Precision) and the Pattern of the fewest words
(Technical Reasoning) can work together at the Use First level. However, Technical Reasoning
typically affects working relationships by limiting the amount and flow of information pro-
vided by Precision, keeping it to the minimal “need to know.” Only relevant facts are shared
with coworkers, while “information for information’s sake” is not.
One hazard of Use First Technical Reasoning is that you may procrastinate if you do not see
the purpose of a task. Use First Technical Reasoning learners often report being bored in
school because of “too much pointless busywork.” As a college student, it is important to find
assignments relevant and be able to apply them to the real world in order to keep your Tech-
nical Reasoning engaged.
Technical Reasoning Section 2.4
Use as Needed Technical Reasoning
Being Use as Needed Technical Reasoning still helps you solve problems. Doing so, however,
is not a priority. As one mother said, “I could fix the leaky toilet or re-tile the bathroom, but
that’s not how I choose to spend my weekend. That’s what home repair services are for.”
Those who Use Technical Reasoning as Needed willingly contribute to solving organiza-
tional and operational problems and enjoy the challenge of doing so.
Avoid Technical Reasoning
Those who Avoid Technical Reasoning find it frustrating when seeking to communicate with
someone who uses very few words. They feel closed out when forced to watch someone dem-
onstrate a process without getting directions and explanations. They frequently offer their
own explanations in a questioning voice, as if to say, “Am I understanding what you are doing?”
They seek more than a monosyllabic explanation of what is occurring. They find it difficult to
relate to nonverbal problem solving.
Rich, an emergency medical technician with Use First Technical Reasoning (TR30), was work-
ing with a group of Habitat for Humanity volunteers to build a house. The volunteers con-
sisted of an accountant (TR14) and a salesperson (TR10), both of whom Avoided Technical
Reasoning. They were trying to decide the dimensions of the front entrance steps. Rich lis-
tened and then moved away. Standing alone, he sketched the slope of the steps, went back to
the doorway and remeasured, and then returned to the group with a diagram of what was
needed. The group was impressed with how efficiently Rich visualized the situation and came
up with a solution.
Table 2.3 outlines how you might think, act, and feel if you Use Technical Reasoning First
or Avoid Technical Reasoning. If you Use Technical Reasoning as Needed, you might identify
with parts of both Use First and Avoid.
Table 2.3: Technical Reasoning Pattern
Use Technical Reasoning First (25–35)
How you think How you act How you feel What you might say
I think of a situation as a I size up the situation I feel satisfied when I Good job! Bring on
puzzle to be solved. and solve the problem. solve a problem. the next problem.
I seek relevance and I concentrate and figure I feel useful when a task How will I ever
challenge. things out. has a purpose. use this in the real
world?
I want to know how I work with my hands I enjoy working alone to What a great design!
something works. and then with my head. figure things out.
(continued)
Confluence Section 2.5
Table 2.3: Technical Reasoning Pattern (continued)
Avoid Technical Reasoning (7–17)
How you think How you act How you feel What you might
say
Why should I care how I avoid using tools or I am inept. If it is broken,
this works? instruments. throw it away!
Somebody has to help me I can explain the problem I’m uncomfortable when I’m an educated
figure out what are the in words and prefer to required to represent person; I should
contributing factors to talk about it instead of a problem using a be able to do this!
this problem. taking action to solve it. schematic.
Why do I have to assem- I rely on the directions to I lack the confidence to I need written
ble this? help me succeed. construct things. directions, not just
pictures!
Source: Adapted from Strategic Learning: A Guide to Your Learning Self (p. 15), by C. A. Johnston, 2012, Glassboro, NJ: Let Me
Learn, Inc. Copyright 2012 by Let Me Learn Inc. Adapted with permission.
2.5 Confluence
Confluence is the Learning Pattern that describes the way we use our imagination, take ini-
tiative and risks, and brainstorm ways to approach situations in a unique manner.
Use First Confluence
Has anyone ever told you that you think outside the box? This is Confluence at work. You
thrive on change. You see life’s connectedness rather than its disjointedness. You see con-
nections that perhaps others do not see. When Confluence is your Use First Pattern, you use
metaphors and comparisons rather than explaining something in detail. “The office today
was a real zoo,” you might say, or “I’m like a sponge.” Metaphors like these offer you a quick
way to explain what you are seeing or experiencing without taking the time to express it with
exactness.
A bank associate, who is highly Sequential, wrote of her frustration in trying to carry on a
conversation with her husband, who is highly Confluent (see Figure 2.3):
I realized . . . why I have such a hard time communicating with him. He starts
with one topic and veers into so many different directions that I can’t keep
track of where the conversation is going. For example, he started by talking
about “birds of a feather” and then talked about music, weight lifting, eating,
why our friend can’t sell his house, and then something else (I was really lost
at this point). (Rice, 2006, used by permission of Debbie Rice)
Confluence Section 2.5
Figure 2.3: Confluence and Sequence in conversation
Your ability to follow what someone is saying during a conversation could be related to the
differences between your Learning Pattern combinations.
Used by permission of Debbie Rice
In the world of business, Confluence is identified as “blue-skying” it: offering ideas that do
not have practical uses or make money—yet. Individuals with Use First Confluence describe
being frustrated when others reject their ideas because they do not fit the mold or veer from
the instructions. Some students regard Confluence as the “creative” Pattern, but as discussed
in the Tips & Tools feature box, creativity actually exists in all Patterns.
A drawback of Confluence is the tendency to take on too much, pursue multiple ideas, and
leave projects unfinished. The key to using Confluence effectively is to anchor your ideas and
excitement to either a plan, well-researched information, or a well-grounded purpose. In this
way, you can use your Confluence with intention to achieve a specific outcome. When con-
nected to your entire team of Learning Patterns, Confluence can provide the spark that moves
you toward greater innovation and achievement. It all depends on how intentionally you use
your Patterns.
Use as Needed Confluence
People who Use Confluence as Needed are open to trying new things. Individuals in the Use
as Needed range are not the first to volunteer to try something new, but they will join in once
they see it is safe and fun. Use as Needed Confluence folks are accommodators; they are the
“we can make this work” people who don’t become frustrated when a schedule abruptly
Confluence Section 2.5
changes or a meeting is suddenly canceled. When Ben’s luggage was stolen while he was on
vacation, his reaction was, “Well, these things happen.” Did Ben enjoy the disruption? No, but
his Use as Needed Confluence helped him cope.
Tips & Tools: Understanding Pattern Power
The first step to using your Patterns well is to have a thorough knowledge of the intricacies
of each of them, no matter your level of use. Once you have developed this skill, you can fully
understand the nature of the team of Patterns within you. However, it is important to avoid
putting any of your Patterns in a box. No Pattern is the smart Pattern. No Pattern is the bor-
ing one. No Pattern is the creative one. Moreover, you are a combination of all four of your
Patterns.
Creativity is found in every Pattern. Insights and ideas abound in each Pattern. In Sequence,
creativity is the ability to generate a unique plan that addresses a task’s complexity. Sequential
creativity identifies and works out all issues in advance of them occurring.
In Precision, creativity is captured by using words in an original way to persuade, entertain, or
make a convincing argument. Always accurate and factual, the creative use of Precision allows
one to communicate with others at the highest level.
In Technical Reasoning, creativity is evident in innovative problem solving. Field-fitting is an
example of creative Technical Reasoning: When the best blueprints or designs don’t fit the
physical reality of the work site, a creative use of Technical Reasoning is able to modify them
on the spot and get the job done.
In Confluence, creativity is having a Steven Spielberg level of imagination, a SpaceX degree of
pioneering vision, or the ability to launch an iPhone-like product that has never before been
proposed. In other words, Confluent creativity conceives of what has never before been imag-
ined and couples it with the willingness to take risks to make fantasy a reality.
Avoid Confluence
Of course, if you are Avoid Confluence, you think taking risks is foolish and wasteful. You are
cautious as you make life decisions. You would rather not make mistakes, especially if your
Avoidance of Confluence is tied to the fact that you Use Precision First.
During her younger years, the fact that Emily was Avoid Confluence (C14) caused her to
struggle as her family moved from one location to another. It wasn’t easy for her to adjust to
new schools all the time. It took her months to make friends. As she entered middle school,
her Avoid Confluence became a type of social protection, a shield against making snap deci-
sions or taking risks. On her LCI she wrote, “School is the best part of my day because there I
follow the same schedule every day. No surprises.”
Table 2.4 outlines how you might think, act, and feel if you Use Confluence First or Avoid
Confluence. If you Use Confluence as Needed, then you might identify with parts of both Use
First and Avoid.
Understanding the Different Pattern Combinations Section 2.6
Table 2.4: Confluence Pattern
Use Confluence First (25–35)
How you think How you act How you feel What you might say
I think to risk is to learn. I take risks. I am not afraid to risk Nothing ventured, noth-
and fail. ing gained!
I think outside the box. I brainstorm. I let my I feel energized by pos- I have an idea. No, wait! I
mind wander without sibilities that are still in have an even better idea!
boundaries. the idea stage.
I connect things that are I read over, under, I revel in connecting the Think big picture!
seemingly unrelated. around, and between the dots.
lines.
Avoid Confluence (7–17)
How you think How you act How you feel What you might say
Where is the focus? I look for the purpose. I feel unsettled. Let’s stay focused!
What do you mean, I avoid the unknown. My head is in a whirl! Where did that idea
imagine? come from?
Who is in control? I operate with clear I don’t want any more This is out of control!
goals and a single, laser- changes or surprises!
like focus.
Source: Adapted from Strategic Learning: A Guide to Your Learning Self (p. 16–17), by C. A. Johnston, 2012, Glassboro, NJ: Let Me
Learn, Inc. Copyright 2012 by Let Me Learn Inc. Adapted with permission.
2.6 Understanding the Different Pattern Combinations
Patterns do not work in isolation. You never use just one. Your Pattern combination always
consists of all four Patterns working as a team, in concert with each other to create whole-
ness—a combination for success. Working together, they form a vibrant relationship that you
can feel at work and that others can readily observe. There is no combination of Patterns that
is stronger; there is no combination of Patterns that is weaker. Your Patterns are who you
are. They are right for you. They work well for you—when you know how to use them with
intention.
The nature of the relationship among your Patterns is the result of the number of Patterns
you Use First, Use as Needed, and Avoid. Standard combinations of Learning Patterns consist
of at least one Use First Pattern or all Use as Needed Patterns. As a learner, you should fall into
one of the following categories:
1. Dynamic. You have at least one (possibly two) Use First Patterns.
2. Strong-Willed. You have at least three (possibly four) Use First Patterns.
3. Bridge. You have all Use as Needed Patterns.
Ninety-seven percent of all learners have a Use First Pattern. Fifty percent have an Avoid Pat-
tern. Interestingly, only 3% have no Use First or Avoid Patterns (Johnston, n.d.).
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