2Knowing Yourself as a LearnerWessel Du plooyHemera.docx

2Knowing Yourself as
a Learner
Wessel Du plooy/Hemera/Thinkstock
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.
“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)
Section 2.1Understanding Learning Patterns
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
how you learn, you can take the Learn-
ing Connections Inventory (LCI). This
survey instrument was 6 years in the
making and field-tested with over

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
Ivan-balvan/iStock/Thinkstock
People with different Learning Patterns take
different approaches to completing a task.
Understanding others’ Learning Patterns is key to
collaboration.
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
degree. And as you might expect, if you have
Patterns that fall into the Avoid range, their
filters are nearly completely closed off, mak-
ing it difficult for you to receive the stimuli,
much less process it with ease. (Check out
the interactive version of Figure 2.1 in your
e-book to better understand this concept.)
It is not necessarily true that having a Use
First score in a Pattern is better than having
an Avoid. Avoiding a Pattern can be as useful
to you in your life as Using it First. It is how
you apply your awareness of your Patterns,
and whether you do so with intention, that
is most important.
Throughout this book, you will see scale
scores listed as you read about various indi-

viduals and their Pattern combinations. The
scores will be abbreviated using letters and
numbers to differentiate between the four
Knowing my Learning Patterns helped me
figure out how to make my writing better.
—Quinn Berger, elementary school student
(personal communication, August 2017)
Knowing my Learning Patterns has given
me confidence in myself as a learner—
something I never felt before.
—Brian Frieda, Ashford University college stu-
dent and police chief (personal communication,
March 20, 2017, used by permission)
The moment I understood my Learning
Patterns was a powerful moment—for me
it was so affirming, even life changing.
—Bonnie U. Dawkins, master elementary school
teacher (personal communication, June 2008,
used by permission)
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.
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,
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
Section 2.2Sequence
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
hate having your supervisor or instruc-
tor change directions after you have
started your work. Your security—
your sense of self as a learner—comes

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.
Coscaron/iStock/Thinkstock
Do you frequently use a calendar or list-making
app on your smartphone? Do you need step-by-step
instructions to complete a new task? If so, you may
be Use Sequence First.
Section 2.2Sequence
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.
Section 2.3Precision
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
and organizational
objectives.
I plan and break tasks
down into the steps that
need to be completed in
logical order.
I feel secure when I have
a plan and can work
according to it.
What’s the goal for
this? Let’s stay on
task!
I think with clarity, not
clutter.
I organize my schedule,
my work space, and my
life space.
I thrive on a well-
ordered life.
There is a place
for everything and
everything in its

place.
I think in phases: begin-
ning, middle, and end.
I do a task from begin-
ning to end and prefer to
do so without inter-
ruptions or a change in
direction.
I feel complete when I
can bring closure to a
task.
Nothing feels better
than crossing an
item off of my to-do
list.
Avoid Sequence (7–17)
Why practice? I avoid directions and
practicing.
I feel like I’m wasting
my time.
Do I have to do it again?
These directions make
no sense!
I ignore directions and

written plans, such as a
syllabus.
I feel confused by the
directions.
What do you mean I
have to follow these
directions?
Why can’t I just jump
in?
I begin a task where I
am most comfortable.
I don’t feel the need to
start by using only one
entry point.
Does it really matter
what I do first?
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
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
who Use Precision First are meticu-
lous and feel good when the work is
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
BananaStock/BananaStock/Thinkstock
A person who has Use First Precision will most
likely take detailed notes on a topic.
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.
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)
I think in
information.
I challenge statements
and ideas that I doubt.
I thrive on knowledge. I need more information.
Let me write down the
answer to that.
I ask many

questions.
I prove I am right. I feel confident when I
have accurate information.
What is . . . ?
I leave no piece of
information unread.
I write things down. I feel informed when
people share their
information.
I am currently reading
three different books
on . . .
Avoid Precision (7–17)
Do I have to read all
of this?
I don’t have specific
answers.
I am overwhelmed when
confronted with details.
Don’t expect me to know
names and dates!
How am I going to
remember all of this?

I skim instead of read-
ing details.
I fear looking stupid. Do all these details
matter?
Who cares about all
this stuff ?
I take few, if any, notes. I get frustrated trying to find
the one right answer.
Stop asking me so many
questions!
Learning Self (p. 13-14), by C. A. Johnston, 2012, Glassboro,
NJ: Let Me
permission.
Section 2.4Technical Reasoning
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
to articulate your thoughts, especially
in writing. Individuals who Use Tech-
nical Reasoning First wrote the short-
est answers in the LCI’s short answer
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.
Ondine32/iStock/Thinkstock
If your Technical Reasoning is at a Use First level,
that may mean that you enjoy hands-on learning
and may struggle with conveying thoughts aloud or
in writing.
Section 2.4Technical Reasoning
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.
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)
I think of a situation as a
puzzle to be solved.
I size up the situation
and solve the problem.
I feel satisfied when I
solve a problem.
Good job! Bring on
the next problem.
I seek relevance and
challenge.
I concentrate and figure
things out.
I feel useful when a task
has a purpose.
How will I ever
use this in the real
world?
I want to know how
something works.

I work with my hands
and then with my head.
I enjoy working alone to
figure things out.
What a great design!
(continued)
Section 2.5Confluence
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
this works?
I avoid using tools or
instruments.
I am inept. If it is broken,
throw it away!
Somebody has to help me
figure out what are the
contributing factors to
this problem.

I can explain the problem
in words and prefer to
talk about it instead of
taking action to solve it.
I’m uncomfortable when
required to represent
a problem using a
schematic.
I’m an educated
person; I should
be able to do this!
Why do I have to assem-
ble this?
I rely on the directions to
help me succeed.
I lack the confidence to
construct things.
I need written
directions, not just
pictures!
Learning Self (p. 15), by C. A. Johnston, 2012, Glassboro, NJ:
Let Me
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)

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
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.
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.”
Confluence First or Avoid
Confluence. If you Use Confluence as Needed, then you might
identify with parts of both Use
First and Avoid.
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.
Section 2.6Understanding the Different Pattern Combinations
Table 2.4: Confluence Pattern
Use Confluence First (25–35)
I think to risk is to learn. I take risks. I am not afraid to risk
and fail.
Nothing ventured, noth-
ing gained!
I think outside the box. I brainstorm. I let my
mind wander without
boundaries.

I feel energized by pos-
sibilities that are still in
the idea stage.
I have an idea. No, wait! I
have an even better idea!
I connect things that are
seemingly unrelated.
I read over, under,
around, and between the
lines.
I revel in connecting the
dots.
Think big picture!
Avoid Confluence (7–17)
Where is the focus? I look for the purpose. I feel unsettled.
Let’s stay focused!
What do you mean,
imagine?
I avoid the unknown. My head is in a whirl! Where did that idea
come from?
Who is in control? I operate with clear
goals and a single, laser-
like focus.

I don’t want any more
changes or surprises!
This is out of control!
Learning Self (p. 16–17), by C. A. Johnston, 2012, Glassboro,
NJ: Let Me
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.).
When exploring your combination of Learning Patterns, it is
always important to ask your-
self, “Is this me?” If your Pattern combination does not fall into
the Dynamic, Strong-Willed,
or Bridge categories, then you most likely have a nonstandard
combination and will want to
retake the LCI. A nonstandard combination is one that has an
Avoid Pattern but no Use First
Pattern. Some examples include the following:
One Use as Needed and three Avoid (e.g., S22, P16, TR17, C14)
Two Use as Needed and two Avoid (e.g., S18, P20, TR11, C16)
Three Use as Needed and one Avoid (e.g., S23, P19, TR20,
C12)
There are many reasons why these irregular combinations might
arise. You may have been
tired when you completed the LCI and were unable to invest
energy in completing it. You may
have been distracted when taking it. You may have worried that

this was a test of your intel-
ligence or capacity to learn. Getting an accurate score on the
LCI is also less likely to occur
when you have recently experienced one or more of life’s
greatest stressors:
• A change in a personal relationship (death, birth, separation,
or marriage)
• A change in work status (loss of job, start of new employment)
• A change in locale (move to new area or new home)
If you need to retake the LCI, clear your mind and focus on the
task at hand. Remember that
this is not a test. Choose more specific responses for your
answers. Once you have a standard
set of scores, you are ready to explore your combination of
Learning Patterns.
Dynamic Learner
Dynamic is the combination of Learning Patterns that uses at
least one Pattern at the Use
First level, while the remaining ones are any combination of
another Use First, Use as Needed,
or Avoid. The majority (67%) of learners are Dynamic.
When your Patterns form a Dynamic configuration, you
experience yourself shifting from the
use of one Pattern to another. You sense when you are moving
from a Use First to a Use as
Needed Pattern. You feel the change based on your affective
(emotive) response to the Pat-
tern, and you recognize how your level of confidence is being
affected, particularly when you
move from your Use First Patterns to those you Avoid.
As a Dynamic learner, you can relate to others well and

understand how they use their Learn-
ing Patterns. You can identify when a colleague or supervisor is
shifting from one Pattern to
another when giving directions or when faced with an
abundance of questions. You have a
strong sense of Pattern empathy and are able to sense when
others in your work setting are
having their Pattern needs ignored.
Here is a Dynamic learner’s description of how his Patterns
work:
John LoCrasto Jr. (Dynamic learner—two Use First, two Use as
Needed):
Sequence 23 (Use as Needed)
Precision 26 (Use First)
Technical Reasoning 30 (Use First)
Confluence 23 (Use as Needed)
Used by permission of John LoCrasto.
John LoCrasto Jr. is a lead engineer for a large construction
company, and large
is a key word in his job description. He supervises a large
number of opera-
tors of large construction equipment, working on large
projects—building
airports, bridges, dams, railway systems, and more. John’s Use
First Techni-
cal Reasoning is apparent when he describes his childhood:
“From early on, I
liked to use Technical Reasoning to learn. . . . I loved taking

stuff apart and put-
ting it back together,” he recalls. “I found things to do after I’d
get out of school
where I learned more in a hands-on way. . . . I liked working on
my own.”
After a stint in the U.S. Navy, John worked his way up to lead
engineer in a
large construction company. Technical Reasoning is the
Learning Pattern John
uses most, but his Use First Precision also plays an important
role in his work.
“Let’s say you’re operating a crane and setting steel,” he says.
“You’re using
your skills to swing two workers 30 to 40 stories up in the air.
You’re swinging
that piece of steel, and those workers are standing up there, and
you’ve got to
make sure it lands where it’s supposed to!”
When he supervises other machine operators, John must give
precise instruc-
tions. Giving exact instructions also involves his Use as Needed
level of
Sequence.
John’s job also requires him to employ his Use as Needed
Confluence, as engi-
neers must often view problems in new ways in order to solve
them. “Some-
times,” John notes, “what it says on a plan doesn’t work out in
the field, so you
have to ‘field-fit.’”
Strong-Willed Learner
Strong-Willed is the combination of

Learning Patterns that uses three or
more Patterns at the Use First level
and the remaining Pattern at the Use
as Needed or Avoid level. Thirty per-
cent of learners are Strong-Willed.
Strong-Willed learners seek opportu-
nities to lead rather than be led. Their
Pattern combination of three or more
Use First Learning Patterns positions
them to be their own self-contained
team.
Do your Patterns operate in a Strong-
Willed relationship? Do you experi-
ence a high degree of determination
as a result of your multiple Use First
Julief514/iStock/Thinkstock
Those whose Learning Patterns form a Strong-
Willed combination tend to take leadership roles
and would rather be in control of planning and
decision making.
Patterns? Do you prefer to control the plan, the ideas, the talks,
the decisions, the processes,
and the outcomes? If so, your Patterns are likely putting you
into situations that make it dif-
ficult for you to work with others because you could (and would
prefer to) do it all yourself.
As a result, you might be critical of those you perceive as not

getting on board fast enough or
who fail to carry their load. You may struggle to recognize the
difficulty that your approach
causes for peers, colleagues, family members, and teammates.
You may also find it difficult to
understand the behaviors of those who have several Avoid or
Use as Needed Patterns. This
gap in empathy can be a blind spot in your ability to lead
others. Understanding yourself as a
learner and being aware of how your approach affects those
around you is particularly impor-
tant when you have a Strong-Willed Pattern combination.
Bonnie Dawkins (Strong-Willed learner—three Use First, one
Avoid):
Sequence 25 (Use First)
Precision 29 (Use First)
Technical Reasoning 07 (Avoid)
Confluence 30 (Use First)
Used by permission of Bonnie Dawkins.
Bonnie Dawkins has always wanted to be a teacher, helping
children love learning as she
does. Today her Learning Patterns help her meet the demands of
teaching sixth-grade
students. Bonnie’s Use First Sequence equips her to plan and
organize her school year
and the children’s curriculum. Her Use First Precision drives
her focus on ensuring that
all students “learn to read and read to learn”—she wants to
make sure her students can
both decipher the words on the page and read for information
and comprehension. Her
Use First Confluence helped her develop sophisticated book
projects for her students to
work on.

Since learning about Learning Patterns in a graduate class,
Bonnie has been a woman
on a mission, working to integrate the LML system into every
aspect of the curricu-
lum, whether social studies, English language arts, math, or
science. As a Strong-Willed
learner, Bonnie tends to try to do it all: “I can swoop down on a
situation, plan it, drive
it, and attend to all the parts—including your role, which, if you
want me to, I’ll design
for you.”
Bonnie’s efforts do pay off: Her students are now using
personal strategies to guide their
learning and working together more effectively because they
better understand them-
selves and one another as learners. However, Bonnie also has
been known to become
exhausted and worry that there is “always more I can be doing.”
She recognizes that she
must use her Strong-Willedness with intention and balance her
role as a guide with her
desire to be in control. “I forget that I am not in charge of
everything. I cannot control
every outcome. I don’t own their learning; I facilitate it.”
Bridge Learner
Bridge is the combination of Learning Patterns that features no
Use First or Avoid but instead
consists of all four Patterns at a Use as Needed level. These
learners are rare, making up only
3% of the population.

If all of your Pattern scores fall between 18 and 24, you have a
combination of Learning Pat-
terns that bridge the difference between a Use First and an
Avoid level of a Pattern, creating
the opportunity for you to work seamlessly to connect and solve
learning challenges. When
your Patterns form a Bridge relationship, you are comfortable
using all of them. While you
experience a difference between them, you feel no urgency to
use one over another. Your Pat-
terns serve a helpful role by leading from the middle.
Frequently, Bridge learners will say things like: “I don’t need
the spotlight; I just want to con-
tribute in my quiet way.” “I feel like a jack-of-all-trades and a
master of none, but I find I
can blend in, pitch in, and help make things happen.” “I weigh
things in the balance carefully
before I act.” “I encourage others rather than take charge of a
situation.”
These learners are team catalysts who, by listening and
interacting with others, bring people
closer to resolution while eliminating grandstanding and
arguing. They use phrases such as,
“If I were you, I might consider. . .” and offer quiet alternatives
rather than specific demands.
Of all the different roles a Bridge learner plays when working
on a team, interpreter is most
important. Individuals who use a combination of Use First or
Avoid Patterns often find it diffi-
cult to understand where the other is coming from. Their
Patterns may conflict, causing a gap
in their understanding of one another. This is when the Bridge

learner is especially helpful
to the team. The Bridge learner can relate to and therefore
explain the thoughts, actions, and
feelings of one learner to another in a respectful way. The
Bridge learner can close the gap of
understanding between learners with conflicting Patterns by
bridging the distance between
their Use First and Avoid Patterns.
Connie Lindsey (Bridge learner—four Use as Needed):
Sequence 21 (Use as Needed)
Precision 23 (Use as Needed)
Technical Reasoning 24 (Use as Needed)
Confluence 22 (Use as Needed)
Connie Lindsey is an executive vice president at one of
America’s leading financial
institutions. She heads a team of 90 individuals and is
responsible for managing bil-
lions of dollars in clients’ assets. As a woman of color from a
difficult socioeconomic
background, her success in the male-dominated world of finance
is notable; her Bridge
Patterns enable her to interact successfully with investors,
coworkers, and government
regulators.
Connie uses each Pattern in the Use as Needed range. In her
work, Precision plays an
important role in ensuring accurate reporting. Confluence helps
her interpret clients’
requests and meet their needs. “We depend to a large degree on
our ability to see things
in new ways,” she said. Connie also recalls using her Technical
Reasoning Pattern as a
student, as she has always preferred to work independently.

Connie describes her Patterns as acting as a “bridge” to bring
people together; she has
encouraged others to contribute according to their own Use First
ways of learning. Con-
nie learns—and leads—by listening to others, and she keeps
everyone focused on the
group goal.
Section 2.7Building Your Personal Learning Profile
As an executive, Connie has observed firsthand that people
learn in different ways. “It is
extremely important for leaders to recognize this in order to
maximize the performance
of members of the team,” she says. “I usually ask questions that
help me understand
their Learning Patterns, and I adjust to those to assist them in
achieving team goals.”
2.7 Building Your Personal Learning Profile
Once you understand the different Patterns and the implications
of various combinations,
you can examine your own Pattern combination and build a
personal learning profile.
A personal learning profile (PLP) demonstrates your awareness
of how you use each Pat-
tern. Your PLP takes note of your scores, your use level of each
Pattern, and the type of learner
you are (Dynamic, Strong-Willed, or Bridge). More importantly,
your PLP helps you articulate
how your mind works and how that causes you to feel and act in
everyday life. For example,

if you are Use First Technical Reasoning, you might say, “I’m a
person who doesn’t use many
words to say what I have to say.” Developing a PLP is the first
step to owning your Patterns
because it requires you to translate your LCI scores into a
description that is specific to you.
Take a look at the following annotated PLP for Brennan. Each
part of his PLP is followed with
some further explanation.
Part 1: LCI results
Identify the type of
learner (Dynamic,
Strong-Willed,
Bridge) you are in
the box provided.
Strong-Willed learner
Sequence Precision
Technical
Reasoning
Confluence
Record your LCI
scores in the boxes
provided.
23 29 35 25
Record the level of use
in the boxes provided.

Use as Needed Use First Use First Use First
Note that the level at which Brennan uses each Learning Pattern
is indicated by his scores. Recall that the ranges
are as follows:
Avoid: 7–17
Use as Needed: 18–24
Use First: 25–35
Section 2.7Building Your Personal Learning Profile
Part 2: How I Use First, Use as Needed, or Avoid Sequence
(Write a paragraph of four to five sentences describing the
degree to which you use this Pattern.)
USE AS NEEDED SEQUENCE:
I read directions if I feel the need to do so. Primarily I check to
see if I have done this type of assignment
before. If I have had previous experience, I will ignore the
directions and simply repeat what I did for the
previous assignment. If the task is new to me, I usually will
take time to read through the directions carefully.
When it comes to following a schedule, I might jot down a brief
to-do list. I see schedules as loose guides
rather than rigid determiners of what I need to do or when.
Like everyone, I see my time as valuable so I focus on doing
important things. Picking up after myself does
not rank high, so it is not unusual for me to leave things where I
last used them. For the most part I put my
tools back where they belong because I want to be able to find
them when I need them.

I never take the time to make an outline when writing a paper.
Simply listing my thoughts in the order I want
to include them in the paper works much better for me.
It is worth noting that Brennan created this PLP for a class
assignment, which required him to use multiple sen-
tences to describe each of his Patterns. Brennan has Use First
Technical Reasoning (TR35)—the Pattern that uses
the fewest words—so if he were making a PLP for his own use,
he would likely use bulleted lists to talk about how he
uses each Pattern.
Part 3: How I Use First, Use as Needed, or Avoid Precision
USE FIRST PRECISION:
I take pride in knowing things. Sometimes I get myself into
debates. I love to share the information that I’ve
learned and find it frustrating that sometimes I meet resistance
when people confuse factual information
for my personal opinions. In addition, since I have so many
interests, I consistently have insight to share on
a variety of topics. People sometimes find my deluge of
information condescending, though of course that’s
never my intent. I’ll read 2,000 pages of plans and specs on the
job, so I know I can deal with Precision—but
when it comes to writing, that’s a different thing.
Brennan knows a lot of things and can absorb a great deal of
information. You may expect that with a Use First level
of Precision (P29), he would write more, but the fact that he is
Use First Technical Reasoning (TR35) keeps him from
outwardly expressing all that he knows inwardly. Doing an

assignment with a required number of sentences for
each Pattern frustrates him and stretches his patience.
Part 4: How I Use First, Use as Needed, or Avoid Technical
Reasoning
USE FIRST TECHNICAL REASONING:
If I have a problem to solve, I’ll spend hours thinking about
whatever is puzzling me. Mostly I keep my
thoughts to myself. When it comes to writing, it is painful, and
I procrastinate. Usually the topics don’t inter-
est me, and I have to motivate myself to write about something
that’s not relevant to me.
Brennan’s Use First Technical Reasoning (TR35) is centered on
his interest in problem solving. This dominates his
approach to writing, even though he is Use First Precision
(P29). He needs something to interest him if he is to be
motivated to complete a writing assignment.
Section 2.8Becoming an Intentional Learner
Part 5: How I Use First, Use as Needed, or Avoid Confluence
USE FIRST CONFLUENCE:
I don’t mind following rules, but I don’t like it when I’m given
a specific question to answer, and I’m
restricted in terms of what I can write about. I prefer open-

ended questions and being able to dig into my
hundreds of other interests. I like to improvise. I take risks, but
they are usually well calculated because I do
not want to make a foolish mistake.
The fact that Brennan is Use First Confluence is tempered by
his other Patterns. His Use as Needed Sequence makes
him willing to follow the rules and provides a framework to
shape his Use First Precision written responses. His Use
First Technical Reasoning seeks relevance and a practical
purpose for writing about a topic. He feels the fact that he
is Use First Confluence most when he finds himself restricted to
doing only one type of written response, when in fact
he is much more attracted to writing about things that interest
him.
A PLP can be a useful tool for applying your Patterns in
everyday life and framing your out-
look on learning. It can help you strategically prepare to
complete a challenging assignment
by reminding you who you are as a learner. It can also act as a
home base to which to return
whenever you are called on to describe yourself as a 21st-
century learner—whether to peers,
instructors, coworkers, employers, or supervisors.
If you wish to create your own PLP, consider revisiting the
sections in this chapter that describe
each Pattern and jot down key terms and phrases that resonate
with you. Take time to reflect
on how your Patterns play an important role in every aspect of
your life. Your PLP should be a
thoughtful description of yourself and include language that is
clear, vivid, and positive.
2.8 Becoming an Intentional Learner

Learning about your Patterns and identifying how you use them
in everyday life can be an
insightful exercise. Maybe you now have a better idea of why
you love making to-do lists;
maybe you finally understand why you struggle with lengthy
writing assignments. It turns
out it is because you are more comfortable with one Pattern than
another!
You have learned a lot about yourself thus far. But to be a truly
intentional learner, you have
to take it a step further. Whether you are a Dynamic, Strong-
Willed, or Bridge learner, it
is important to use your Pattern combination with intention. To
do so, you must harness
your awareness to complete the task at hand. In other words,
you must tune in to how
your Patterns affect the way in which you approach tasks—and
then make the necessary
adjustments so you can succeed. Understanding how your
Learning Patterns affect your
behavior is central to becoming an intentional learner. At the
heart of intentional learning
is the awareness that you know how to control, manage, and use
your learning processes.
There are two major steps involved in harnessing your Patterns
to achieve a goal. The first
is to listen to the voice of each Pattern and identify how its
“talk,” or metacognition, is seek-
ing to guide your action. The second step is to direct each
Pattern’s action by regulating the
degree to which you let the Pattern drive your behaviors.

Metacognition
In the context of intentional learning, metacognition is defined
as the internal talk that goes
on within your mind as you are learning. While its traditional
definition is “thinking about
thinking,” the pioneers of metacognition described it more
specifically as “learning to direct
one’s own mental processes with the aid of words” (Vygotsky,
1986, p. 108). Your internal talk
consists of the “chatter” of your Learning Patterns as they call
to one another—expressing
their feelings, concerns, or the actions in which they want to
engage (see Figure 2.4). Each of
your Patterns plays an important role in your learning; each has
a different perspective and
a distinct voice.
Figure 2.4: Metacognition
Communication among the Patterns within your brain–mind
interface form the internal talk of your
metacognition.
Learning Self (p. 26), by C. A. Johnston,
Me Learn, Inc. Adapted with permission.
Only when you listen to your internal metacognitive chatter can
you begin to take charge and

respond appropriately. You may miss the voice of your
metacognition because you are sur-
rounded by other audible distractions: ringtones, people’s
voices, music. Or you may ignore
the chatter because you have decided not to notice it. One
reason you might opt to ignore your
internal talk is because you are not prepared to listen to its
message.
Table 2.5 illustrates how chatter works within your mind. Jay is
working on his online as-
signment. Each of his Patterns is responding simultaneously
(metacognating) over the task
to be completed.
Table 2.5: Example of internal chatter
Jay’s Patterns Jay’s metacognition
Jay’s Use First Sequence (S27) is
demanding:
“What? These are the only directions? I need an example of
what a
good answer looks like. Is this question like the one we had in
the last
unit? How did I do it last time? I made a chart. I’ll make a list
of stuff to
include. I need to look at the directions again!”
Jay’s Use as Needed Precision
(P20) is saying:
“Wow, there’s a lot of information here. What does this word
mean? Oh,
I see a definition in a box. . . . Should I read it over to make

sure I got it?
Oops, it’s getting late. I have to get this done!”
Jay’s Use First Technical
Reasoning (TR28) is asking:
“Do I need to read all this? Maybe I don’t. What’s the main
thing I need
to do? I should take a break and walk around.”
Jay’s Avoid Confluence (C13) is
wondering:
“The directions say I need to make my answer interesting.
Interesting?
How? Why can’t I do the same thing I did on the last
assignment?”
Just as it is vital for Jay to listen to the internal talk of his
Patterns, it is important that you
listen to the chatter going on among your Learning Patterns.
Rather than being a distraction,
the chatter among your Patterns allows you to actively listen to
how your Patterns are at work
within your mind, pulling and tugging you in different
directions. This awareness offers you
the insight necessary for “purposeful decision-making about
how to proceed with the task”
(Baird, Fensham, Gunston, & White,
1991, p. 164). Your metacognition
challenges you to hear the harmony
and disharmony within your think-
ing, sort through it, and then respond
appropriately to the task at hand. Lis-
tening to your metacognition takes
practice, patience, and skill.

Self-Regulation
The skill most needed for listening and
responding to your metacognition is
self-regulation (Borkowski, Carr, Rel-
linger, & Pressley, 1990, p. 79). Self-
regulation is the ability to consciously
examine your own thoughts and
behavior to identify which of them is
monkeybusinessimages/iStock/Thinkstock
Being aware of your Patterns and the Patterns of
others helps you self-regulate and select the Pattern
that will help you appropriately respond to any
situation.
Conclusion
causing you to be unproductive. That is not easy to do when
your Patterns are arguing about
how to proceed or achieve. This is where grit can play a
significant role. Whether setting goals
for a healthier lifestyle or establishing a more productive study
schedule, grit helps you use
your informed, engaged, and reflective effort to achieve a
successful learning outcome.
Self-regulation allows you to take charge of your Patterns and
“talk back” to them, prioritizing
their messages to complete the task at hand. Without a
conscious effort on your part to know
and use each of your Patterns with intention, they can keep you
from responding appropri-
ately to situations—and thus keep you from being a successful

learner.
Self-regulation is steeped in self-discipline—a type of self-
discipline that is not rigid but flex-
ible; open to facing reality; aimed at problem solving; and
prepared to redirect your energy
toward achieving your goal. If you are thinking this sounds like
grit, you are correct. Self-
regulation operates using your personal set of self-management
skills that include conscien-
tiousness, self-discipline, and perseverance (Moffitt, 2011).
This is grit in action! Use the
questions in the Tips & Tools box to assess whether you are
self-regulating your learning.
Conclusion
Understanding yourself is no longer a puzzle to be solved. You
now have information you
can use with intention. Furthermore, the stories of the different
individuals in this chapter
affirm that who you are as a learner and how you use your
combination of Learning Patterns
has value. Every combination can get the job of learning done;
each Pattern contributes to
successful learning.
As you continue to develop your self-awareness and identify
intentional learning strategies,
you will become a stronger and more capable student, ready to
flex and use your Learning
Patterns to succeed. This awareness will set you apart as a
maturing learner—one who is
determined, persistent, and prepared to achieve the goal of a
college degree.
Tips & Tools: Self-Regulating Your Learning

Are you self-regulating your learning? Use these questions to
assess yourself.
• Am I actively monitoring my thinking? Do I take the time to
pause and think about what
I am reading and whether I understand the content?
• Am I planning the use of my time appropriately? Do I
schedule time to do a task com-
pletely rather than just squeeze it into an already busy
schedule?
• Am I identifying and using all of the resources provided? Do I
explore the videos and
Further Reading sections to expand my knowledge and
understanding?
• Am I open to receiving feedback on my work? Do I read and
accept the comments of my
instructors, giving weight to their suggestions and applying
them when completing my
next assignment? (Marzano, 1992, p. 138)
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
1. Using what you have learned about each of your Learning
Patterns, explain why
being asked to do a writing task works or doesn’t work well
with your Pattern com-
bination. Then explain if building a prototype or model allows
you to express your-

self better than in words. Why or why not?
2. Observe a child, family member, or coworker and describe
the combination of
Learning Patterns that stand out in this person. Which Patterns
do you most easily
observe? Which ones are not as evident?
3. Think of an experience you have had in which the Patterns of
a family member or
coworker clashed with yours. Identify how you now view the
incident in light of the
fact that you recognize you were experiencing a clash of
Learning Patterns.
Additional Resources
Edwards, L. (2013). Self-regulated learning [Video]. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=3OQsT7w6MBM
This 3-minute video provides a compact explanation of how to
develop self-regulation skills.
Let Me Learn. (2015). Let Me Learn 20 years V4 1 [Video].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=bE4Erk5NtHE
This lively 5-minute history of the work of Let Me Learn
depicts the thousands of learners it has helped
over the past 20 years. Now you can number yourself as one of
them!
Key Terms
Avoid LCI scale scores that range from 7

to 17 for a certain Pattern. Learners will
feel stress whenever asked to use that Pat-
tern unless they have specific strategies for
working with it.
Bridge A pattern combination for a learner
whose four LCI scale scores all range from
18 to 24 and who can apply each Pattern on
a Use as Needed basis.
Confluence The Learning Pattern that
describes the way we use our imagina-
tion, take risks, and brainstorm ways of
approaching things in a unique manner.
Confluence allows the learner to fit dis-
parate pieces of information into the big
picture.
Dynamic A Pattern combination for a
learner who uses one or two Patterns at the
Use First level and any other combination
of Avoid or Use as Needed for the remaining
Patterns.
Interactive Learning Model (ILM) The
simultaneous mental operations (thoughts,
action, and feelings) that interact within
each of a person’s four Learning Patterns as
learning is taking place.
metacognition Traditionally, thinking
about one’s thinking. In the context of LML,
the ability to hear the talk (sometimes
called internal chatter) among one’s Learn-
ing Patterns and respond to it by using per-
sonal strategies to intervene and respond.

personal learning profile (PLP) A record
of one’s Learning Patterns described in
one’s own words; a way to translate the
Pattern scores into an authentic, personal
profile.
Precision The Learning Pattern that seeks
information and details, asks and answers
questions, and researches and documents
facts.
Conclusion
scale scores An individual’s numerical
LCI scale scores, ranging from 7 to 35 on
each Learning Pattern, that indicate to what
degree an individual uses each Pattern;
typically expressed in the following order:
Sequence, Precision, Technical Reasoning,
and Confluence.
self-regulation A set of self-management
skills that include conscientiousness, self-
discipline, and perseverance, as well as
being able to consider the consequences of
actions when making decisions.
Sequence The Learning Pattern that
needs to organize, plan, and complete work
assignments without interruption, using
clear instructions as well as a time frame in
which to check one’s work.

Strong-Willed A Pattern combination for
a learner whose LCI scale scores are 25 or
more in at least three out of four Patterns.
Technical Reasoning The Learning Pat-
tern that describes the way we seek rel-
evant real-world experiences and practical
answers. This is the Pattern of the fewest
words. It emphasizes the ability to problem
solve using independent, private thinking
and hands-on interaction.
Use as Needed LCI scale scores that range
from 18 to 24 for a certain Pattern. Learners
can use this Pattern when they need to, but
it isn’t the one they turn to first.
Use First LCI scale scores that range from
25 to 35 for a certain Pattern. Learners are
most comfortable with this Pattern and
naturally turn to it when they start a learn-
ing task.
1Learning in the 21st Century
SergeyNivens/iStock/Thinkstock
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.
“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)
Section 1.1The World of the Nontraditional College Student
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
have made the decision to juggle work,
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
complete your college degree. Being persis-
tent will help you become a better, stronger,
more capable learner.
Another equally important determiner of
nontraditional students’ success is their
mindset: their sense of self as learners, their
Halfpoint/iStock/Thinkstock
Working parents are just one group that can benefit
from the flexibility of an online education.
I may not be the smartest person in the
room, but I’ll strive to be the grittiest.
—Angela Duckworth (2016, p. xv), researcher
and author of Grit: The Power of Passion and
Perseverance
Section 1.2What Is Learning, and Why Is It Important?

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.
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 to only very 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
a weather forecast, check sports scores,
or read a breaking news bulletin, you
are taking basic steps in the learning
AntonioGuillem/iStock/Thinkstock
How does the use of digital technology contribute to
intentional learning?
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
Section 1.3Learning in the Digital Age
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.
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
intentional learner.

Incubation of Thought
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
Rawpixel/iStock/Thinkstock
Because technology has become so accessible, it has
influenced how we learn. How has your smartphone,
tablet, laptop, or other digital device affected how
you learn?
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-
tion. When you attend to learning, you
allow your working memory—the
part that processes stimuli as it enters
the mind—to select between relevant

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)
BernardaSv/iStock/Thinkstock
Multitasking may be beneficial for completing tasks
on time; however, research shows that it actually
makes us less productive because it prevents us

from being mindful.
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.
Section 1.4Learning Theory in the 21st Century
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,

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