How do our pupils "own" their learning?

Our Driving Standard makes it very clear that there is an expectation on US to develop ownership for effective learning within our pupils. It says:

“This element is about creating a relationship with the learner, and a context for their learning, that helps them to take ownership of their learning process”.

It makes mention of the advantage of helping to create “active learners”.

The DVSA re-state this objective by way of the assessment criteria in which we are all measured on our Standards Check.  One of the 17 points of assessment is:

“Was the pupil encouraged to analyse problems and take responsibility for their learning?”

One of the problems that I regularly encounter as I speak to ADI’s and PDI’s is what I call the “wall of jargon” that exists between what our monitoring authority expects of us compared to what we understand our monitoring authority expects of us…. do you take my point?  In essence, this comes down to effective communication and actual understanding of what the DVSA are truly wanting to see.  I feel that this “wall of jargon” is responsible for much of the problems relating to “teaching and learning strategies” in our industry.   We are not alone, teachers have to deal with the same issue relating to understanding what OFSTED mean too.

For some readers, you will like to see an example of where I am coming from in order to understand the point.  When I give you following example, do not get bogged down in the content of the message regarding intensive driving courses; that is NOT the point of this example.  The point is the wording that I use regarding key skills that my pupils are being encouraged to develop as safe drivers.  So look at this example beyond the ‘intensive driving course’ message, instead pick out the bits where I am actively encouraging pupils to develop ownership for how they learn. 

DO REMEMBER TO COME BACK TO HERE AFTER READING THE FOLLOWING!

Here it is:

http://www.bigtom.org.uk/how-to-gain-most-from-the-big-tom-course/

So the important message I am attempting to get over here is that it is important to ensure you are being very precise in the message you give your pupil so that they understand what is being expected of them.  Raising self-awareness, developing the ability to analyse the effectiveness of their learning, deeply reflecting on personal strengths and weaknesses are not skills that naturally develop in us – in any of us!  (I am going to provide you very soon with a perfect example of this very point in a blog which will demonstrate the point of how each of us learn, and the consequences for neglecting this point.)

Of course, HOW you go about this will be a deeply personal choice.  But go about it you, me, all of us must!  It is an expectation of the DVSA that we demonstrate this point in all our day to day work.  When driving instructors ignore this point, they are depriving their pupils of the opportunity to develop into “thinking drivers” – there we go again, another bit of jargon for you.  A “thinking driver” is intended to differentiate drivers who drive within the glass ceiling of the lower 2 levels of the GDE matrix and those who break through into the upper 2 levels of the GDE matrix.

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