Engaged in the Learning Process

Students who are engaged in the learning process have the following characteristics:

• Responsible for Learning. Students take charge of their own learning and are self-regulated. They define learning goals and problems that are meaningful to them; understand how specific activities relate to those goals; and, using standards of excellence, evaluate how well they have achieved the goals. Successful, engaged learners also have explicit measures and criteria for assessing their work as well as benchmark activities, products, or events for checking their progress toward achieving their goals.

• Energized by Learning. Engaged learners find excitement and pleasure in learning. They possess a lifelong passion for solving problems and understanding ideas or concepts. To such students, learning is intrinsically motivating.

• Strategic. Engaged learners continually develop and refine learning and problem-solving strategies. This capacity for learning how to learn includes constructing effective mental models of knowledge and resources, even though the models may be based on complex and changing information. Engaged learners can apply and transfer knowledge in order to solve problems creatively and they can make connections at different levels.

• Collaborative. Engaged learners understand that learning is social. They are able to see themselves and ideas as others see them, can articulate their ideas to others, have empathy for others, and are fair-minded in dealing with contradictory or conflicting views. They have the ability to identify the strengths and intelligences of themselves and others.