On Learner Agency

By Thomas Hammerlund -

If you had asked me to define learner agency a few years ago - I probably wouldn't have been able to give a cohearant definition. Fast forward a little bit and my definition would have had something to do with independence -- which I still believe, but now my definition is including other terms I wouldn't have thought to include. 

Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash

According to the article What is learner agency?, learner agency is a term that is both hard to define, and one that encompasses several ingredients.

Terms such as ...

  • engagement
  • autonomy
  • self-regulation
  • active learning
all make up the term learner agency. 

One term I would have addedm, and I don't see, is something about independence or self-efficacy. 

When I think of an independent learner, I think of a student who understands the goal, is able to plan to reach the goal, and 

The term, self-regulation, is defined as
self-regulation, as learners need to know themselves well, to plan and monitor their progress when they take action. Learner agency often involves taking action with others and knowing how to organize ways of acting together in collaborative activities.

So actually self-regulation encompasses what I think of as independence. 

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