Presentation at the NPDL Deep Learning Lab in Christchurch, 17-18 July, 2019. Focusing on the definition and understandings of learner agency, and the way this transfers into thinking about the changes we need to embrace in our education system to truly enable this.

1. Derek Wenmoth
Student Agency &
Deep Learning

2. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16
Motivation, engagement
and voice
“A more student-centred approach
would be to ascertain what motivates
individual students to achieve in a
particular class and then enlist the
students’ help in identifying other factors
that might elevate their motivation,
factors that may include changes to the
context or changes to the individual’s
beliefs and behaviours.“
https://bit.ly/2JpXu5c

3. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16
What motivates you?
● My interests and goals?
● What others expect of me?
● What others think of me?
● What I can do for others?
● The things I desire?
● …?
Photo by Clique Images on Unsplash

4. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16
What motivates learners in your context?
● At your table, share ideas about the sorts of things that
provide motivation for your learners. Be specific, give
examples.
● Can you group or cluster your examples into ‘types’ of
motivation?

5. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16
What keeps you engaged?
● Support?
● Feedback?
● Feeling I have something to offer?
● Experiencing success?
● Being a part of something?
● The long-term vision?
● …?
Photo by Thomas Q on Unsplash

6. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16
Signs of engagement in your classroom
● What sorts of things would you expect to see in a
classroom you visit that would indicate a high level of
student engagement? Be specific. Give examples.
● What factors contribute to this?

7. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16http://bit.ly/2ecZTh0

8. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16http://bit.ly/2ecZTh0

9. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16http://bit.ly/2ecZTh0

10. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16http://bit.ly/2ecZTh0

11. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16http://bit.ly/2ecZTh0

12. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16http://bit.ly/2ecZTh0

13. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16http://bit.ly/2ecZTh0

14. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16
Student voice in your school
● Where on this continuum is student voice included in the
approach to learning in your context? Be specific. Give
examples.
● How could you ‘shift it up’ a level?

15. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16
How would you describe ‘agency’?
In a statement of less
than 125 characters,
sum up what the
concept of learner
agency means to you

16. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16
What is agency?
Rose Colby @rose_rosecolby
"To me, agency is beyond choice and voice. It is more about a kid making decisions--
develops over time to independence."
Charity Dodd @Charity Dodd
"Ownership and independence leads to confidence for learners to set goals and take
steps towards reaching their goals. "
Chris Quinn @ChrisQuinn64
"Learners see themselves as capable, empowered learners with limitless possibilities
for growth and learning."
Derek Doucet @DerekDoucet
"If learners don't own their learning it's just something they do to avoid consequences
but when they own it, they learn to learn."

17. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16
What is agency?
Mike Mohammad @Mo_physics
"agency = I can make choices and act on these choices to make difference in my
life" - from a student reflection.
Jobs for the Future @jfftweets
"Learner Agency is the initiative and capacity to act in a way that produces
meaningful change in oneself or the environment.”
Jason Ellingson @jasonellingson
"Learning should be FOR them, not TO them.”

18. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16
Agency involves
demonstrating responsibility...
● For self
● For others
● For the environment

19. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16
The Agentic Triangle
Engagement
(committed, focused)
Motivation
(have a stake)
Voice
(ownership, control)
Choice,
control,
challenge,
collaboration
One of the most powerful tools available to
influence academic achievement is helping
students feel they have a stake in their learning.
To feel motivated to do something and become
engaged in its activity…
…youth (like adults) generally need to feel they
have a voice in how it is conducted and an
impact on how it concludes.
Time and again, research has shown that the
more educators give their students choice,
control, challenge, and opportunities for
collaboration…
… the more their motivation and engagement
are likely to rise.
Students at the Centre: https://bit.ly/2tUOyJT

20. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16
Shifting the ownership of learning
● Goal setting
● Planning
● Organizing
● Monitoring
● Evaluating

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● To what extent do the
statements in column 2
reflect your current state?
● Are there different ways you
could express the current
state in your school? Write
this in column 3

24. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16
● Unfold your paper now and
compare the statements in
column 2/3 with what is written
in column 4
● Place a mark on the continuum
to indicate where you consider
your school to be on the journey
between the column 2 and
column 4 statements.

25. @ulearnnz #ulearn16 #cenz16
● In column five, list some specific
steps you could take to increase
the level of learner agency in your
class or school.

26. Assess:
● How are students’ deep learning
competencies measured and
assessed?
● What tools and processes are used to
assess students’ interests, needs,
talents and achievement?
● How does your learning design
connect to national curricula,
standards and measures? What
makes it ‘local’?
Agency and the DL protocol
Collaborative
Inquiry Cycle
Assess
Design
Implement
Reflect
Change

27. Design
● How are students involved in
deciding on / contributing to the
inquiry question?
● How is student voice included in the
learning design?
● Did you initiate family / community
engagement to design and develop
deep learning experiences
Agency and the DL protocol
Collaborative
Inquiry Cycle
Assess
Design
Implement
Reflect
Change

28. Implement:
● What strategies are used to engage &
motivate students to accelerate and
deepen learning? How did you
communicate this?
● What assessment methods are used
throughout the learning cycle?
● Who is involved? (teacher, peer, self
assessment)?
● How are digital technologies used to
expand the scope of implementation?
(anywhere anytime anybody)?
Agency and the DL protocol
Collaborative
Inquiry Cycle
Assess
Design
Implement
Reflect
Change

29. Reflect/change:
● What assessment strategies are used to
scaffold and personalise the learning
process?
● What structures are in place to enable
students to reflect on their learning
experiences?
● How were these reflections shared?
With whom?
● How are they used to inform future
learning?
Agency and the DL protocol
Collaborative
Inquiry Cycle
Assess
Design
Implement
Reflect
Change

30. Collaborative Inquiry
● How are the decisions made about
the focus on inquiry?
● Do you use a ‘sprints’ approach, with
short, focused inquiries?
● How do you ensure the inquiries are
truly collaborative?
Agency and the DL protocol
Collaborative
Inquiry Cycle
Assess
Design
Implement
Reflect
Change