Can you spot a lifelong learner in the street? In his latest article, learning consultant and theorist Peter Honey identifies three key characteristics of the conscious learner:
- An enthusiast who believes that learning is important, has confidence in their ability to learn and maintains curiosity about the things around them.
- Someone with a range of skills they use for learning - listening, reflecting, observing - which they apply to many daily experiences, which they view as learning opportunities.
- An individual who takes full responsibility for their own learning, asks for regular feedback from those around them and encourages others to develop their own learning as well.
Peter Honey admits that the description he has put together could be seen as 'pious' - it's trying to define something the perfect scenario, after all, but suggests that trying to define the non-learner (someone who shuns conscious learning) might be more fun!
