The Chameleonic Learner

Author Dr Roseanna Bourke takes the reader on a fascinating exploration of learning: the theory, practice and young people's take on it. What do you say to a young person who tells you her brain is an eighth full? Or to the one who says he only knows he has learned something when he receives a stamp or a sticker? This book is about how learners conceptualise learning, how they self-assess their own learning and why context matters. It shows how, just as a chameleon changes colour, learners change and adapt their approach to learning depending on the situation. It draws on examples of learning by Years 7-8 students from the classroom and out of school, looking at how their views and values are shaped and how they satisfy their own learning needs. Dr Bourke is a senior lecturer in the School of Educational Psychology and Pedagogy at Victoria University and has previously worked as a teacher and education psychologist. She currently teaches postgraduate courses in learning and motivation, and in assessment and evaluation.