The Significant Individual Learning model (SIL)
was developed by Nir Golan, educational and leadership expert, by assimilating
the next four principles:
1. The independent learner: the perception of
oneself as an independent entity. A person sees him/herself as someone who is
self-directed; choosing what to learn, how much and how to learn it.
2. Adapting learning to that person's needs:
the person is ready to learn when he/she needs that specific learning process,
and it is incorporated into daily tasks and social functioning. He/she sees
that the learning process serves his/her personal development.
3. Renovating learning: In the digital age
where there is widespread availability of network information, learning should
give news and added value to the learner.
4. Immediate and practical learning: The main
motive for human learning is for problem solving. The learner has a need for
the immediate application of the learned material, so learning has to be more
focused in giving solutions to the particular problem.
Daniel H. Pink in "Drive: The Surprising
Truth About What Motivates Us", supports these four principles.
The SIL model assumes that the distinction
between children and adults is no longer relevant in the digital age and that
each student should be treated as a 'whole' person irrespective of their age.
Anthropogogy: The study of human learning
(Greek) – Anthrop (άνθρωπ) means people and Agy
(άγω) means to conduct / lead.
Nir Golan offers a new definition of
Anthropogogy as: "Leading a person (regardless of age) throughout
significant learning towards behavioral change that can be implemented
immediately." (Golan, 2014)
Here are a few initiatives that fit with Pink’s
revised motivation theory which support the SIL model:
Autonomy – provide learners
with autonomy over some (or all) of the four main aspects:
• When they do it (time) – Consider switching
to a ROLE (results-only learning environment) which focuses more on the output
(result) rather than the time/schedule, allowing learners to have flexibility
over when they complete tasks.
• How they do it (technique) – Don’t dictate
how learners should complete their tasks. Provide initial guidance and then
allow them to tackle the project in the way they see fit rather than having to
follow a strict procedure.
• Whom they do it with (team) – Although this
can be the hardest form of autonomy to embrace, allow learners some choice over
who they learn with. Allow learners to work on open-source projects where
they have the ability to assemble their own teams.
• What they do (task) – Allow learners to have
regular ‘creative’ days where they can learn on any project/problem they wish –
there is empirical evidence which shows that many new initiatives are often
generated during this ‘creative free time’.
Mastery – allow learners to
become better at something that matters to them:
• Provide “Goldilocks tasks” – Pink uses the
term “Goldilocks tasks” to describe those tasks which are neither overly
difficult nor overly simple – these tasks allow learners to extend themselves
and develop their skills further. The risk of providing tasks that fall short
of an learner’s capabilities is boredom, and the risk of providing tasks that
exceed their capabilities is anxiety.
• Create an environment where mastery is
possible – to foster an environment of learning and development, four
essentials are required – autonomy, clear goals, and immediate feedback and
Goldilocks tasks.
Purpose – take steps to
fulfill learner’s natural desire to contribute to a cause greater and more
enduring than them:
• Communicate the purpose – make sure learners
know and understand the learning's purpose goals not just its profit goals.
Learners, who understand the purpose and vision of their school and how their
individual roles contribute to this purpose, are more likely to be satisfied in
their class.
This significant learning model (SIL) provides
tools for the teacher to assimilate the Anthropogogy approach in six steps,
throughout which the teacher uses dialogue in order to guide the learner. The
six steps are:
1. Action- doing
2. Behavior- conceptualization of the action
3. Norm- transformation of the behavior to a
norm
4. Value- defining the value in the behavior
5. Redefinition- redefinition of my unique
identity
6. Teaching- Using the Anthropogogy model to
teach the other
Details of the six stages of the Anthropogogy
significant learning model:
1. Action- carrying out an action for the first
time in response to an internal or external need. The teacher identifies and
reflects the need of the learner: leading him/her to do what they did not do
previously. The learner performs the action for the first time together with
coaching from a professional person. The learner then experiences the
consequences of his/her action and evaluates his/her response.
• The result of Step 1: Recognizing by the
learner his/her need and the actual carrying out of the action for the first
time (alongside reflection).
2. Behavior- conceptualization of the action:
The learner repeats the action using clear
quality and quantity measurements. The learner then describes the action,
helping him/her to improve the repeated action and transfer it into standard
behavior.
• The result of Step 2: Conceptualizing
behavior and standardizing it according to the expectations.
3. Norm- transformation of the behavior into
the norm:
Norm is defined as "a standard of
achievement or behavior that is required, desired or designated as
normal." … These standards of behavior are "shared by members of a
social group to which each member is expected to conform." In this step,
the behavior is transformed into norm and expected behavior.
• The result of Step 3: Understanding by the
learner of the benefits of turning the behavior into the norm in order to
reinforce the behavior in a social context.
4. Value- defining the value in the behavior:
The meaning of the behavior is defined to the learner
as well as the benefits that may be gained from the norm to the learner and to
his/her surroundings. The value then becomes the guiding principle to making
future decisions connected to the behavior; helping decide when and how to use
this behavior. In this manner, the behavior becomes more significant.
• The result of Step 4: Defining the value of
the behavior by making it significant.
5. Redefinition of my unique identity-
self-identity redefined
The values are acknowledged by the learner and
assist in redefining his/her unique identity. The learner knows how to describe
their newly unique identity and explain what their unique contribution is to
those around them. Although the learning process affected one behavior, it
helped to redefine his/her whole identity to him/herself.
• The result of Step 5: Reformulating a unique
identity by the learner.
6. Teaching- Using the Anthropogogy model to
teach the other
The learner becomes the teacher
("Melamed"). The learner uses his/her personal experience as a role
model and teaches the other using his/her own unique identity. He/She applies
the Anthropogogy model to lead a new learner to significant learning.
• The result of Step 6: Continuity of the
learning process according to the Anthropogogy model to achieve significant
learning for the learner and for the teacher.
