Tenacity has its benefits. 

Just as recalcitrance can impede the road to some destination so to can it provide the motivation to keep to a difficult path. As stubborn and resistant to change as a learner can be, that same stubbornness can be harnessed and shaped into a determination to succeed.

And there are tools that can be used to help this recalcitrant learner on their way. We cannot choose their path, any more than we can force them to the end. However, we can light the way so they can see their steps more clearly. With careful attention to a learners needs, learning can be made easier, more productive. 

There is a wealth of research out there--principles and theories--that we can use to illuminate the path and this case study seeks to shine a light on just a few of those things that a learner needs to find their way.