Self-Directed Learning
The term Self-Directed Learning requires that students take the responsibility for
their own learning process, including acquiring the material and monitoring their
own progress.
This method of instruction originally begun in the education of adults and has
only recently begun to be used in elementary and secondary schools.
Key Findings….
Assessing whether a student is ready for self-directed learning is important.
Teachers should be provided with training on self-directed learning.
Teachers should teach students a variety of learning strategies and ensure they
can properly use them.
Teachers should teach students the value of revision and critical appraisal in
their work.
Teachers should encourage independence and a positive attitude toward
learning.
Teachers should investigate learners’ needs and interests and how to support
them.
A tutorial and formal inquiry process should occur to allow students to discuss
and make connections in their material.
Control of the learning process should shift from teacher to student as the
student gains more experience with the concepts of self-directed learning so that
eventually students decide what they should learn and how to learn the material.
Gifted and talented students have educational needs for daily challenge,
opportunities for uniqueness and independent work, subject or grade based
acceleration, opportunities to learn and socialize with other gifted and talented
students and a differentiation in instructional methods such as pace, review etc.
Being a self-directed learner teaches a student to be motivated, self-disciplined
and persistent. Students also develop a confidence in their own abilities and
become more goal-oriented while enjoying their learning.
Self-directed learning is a collaborative process, the student must have
the initiative to learn the material and the teacher must provide
support and resources for learning.
Students should never feel as if they are learning on their own.
Teachers should make students aware of their role in their own learning
and encourage each student to take initiative in their learning.
Teachers must support students in their learning process by providing
opportunities for help and discussion so students don’t feel like they are
working on their own.
I was watching a documentary a few weeks ago named “History of the World in Two Hours”. It was extremely fascinating and revolutionary in my eyes. One of the topics discussed was how man in his earliest form, had the mind capacity to form or shape rocks into objects which in essence, shaped human history. The emphasis on self-directed learning was on verifying that adults deliberately learn on their own. Tough (1971) found that “highly deliberate efforts to learn take place all around us” (p. 106) and in most cases without us even knowing. Furthermore, both Knowles and Tough agree that “adult learners become increasingly self-directed as they mature and strive toward greater self-direction” (p.106).
The documentary “History of the World in Two Hours” discussed language and how revolutionary it was to be able to communicate with others. It emphasized human’s maturation process and how far we have advanced from forming rocks into tools to making machines that makes tools our ancestors would have marveled over. The documentary, in my opinion, proves to me that Tough’s and Knowles assumptions are correct. Our ancestors proved this by intuitively using rocks to advance the human race. They used the resources they had in order to survive which in turn has propelled our society into a technological world. However communication with others was imperative to our advancement. Our ancestors needed to communicate effectively with fellow tribesmen or their family for survival. Furthermore, they needed to pass down this information from generation to generation. In essence, our first ancestors were great instructors because they enhanced the ability of both children and adults to be self-directed.
In Conclusion, the job of educators of adults is to help learners to be able to plan, carry out, and evaluate their own learning as our ancestors did. Additionally, educators need to be able to consciously enhance adults learners critical thinking, skills, and knowledge and view themselves as being capable of being and doing anything they put their minds too. However, in order to do this, educators need to shift as much control as possible to the learner while in the learning process with the understanding that support and guidance may be required. For example, educators might provide assistance to learners as in locating resources or mastering alternative learning strategies, i.e... how to take notes.
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http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/e-best/files/2011/03/Self-directed-Learning-BLAM.pdf
