Wendy has a Ph.D. in Adult Education
and a Master's Degree in Business Management. She has 10 years
experience working in higher education.
Self-directed learning is a type of
instructional strategy where students take charge of their learning
process. This lesson will discuss components, benefits, and teaching
strategies of self-directed learning.
What is Self-Directed Learning?
Self-directed learning (SDL) is an instructional strategy
where the students, with guidance from the teacher, decide what and how
they will learn. It can be done individually or with group learning,
but the overall concept is that students take ownership of their
learning.
For example, a teacher may give a general learning goal, such as to
learn about a geographical area. Students would then work with the
teacher to decide the scope of the project, length of time, and the end
result that would demonstrate their learning. One student may decide to
learn all of South America and create an educational website. Another
student may choose to research the deforestation effects of Borneo and
write a report for the government. Another student may choose a specific
city and focus on the historical significance, creating a video
vignette from personal interviews. By allowing students to choose
different learning objectives and outcomes, it allows students to choose
based on their personal interests and strengths.
Components of Self-Directed Learning
There are quite a few components involved in SDL. They include
management and monitoring, assessing learning needs, collaboration, and
self-evaluation.
- Management and monitoring
Students, with guidance from the teacher, define the
learning goals they wish to accomplish as well as negotiate a time frame
for completion. Once they are established, students identify their
strengths and weaknesses as well as any obstacles to achieving their
goals. The teacher takes on a supporting and advising role while
students manage their own learning process and monitor their own
progress.
Students assess their needs as they progress through the
learning process. They will need to find out what resources they need,
either materials or help from the teacher or a combination of both.
Teachers will then provide support to help them obtain those resources.
Ironic as this component may sound, it is a very important
part of the students' learning process in self-directed learning.
Students collaborate with other students in their class, students in
other grades, or even adults out in the community to gain knowledge and
experience and reach their learning objectives.
After students have gone through the process and have
finished the assignment, students should reflect and evaluate their
results. Students should get input from other students as well as the
teacher to find areas that may need improvement.
Teaching Strategies in Self-Directed Learning
While the student is responsible for most of the SDL process,
teachers still have a role to play in a self-directed learning
environment. Before students become self-directed learners, teachers
must:
- Assess whether or not students are ready to undertake self-directed learning.
- Find out students' daily needs and interests, and design lesson
plans and assignments that relate to those aspects of students' lives,
therefore making learning relevant and enjoyable for the students.
- Encourage students to become independent and take
responsibility for their learning, while remaining available to help and
support the students.
- Ensure students understand the importance of reflection and the self-evaluation process.
- Be available to discuss the end results with students, either individually or as a class-wide discussion.
Benefits of Self-Directed Learning
As you may have gleaned from the list of its components,
self-directed learning can benefit students in many ways. A few such
benefits can develop the student in the following way:
Since self-directed learners must motivate themselves to
continue working on their assignment, they develop a strong motivation
to take on new challenges and tend to stay motivated for the duration of
the assignment and see it to the end.
Self-directed learners also develop a strong sense of
responsibility. Since they are setting and managing the goal, they tend
to feel more responsible for their own learning and to meet specified
deadlines.
Because students must solve problems and find resources on
their own, they tend to be more curious and more willing to try new
ideas and methods. This also develops problem-solving skills and
creativity.
Self-directed learning encourages collaborative learning,
whereby students work with their classmates and others who may have
relevant knowledge and experience to offer. In doing so, students not
only learn resourcefulness, but they also develop social skills and gain
valuable experience.
Students in SDL environments learn to accomplish tasks and
achieve goals on their own and independent from any constant source of
assistance. All the other benefits combine and culminate in students'
independence and self-reliance when faced with challenges.
These are only a few benefits of SDL. These valuable skills can be
developed over time and used in life, especially when faced with
challenges and difficulties.
By following these simple yet important strategies, teachers in self-directed learning environments can help students succeed.
Lesson Summary
Self-directed learning, or SDL, is a relatively new alternative to
the traditional lecture-based classroom. In a self-directed learning
environment, teachers set up the parameters for the assignment, helping
to establish clear learning objectives, then take on an exclusively
supporting role. Students in an SDL environment learn to manage their
goals and monitor their own progress and challenge themselves while
staying motivated. They assess their learning needs and find the needed
resources to achieve their objectives. These are all qualities that
will benefit the student to be independent learners.
No comments:
Post a Comment