Index of Links to Self-directed Learning Resources.

Some ideas for getting started in understanding Self-directed Learning.

Table of Contents for this page:

Preface.

Index of Links to Self-directed Learning Resources.

Sources of Related Information.

See Also: corresponding indexes of articles for Learning Organizations, E-Learning, and Knowledge Management web resources.

Preface

This page contains an index of websites providing information and resources concerning Self-directed Learning. It is adapted from the content of a similar index posted on the internal intranet at Alberta Learning.

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Self-directed Learning Resources

The CyberCity Initiative aims to help Grande Prairians to learn about and prepare to participate and compete in the Information Revolution that is sweeping the developed world.

Below is an index of links to tutorials, articles, websites, etc., that deal with self-directed learning (SDL). Resources are cited which include its narrow perspective in which the learner directs only the how and when of learning, to its much broader perspective in which the learner assesses learning needs, evaluates and chooses all of the subject matter and other content, defines the problems to be investigated, determines what resources and materials to apply, when and how to apply them, including the intensity of the inquiry and its degree of formality, its fit to the learner's goals and circumstances, its timing and evaluation, what assistance to seek or collaboration in which to participate at each step, what sources to use and agencies to engage for which components, and all other aspects of learning in all its forms, including gaining an awareness of options, consequences, costs, benefits, accreditation, etc., and integrating them with learning purposes. The latter is also called discovery learning, and is exemplified best by the learning of early childhood or the informal learning of life skills with which we are all familiar. If self-direction has more to do with the learner's frame of mind than a specific learning mode, then for any given learning goal, a self-directed learner may select any form, including a fully teacher-directed and teacher-controlled seminar or workshop, a completely independently planned and executed learning experience, or any other method suited to the need, as determined by the learner. If you have suggested additions to this list, please let us know.

"In an economy dominated by information and knowledge,
education is king.
Not just in school or university, but throughout life." - Tony Blair.

See also - the CyberCity article "Learning: The Critical Technology for Today" in the digest of 1 April 1999 for a discussion of learning preferences and techniques, how adult learning differs from child learning, how teacher-centered learning differs from learner-centered learning, and the significance of the latter in the Information Age.

Most of these references are outside the City of Grande Prairie website, and are therefore linked so as to open a new window in your browser. To return here, just close the new window.

[Since the formal sharing of information, understanding and knowledge is often used by individuals and in Learning Organizations, we have also posted corresponding indexes of articles on Learning Organizations, E-Learning and Knowledge Management web resources.]

Cheryl Lowry posts "Supporting and Facilitating Self-Directed Learning," a quick two-page ERIC digest from 1989 (mirror site) that defines self-directed learning and discusses who is engaged in it. She also points out possible roles for educators and institutions, principal among which may be "helping learners develop positive attitudes and feelings of independence relative to learning."

"[W]hether or not learning is self-directed depends not on the subject matter to be learned or on the instructional methods used. Instead, self-directedness depends on who is in charge--who decides what should be learned, who should learn it, what methods and resources should be used, and how the success of the effort should be measured. To the extent the learner makes those decisions, the learning is generally considered to be self-directed."

Stephen Brookfield (scroll down for links to other papers), Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, has posted "Self-Directed Learning, Political Clarity and the Critical Practice of Adult Education" (1993; 9 pp). In this paper, he notes that "[f]rom once being regarded as a vaguely anarchistic ... threat to established adult education, self-direction is now comfortably ensconced inside the citadel [of adult education], firmly part of the conceptual and practical mainstream." He also observes that "most adult educators who stand behind the concept of self-direction do so because they sense that there is something about this form of practice that dignifies and respects people and their experience, and that tries to break with authoritarian forms of education." The paper contains a good list of references containing names on which to search for other papers dealing with the early development of self-direction, mainly in adult education.

Stan Lester has posted "Assessment vs. self-directed learning: a way forward?" (1998; 7 pp) and a variety of other papers dealing with assessment, learning and development, organizational development, etc. In this paper he deals with some of the constraints on self-directed learning which traditional (and unchallenged) assessment may bring.

"The majority of assessment strategies used in UK education and training are designed around what can be termed an 'expert' paradigm. ... [These may be] functional when it is desired that the student learns ... something which can be described and defined in advance and to be proficient in a way that is recognisable and acceptable to an assessor. While these aims might be valid in relation to training in specific tasks, it is extremely questionable whether they are sufficient as determinants for education in an advanced (post-)industrial nation at the beginning of the 21st century. ... It is apparent that we are more often needing to work in the 'swamp' ... of everyday life where there are no neat answers but divergent issues, value-conflicts and dilemmas of perspective which do not yield to unidisciplinary knowledge or to technical-rational solutions."
We may "contrast 'expert' characteristics with factors such as divergent thinking, use of intuition, internal frames of reference, concern with value and acceptance of uncertainty, co-operative relationships, and success based on flexibility and freedom. ... [T]he effective practitioner is often simultaneously involved in getting the job done, working out what job to do, and influencing the wider system in which the 'job' sits - as well as managing the different emphasis given to each in different situations and over time."
In effective self-directed learning, "part of that learning must be to develop confidence and competence in self-evaluation, so that the learner becomes responsible for checking whether their theories and actions are effective and for taking the relevant action."

The Ambulatory Pediatric Association posts notes on "Student Self-directed Learning" (1995; 2 pp), which provides a good introduction while discussing several different levels of self-direction, the transition students must make from formal teacher-directed learning to greater self-direction when they enter the clinical phase and start dealing directly with patients, etc.

"Myths and Realities: Self-Directed Learning" is posted by the Language and Culture Center at the School for International Training (SIT) in Vermont. This 3-page paper deals with whether adults are naturally self-directed, whether self-direction is an all-or-nothing concept, and whether self-directed learning means learning in isolation. The conclusion cites an enlightening quotation from Philip C. Candy's Self-direction for Lifelong Learning, a comprehensive review of the literature on self-directed learning, especially in adult education, published in 1991: "Self-direction:

[is] at once a social and psychological construct, a philosophical ideal, and a literal impossibility;
[is] an external manifestation and an internal tendency;
[is] both the beginning and the end of lifelong learning;
[is] the foundation stone and the keystone of the learning society;
[is] a supplement to and a substitute for the formal education system; [and]
[is] simultaneously process and product, a precondition and a purpose."

The Flexible Futures in Tertiary Teaching section of the Teaching and Learning Forum at the Curtin University of Technology posts an informal case study "Fostering of self directed learning in the unit Medical Science 283" (1999; 5 pp). Their study disclosed a much higher pass rate and higher marks when self regulated learning was introduced. They also host the Self-directed Learning Program (overview), which is "aimed to help academic staff to help their students to be self-directed learners."

The Journal for Interactive Media in Education (JIME) posts "Learning Technologies in Support of Self-directed Learning" by Gerhard Fischer and Eric Scharff of the Center for LifeLong Learning and Design at the University of Colorado at Bou lder. The paper provides an overview (section 2) of the need for and the theoretical grounding of self-directed learning. It discusses support requirements for self-directed learners emphasizing computational support. And it points out that "a lifelong learning perspective implies that schools and universities need to prepare learners to engage in self-directed learning processes because this is what they will have to do in their professional and private lives outsides of the classroom."

The Journal of Vocational and Technical Education posts "Self-Directedness In Adult Vocational Education Students: Its Role In Learning And Implications For Instruction" (1995; 8 pp). The report "is intended to enlighten the educator of adults about some of the essential elements of self-directedness, and more clearly define its relevance to adult learning and instruction." Although "it endeavors to stimulate thought and dialogue regarding how the adult educator can utilize the potential of self-directedness in the classroom," it contains a good discussion of the definitions of self-directed learning, and asks some good questions concerning teaching accountability.

These informal papers deal with making the transition from traditional learning to self-directed learning:

"Self directed learning in first year physiotherapy students: Reflections" contains a description of a project to learn student views of the value of self-direction in learning (particularly the setting of learning goals, and both for the time of their training and for their professional life thereafter). It also contains excerpts from their comments.

"Steps Toward Becoming A Self-Directed Learner" is a summary of the four stages identified by Gerald Grow, with a very short description of each.
- Stage One: Dependent Learners, Teachers Who Coach.
- Stage Two: Interested Learners, Teachers Who Motivate and Guide.
- Stage Three: Involved Learners, Teachers Who Facilitate.
- Stage Four: Self-directed Learners, Teachers Who Consult.
"Don't underestimate how difficult it is for a teacher to move from being a requirement to being just one among many choices in how to learn," says Grow.

"A Learning Culture" emphasizes the importance of learning how to learn (as opposed to learning any particular content) as the long term skill to be sought; and it deals more with the learning of organizations than the learning of individuals.

Self-directed Learning notes is a helpful one-page summary of early work (posted by the Division of Occupational Therapy at the University of Western Sydney in Australia) describing SD learning, the changes in roles required by students and teachers, and some suggestions for success.

The Virtual English Center is hosted by the English Centre at the University of Hong Kong. It uses an Independent Learning Project to help students with their self-designed studies. A "Reading: Pathways for Self-directed Learning" page provides an example for the reading portion of the work.

Koh-Kwok Wan Yee of the Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore, has posted "Self-Directed Learning - A Study of Student Perceptions in an IT Open project." (1998; 10 pp). This study describes "an IT-related self-directed project undertaken by third year polytechnic students. The study comprised minute-by-minute observation of class contact time, questionnaire survey of students' perceptions about the assessment scheme as well as the use of annotated time lines to document learning and motivational aspects of this programme. Lecturers and students were also interviewed to determine their perceptions of their readiness and roles in self-directed learning." The principal findings "showed that students were generally in favour of the autonomy granted, although there was a need to further develop their skills for self-directed learning. The analysis also showed students were weak in critical and creative thinking skills such as decision-making and problem-solving." Students selected their own topic for a 15-week in-depth study, described the learning tasks, developed a plan, and they presented their work to their lecturers and peers four times during the project. Lecturers set the evaluation criteria, however, approved the topic, and provided the evaluation. Findings included descriptions of habits and activities of successful (and failing) students "It was also the lecturers' opinion that many students tended to be dependent rather than independent learners. They realised that much more effort would have to be put in, to prepare the students for future independent learning [projects]. The study showed very clearly that "students brought up in an environment where everything was spelled out for them through the syllabus, teacher-designed lessons and notes, have had little chance to develop the skills required for self-directed learning."

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Sources of Related Information

Most of these references are outside the City of Grande Prairie website, and are therefore linked so as to open a new window in your browser. To return here, just close the new wndow.

Associations, societies, and discussion groups relating to self-directed learning:

The Canadian Coalition of Self-directed Learning "offers mutual support and opportunities for professional growth of teachers through the sharing of resources."
The American Council on Education (ACE; about), "founded in 1918, is the nation's coordinating higher education association. ... Its approximately 1,800 members include accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities from all sectors of higher education and other education and education-related organizations."
The American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) "works to unify individual adult education practitioners; to foster the development and sharing of information, theory, research, and best practices; to promote professional identity and growth; and to advocate policy initiatives."
The National Organization for Adult Learning (or NIACE - National Institute of Adult Continuing Education; about) promotes "the study and general advancement of adult continuing education" in England and Wales.
The B.C. Centre for Curriculum, Transfer and Technology (C2T2; about) "promotes excellence in post-secondary education and training. The Centre is a non-profit, independent society [which] provides support to educators in British Columbia so that learners will have access to high quality, relevant learning opportunities, and flexible delivery methods, designed to meet individual and societal needs. The Centre is funded primarily by the British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education, Training and Technology (MAETT) and by the Ministry of Education (MOE), with additional funding from contract activity and grants."

"Alternative Modes of Teaching and Learning" is posted by the Centre for Staff Development (CSD) at the University of Western Australia. It lists self-directed learning among many other alternatives, including discovery learning, experimental learning, open learning and student-centered learning. It provides links to definitions, further resources, etc., for each alternative.

The Handbook of Engaged Learning Projects notes that "technology is an increasingly popular tool for learning. These classroom projects were designed by K-12 teachers to demonstrate engaged learning and effective use of technology." It was a collaborative effort involving Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Education Office and Friends of Fermilab.

The Canadian Ministry of Industry (press releases) and the Council of Ministers of Education (CMEC; index of reports) formed in July, 2000, an Advisory Committee for On-line Learning (news release, with bios of committee members) to advise governments, universities and colleges on a coordinated approach to online post-secondary learning. The committee's report, due in November, 2000, will augment the CMEC 1999 Report on Public Expectations of Postsecondary Education in Canada (a 25-page .PDF file).

Training and Development Canada posts an on-line mini course: "Continuous Learning" (introduction).

The Office of Medical Education at the University of North Dakota posts a quick 8-slide presentation, "Learning Styles Self-Directed Learning." The slide "From Dependency to Self-direction" may be especially helpful in defining Self-directed Learning.

The paper "Do virtual environments promote self-directed activity?" (a study of students with severe learning difficulties learning Makaton sign language) indicates that their "results showed that students made more self-initiated actions as sessions progressed. The only student category which showed no increase was Student's Initiative Completed by Teacher for which there were low rates throughout. This supports the often made claim for virtual environments in education: that they promote self-directed learning."

A review of the 1996 book "Learning for Life: Creating Classrooms for Self-Directed Learning" is posted by the Educational Research Service. "According to the authors, self-directed learning enables students to actively participate in their own learning processes. ... Teachers and principals who assist students in this process hold a very different perception toward learning from those with traditional, teacher-directed assumptions about learning." The review excerpts a half dozen of these differences.

The Open Directory Project (about) posts Learning Theory sections on Inquiry-Based Learning, Problem-Based Learning and a section concerning Online-Training. It also posts an Online Teaching and Learning section under Distance Learning. Each of these component pages provides links to relevant resources.

Converge Magazine has posted "Learning Portals for K-12 Education and Beyond: What is a portal, and how does it help educators to accomplish their goals?" The article identifies criteria for excellent portals, and cites a few examples.

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