Self-directed learning is a process in which learners are in charge of organizing, carrying out, and assessing their own learning opportunities. Self-directed learning is a process in which learners take charge of identifying their learning needs, developing learning goals, and locating human and material resources for learning.
It also includes selecting and putting into practice effective learning strategies, and assessing learning outcomes, whether with or without the assistance of others. Being a truly independent learner requires having the tools you need to overcome the current learning obstacle, regardless of the topic of study you are engaged in.
Along with this, self-directed learning can be boosted with the usage of the right strategies. Various methods and approaches might be beneficial if you are seeking to promote more self-directed learning.
Self-Directed learning: The key to new skills and lifelong knowledge
Important research[1] was conducted to identify the self-directed learning abilities of university students and ascertain whether these abilities differ in relation to the type of university, gender, field of study, year of study, academic success, type of university entrance score, level of income, and desire to pursue a graduate degree.
This study also looked at the connection between university students’ propensities for lifelong learning and their abilities for self-directed learning. A moderately positive link between lifelong learning tendencies and self-directed learning abilities was found. In conclusion, it can be claimed that undergraduate students develop a tendency to lifelong learning through self-directed learning skills.
Effective strategies for self-directed learning
Self-directed learning on your own is not an easy undertaking. It requires experimenting with various study techniques, understanding how you learn, and persistence. Check important strategies for self-directed learning that might help you boost the learning process.
1. Set Learning Goals
Nothing is ever accomplished unless it has been imagined. To start with self-directed learning, decide first what you want to learn. This is the very step in understanding your willingness to contribute towards any particular subject matter. Establish clear learning objectives that you can track over time.
You have a way to reflect on and discuss what you have learned only when you set explicitly specified learning objectives. With goals, you know exactly what you are learning. Such awareness is regarded as essential to long-lasting learning.
2. Develop a Productive Mindset
A positive and never-give-up mindset is crucial for self-directed learning, which is frequently tested at every bump in the learning curve. You have to accept that failure is a necessary component of learning. Once you let go of the fear of failure, you can focus on the actual learning process.
A necessary condition for a successful self-directed learning experience is maintaining confidence in your skills and understanding that you can achieve your objectives. Additionally, you need to overcome one of the largest obstacles called procrastination. Strong commitment and focus help you stay away from procrastination.
3. Ask Questions
To engage yourself and maintain focus while enhancing engagement, ask questions. Questions can summarize, stress, review, or restate the key points. Use “why” and “how” inquiries to go past easy solutions and commit yourself to locating the solutions. Questions help you think critically and creatively while also eliciting conversation and revealing ways of thinking.
Make it a point to never accept anything only because it is stated that way. Always ask questions that make you care about the response and maintain a cat-like curiosity. Even if you are learning a particular language or a recipe, the more questions you ask, the more knowledge you gain about the subject matter.
4. Monitor Learning Progress
The monitoring process is one of the important strategies of self-directed learning. When you constantly monitor, only then you can understand your strengths and weaknesses.
Setting your own criteria makes learning much more pleasurable. Regardless of whether you get the grade you want, attempt to gauge your development in relation to your own unique learning objectives.
Progress tracking can provide information to you thereby helping you identify the learning gaps more quickly. When you monitor your progress, you also understand if a particular studying methodology is working well or not. Similarly, progress helps you bring necessary changes in learning patterns.
5. Understand your Approach
Many believe that they are aware of their own learning preferences and style, but are they really? Think for a moment about the format or media that best facilitates learning for you. You may learn more about how your brain learns by looking at your learning preferences. When it comes to self-directed learning, it is only not a predefined format that you follow for learning.
Self-directed learning can be accomplished successfully when you understand the learning approach that suits best you. While some students might enjoy learning through books, realistic examples might work well for you. Additionally, you can interact with your instructors more successfully if you are aware of how you learn best.
6. Be Open to Challenges
While inconvenient at first, challenges may be thrilling and rewarding. Look for a challenge that is connected to an issue you care about tackling. Once you have overcome it, it will feel meaningful and encourage you to keep studying. So, when you try to learn something and face a hindrance, do more research and try to find solutions. Drive your efforts towards work completion and not the challenge.
The development mentality is built on the challenge. Without it, you would not have the chance to take calculated chances, learn from mistakes, and discover how to get back up after falling. Resilience is a skill that is developed by facing problems and overcoming them. A strong basis for success in later life is the knowledge that you can gain as you conquer challenges.
7. Create a Personal Learning Record
There are so many wonderful tools available to assist you in recording your learning. Have fun building your digital learning portfolio. Learning helps you go back to the original data and ideas thereby keeping a track of your learning methods. You can find multiple organization, recording, and note-taking tools to ease the process.
Maintaining accurate records enables you to make data-based choices. For example, a learning approach used in the past might be beneficial in the current scenario. This makes it easier for you to monitor the development and determine whether you are putting in enough effort to exhibit substantive growth.
8. Cultivate Intrinsic Motivation
The motivation that derives from internal rewards is called intrinsic motivation. Although it appears to be a straightforward idea, many people find it difficult. It can, fortunately, be learned. Sharing what you have learned with others is one way to do it. If you want to develop intrinsic motivation, try to refrain from being too harsh on yourself.
If you criticize yourself too harshly, you would not want to keep learning. Focus on being as grateful and appreciative as you can for all the work you are putting into your education. Intrinsic motivation is a booster when you are ready to appreciate yourself for solving minor problems, overcoming a particular challenge, and constantly trying to improve every day. Furthermore, educators can also use quotes to enhance the level of motivation among kids.
9. Manage Time Efficiently
Time management is one of the crucial elements of self-directed learning. With this learning method, it is only you who has the power to decide about investing time in studying. Even when you are occupied with other tasks, try to read or write something that contributes to the learning process. Individuals who properly manage their time, grow in self-assurance, organization, and learning capacity.
For example, if you choose to learn a new language through the self-directed learning experience, try to set goals that match your timings. If you have a break for 15 minutes, learn to allocate 5 minutes for leading the book in that particular language. Only when learning is prioritized with everyday tasks then can you become disciplined toward it.
10. Receive Feedback
Positive criticism presents chances for improvement. Finding someone who can give useful feedback on learning objectives, and progress is essential in self-directed learning. Always know that people view things differently hence, it is important to share your progress and records with experience in a similar field.
Feedback also aids in pointing out any potential flaws in the used learning methodologies. Important feedback from the right teachers and instructors can completely change the learning environment. As they assess and understand your studying methodology, they might also be able to help with better studying methods, motivation drivers, or any information related to your learning time.
Wrapping up
A more fulfilling learning experience can be experienced by engaging in self-directed learning. Because it helps people become more independent and responsible, self-directed learning is crucial. You learn how to ask insightful and powerful questions and be independently driven.
As students and adults take the path of self-directed learning, it becomes evidently important to fuel them with important strategies. Having its own set of advantages and disadvantages, self-directed learning strategies give a way to the learning process even before it is started. It also stands as a supporting role when you feel stuck in the learning environment. As these strategies are simple, they can be adopted by adults, students as well as teachers.
Reference
1. Tekkol, İ. A., & Demirel, M. (2018). An Investigation of Self-Directed Learning Skills of Undergraduate Students. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02324
I am Shweta Sharma. I am a final year Masters student of Clinical Psychology and have been working closely in the field of psycho-education and child development. I have served in various organisations and NGOs with the purpose of helping children with disabilities learn and adapt better to both, academic and social challenges. I am keen on writing about learning difficulties, the science behind them and potential strategies to deal with them. My areas of expertise include putting forward the cognitive and behavioural aspects of disabilities for better awareness, as well as efficient intervention. Follow me on LinkedIn