Self Directed Learning

1. Self Directed Learning

2. Self-Directed Learning (SDL) is any increase in knowledge, skill or performance pursued by any individual for personal reasons employing any means, in any place at any time at any age. Ref. Maurice Gibbons.http://www.selfdirectedlearning.com/SDLProgram.html

3. Teacher-Directed Learning (TDL). Teachers or other authorities choose what is learned, why it is to be learned, how it is to be learned, when, where and at what age. • Ref. Maurice Gibbons.http://www.selfdirectedlearning.com/SDLProgram.html

4. Principles of SDL According to Gibbons there are five key principles to SDL: • student control over as much of the learning experience as possible • skill development • students learning to challenge themselves • student self-management • students motivate and assess their own efforts

5. Spectrum of Self-Directed Learning • Incidental Self-Directed Learning. • Teaching Students to Think Independently. • Self-Managed Learning. • Self-Planned Learning. • Self-Directed Learning. Ref. Maurice Gibbons. http://www.selfdirectedlearning.com/SDLProgram.html

6. dependent independent Stages of learning Grow identifies 4 stages of learning: • Stage 1: Learners of Low Self-Direction • Stage 2: Learners of Moderate Self-Direction • Stage 3: Learners of Intermediate Self-Direction • Stage 4: Learners of High Self-Direction

7. The Staged Self-Directed Learning Model Ref. Grow, Gerald O. (1991/1996). "Teaching Learners to be Self-Directed.“ Adult Education Quarterly, 41 (3), 125-149. Expanded version available online at: <http://www.longleaf.net/ggrow>.

8. Importance of Teaching Styles • Teaching styles are important as well as learning stages • Some teachers are highly directive and authorative (behaviourist?) • Others are much more hands-off, facilitative and take a mentoring approach (constructivist?) • Approaches may differ in different subject areas

9. Learner Stages and Teacher Styles

10. Variation in Self Direction Note that students may be fully self directed in some subjects while at the same time being dependent learners in others.