----

##  Self-Directed Learning. ERIC Digest.                                         

The concept of Self-Directed Learning (SDL) is one which educators              have investigated and discussed for many years.  This Digest will               examine the basic tenets of SDL, and it will discuss recently                   conducted research findings germane to its application in K-12                  classrooms. WHAT IS SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING?Self-directed                  learning, which has its roots in adult education, is an approach                that has also been tried with learners in elementary and secondary              schools. There may be slight variations in how different educators              define SDL, but a survey of the literature on the subject identifies            several tenets that are central to the concept. 
*As the term                  suggests, SDL views learners as responsible owners and managers of              their own learning process. SDL integrates                                      self-management (management of the context, including the social                setting, resources, and actions) with self-monitoring (the process              whereby the learners monitor, evaluate and regulate their cognitive             learning strategies) (Bolhuis, 1996; Garrison, 1997). 
*SDL                    recognizes the significant role of motivation and volition in                   initiating and maintaining learners' efforts. Motivation drives the             decision to participate, and volition sustains the will to see a                task through to the end so that goals are achieved (Corno, 1992;                Garrison, 1997). 
*In SDL, control gradually shifts from teachers              to learners. Learners exercise a great deal of independence in                  setting learning goals and deciding what is worthwhile learning as              well as how to approach the learning task within a given                        framework (Lyman, 1997; Morrow, Sharkey, & Firestone,                           1993). 
*Teachers scaffold learning by making learning 'visible.'              They model learning strategies and work with students so that they              develop the ability to use them on their own (Bolhuis, 1996; Corno,             1992; Leal, 1993). 
*SDL is, ironically, highly collaborative.                 Learners collaborate with teachers and peers in (Guthrie, Alao &                Rinehart; 1997; Temple & Rodero, 1995). 
*SDL develops                         domain-specific knowledge as well as the ability to transfer                    conceptual knowledge to new situations. It seeks to bridge the gap              between school knowledge and real-world problems by considering how             people learn in real life (Bolhuis, 1996; Temple & Rodero,                      1995). WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING?The                benefits of SDL are best described in terms of the type of learners             it develops. The literature on SDL asserts that self-directed                   learners demonstrate a greater awareness of their responsibility in             making learning meaningful and monitoring themselves (Garrison,                 1997). They are curious and willing to try new things (Lyman, 1997),            view problems as challenges, desire change, and enjoy                           learning (Taylor, 1995). Taylor also found them to be motivated and             persistent, independent, self-disciplined, self-confident and                   goal-oriented. 
Self-directed learning allows learners to be more              effective learners and social beings. Guthrie, et al. (1996) noted              that the self-directed learners in a Concept-Oriented Reading                   Instruction (CORI) program demon-strated the ability to search for              information in multiple texts, employ different strategies to                   achieve goals, and to represent ideas in different forms (drawing               and writing).  Morrow, et al. (1993) observe that with proper                   planning and implementation, self-directed learning can encourage               students to develop their own rules and leadership patterns. WHAT             CAN TEACHERS DO TO SUPPORT SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING?One of the                most important tasks of the teacher is to raise student awareness of            their roles in learning. Taylor (1995) suggests engaging students in            discussion on topics from the Self-Directed Learning Readiness                  Scale. Examples of topics are: I know that I want to learn and that             I am a learner, so if I want to learn something, I can, and I like              to learn and to solve problems because I know that thinking 'hard'              can be fun. The exercise of evaluating oneself on such topics was               found to have positively influenced learner awareness. Lyman (1997),            who works with readers, suggests generating similar discussion                  through the use of questions designed to help learners become aware             of what good readers do and how to become one. Among the examples he            provides are:  Did you read better today than yesterday?  Could you             keep the ideas in your book straight in your mind? Were there words             you did not know? How did you figure them out? 
Learner                        participation in decision-making is another fundamental aspect of               the SDL approach. Taylor advocates involving students in decisions              concerning what is to be learned, when and how it should be learned,            and how it should be evaluated. In addition, every proponent of SDL             emphasizes the importance of allowing learners to pursue their own              interests so that learning becomes more meaningful. Morrow, et                  al. (1993) report that when writers are allowed to choose their own             topics, they write more often and they write longer pieces. Students            do not have to be given total freedom, however. Teachers could, for             instance, establish a thematic framework within which students are              given choices (Guthrie, et al., 1997; Temple & Rodero,                          1995). 
Lyman (1997) and Bolhuis (1996) stress that teachers who               want to encourage SDL must free themselves from a preoccupation with            tracking and correcting errors, a practice that is                              ego-threatening (Guthrie, et al. 1996). Lyman and Bolhuis advocate              greater tolerance of uncertainty and encourage risk-taking, and                 capitalizing on learners' strong points instead of focusing on                  weaknesses, as it is more beneficial for learners to achieve a few              objectives of importance to them than it is to fulfill all the                  objectives that are important to the teacher. Leal (1993) advocates             allowing learners to explore ideas through peer discussions - even              without fully intact answers - a process that can yield new and                 valuable insights. Corno (1992) suggests allowing learners to pursue            personal interests without the threat of formal evaluation. Even if             they make mistakes while doing so, the activities will sustain their            interest, transcend frustration, and eventually break barriers to               achievement. According to Lyman, Uninterrupted Sustained Silent                 Reading may be one way of accomplishing this objective in the                   reading classroom. 
To establish the habit of self-monitoring,                 teachers need to encourage learners to reflect on what they did and             to revise attempted work (Corno, 1992). Keeping journals is one way             of maintaining a record of the learning process. 
Since SDL                    stresses meaningful learning, Temple and Rodero (1995) advocate a               situated learning approach, in which teachers bring real-life                   problems into the classroom for learners to work on. They advise                against 'sugar-coating' work with fun, the rationale being that if              the tasks are meaningful, learners will work on them willingly.                 Learners should also be allowed to collaborate with the teacher in              determining deadlines and other regulations. 
Finally, teachers                need to model learning strategies such as predicting, questioning,              clarifying, and summarizing, so that students will develop the                  ability to use these strategies on their own. Teachers also need to             allow individual learners to approach a task in different ways using            different strategies (Many, Fyfe, Lewis, & Mitchell,                            1996). 
Researchers have found that as children grow, they have an             increasing desire for autonomy. SDL may be one way of harnessing                that natural desire to help achieve a meaningful learning experience            that will last through adulthood. REFERENCESBolhuis,                      S. (1996). Towards Active and Selfdirected Learning. Preparing for              Lifelong Learning, with Reference to Dutch Secondary Education.                 Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational               Research Association (New York, NY, April 8-12, 1996). 
Corno,                 L. (1992). Encouraging Students to Take Responsibility for Learning             and Performance. Elementary School Journal; v93 n1 p69-83 Sep                   1992. [EJ 453 441] 
Garrison, D.R. (1997). Self-directed learning:             Toward a comprehensive model. In Adult Education Quarterly, Fall 97             v 48 n 1, p18, 16 p. 
Guthrie, J.T., Solomon, A. & Rinehart,                   J.M. (1997). Engagement in Reading for Young Adolescents. Journal of            Adolescent & Adult Literacy; v40 n6 p438-46 Mar 1997. [EJ 547                   197] 
Guthrie, J.T, and Others. (1996). Growth of Literacy                     Engagement: Changes in Motivations and Strategies during                        Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction. Reading Research Quarterly;               v31 n3 p306-32 Jul-Sep 1996. [EJ 530 522] 
Leal, D.J. (1993). The              Power of Literary Peer-Group Discussions: How Children                          Collaboratively Negotiate Meaning. Reading Teacher; v47 n2 p114-20              Oct 1993. [EJ 470 287] 
Hunt, L.C., Jr. (1997). The Effect of                  Self-Selection, Interest, and Motivation Upon Independent,                      Instructional, and Frustrational Levels. Reading Teacher; v50 n4                p278-82 Dec-Jan 1996-97. [EJ 547 089] 
Many, J.E., Fyfe, R., Lewis,            G. & Mitchell, E. (1996). Traversing the Topical Landscape:                     Exploring Students' Self-Directed Reading-Writing-Research                      Processes. Reading Research Quarterly; v31 n1 p12-35 Jan-Mar                    1996. [EJ 521 366] 
Morrow, L.M. & Others (1993). Promoting                    Independent Reading and Writing through Self-Directed Literacy                  Activities in a Collaborative Setting. Reading Research Report No.              2.  [ED 356 455] 
Taylor, B. (1995). Self-Directed Learning:                   Revisiting an Idea Most Appropriate for Middle School Students.                 Paper presented at the Combined Meeting of the Great Lakes and                  Southeast International Reading Association, Nashville, TN, Nov                 11-15. [ED 395 287] 
Temple, C., & Rodero, M.L. (1995). Active                 Learning in a Democratic Classroom: The "Pedagogical Invariants" of             Celestin Freinet (Reading around the World). Reading Teacher; v49 n2            p164-67 Oct 1995. [EJ 515 907] 
----- 
Digest #169 is EDO-CS-01-10            and was published in December 2001 by the ERIC Clearinghouse on                 Reading, English & Communication, 2805 E 10th St., Bloomington, IN              47408-2698, Telephone (812) 855-5847 or (800) 759-4723. ERIC Digests            are in the public domain and may be freely reproduced. Additional               copies may be ordered by contacting the ERIC Document Reproduction              Service at (800) 443-3742. 
This project is funded at least in part            with Federal funds from the U S Department of Education under                   contract number ED-99-CO-0028. The content of this publication does             not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the US Department              of Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial products,              or organizations imply endorsement by the US Government.                     **Title:** Self-Directed Learning. ERIC Digest.                                         **Note:** ERIC/REC Digest number D169.                                                 **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and Communication, Indiana              University, 2805 E. 10th Street, Suite 140, Bloomington, IN                     47408-2698. Tel: 800-759-4723; Web site: http://eric.indiana.edu.            **Descriptors:**  Educational Benefits, Elementary Secondary Education,  Independent             Study,  Learner Controlled Instruction, Student Role, Teacher Role           **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests, Research Results,  Self Direction,  Self Monitoring            
###
[Return to ERIC Digest Search Page]