“… [S]elf-directed learning is based on the
hypothesis that ‘individuals have within themselves vast resources for
self-understanding and for altering their self-concepts, basic attitudes, and
self-directed behavior; these resources ca be tapped if a definable climate of
facilitative psychological attitude can be provided’” (Rogers, C., 1980).
Objective
Write
the Quote. What was the context for the authors?
What
have you learned from reflecting on this particular quote?
What
has caught your attention?
Self-directed
learning is not only an individual process, but it is an experiential journey
in that it is not only influenced by each individual’s personalities but varies
from one person to another. Given that
each individual brings their own unique sets of past experiences to their
learning process, their learning is influenced by their individual motivation, their
level of knowledge, and their effort put towards learning the subject matter. Self-regulated
learning is a process that differs depending on the degree of the involvement
of each person in the process. I believe the context in which this quote is
written in has to do with the importance of students’ personalities, their
intellectual capacities as well as their socio-cultural background that influences
their learning ability extensively. Therefore, as teachers we ought to not only
appreciate the learners’ intrinsic capabilities that augment their learning
outcome, but to also realize that it can also have great impact on their
learning process.
The learner in the self-regulated
learning process is defined by Linda B. Nilson to have “… [A] Mindful, intentional, reflective,
introspective, self-aware, self-controlled, and self-disciplined character
towards their learning process” (Nilson, L.B., 2014).
According to Nilson it is only through the mastery of these skills that one can become a self-directed
learner.
Reflective
Why did you choose this quote? How do you identify with it?
I have chosen the quote because the context and what it
implies resonates with me personally, as I still am a self-directed learner. One
of the positive characteristics of the self-regulated learning is its rewarding
nature. It not only provides the learner with ownership towards their learning
process, but it also brings in a sense of pride in students when they foresee
their accomplishments. Moreover, today’s technological advancements have
strengthened the learners’ learning process by offering accessibility to a wide
range of information at any time. As a result,
a self-directed learner not only has control over what they are learning
but also on how much time they invest and from where they get the information
they want to learn. It is this way that the learner gains ownership over their
learning process.
Interpretive
What does it mean to you? What
does it indicate more broadly for educators? What insights do you get from the
quote? How has your thinking changed by reflecting on this quote?
Self-regulated learning is truly a reflective process. Nevertheless,
I believe being a self-directed learner is an intrinsic characteristic. It is
not a skill to master or to build upon one either has it or not. However, as
professionals in the field of teaching, when put we put a self-directed
learning paradigm in practice, we should recognize and appreciate the teaching
philosophies that exist in our field of practice. After all, self-directed
learning has its roots in Western cultures, and is much a less-structured
framework when it comes to individuals sharing knowledge in a classrooms
setting. While reflecting on this quote, I have definitely seen the potential
of self-directed learning, but feel that there is further refinement necessary
to create a paradigm that can properly regulate teacher-student interactions in
such a learning environment.
Decisional
How can this new or enhanced
interpretation be applied to your teaching practice?
Recent research
literature on the self-directed language learning process in the self-access
context has focused on the various kinds of support that can be provided to
facilitate learning: language advising, language tools, self-access resources,
and learning strategies (Gardner, 2007; Lamb and Reinders, 2006; Karlsson,
Kjisik and Nordlund, 2007; Kato and Yamashita, 2008; Noguchi and McCarthy,
2010; Rubin, 2007; Yamaguchi et al., 2012). Metacognition is part of the
holistic teaching and has to be incorporated into self-directed learning. To foresee the application of
self-directed learning in actual practice, as a future teacher I will design a
vigorous curriculum plan wherein individual’s attitudes and feelings are
addressed and their strengths and weaknesses are reinforced. This is of utmost
priority in the field of practice I will be entering into. It is crucial for the
teacher to convey the logic of the matter being taught in order to give
framework, meaning and punctuality to their lessons. As such, selecting one’s
content in teaching is very important in order to foster the learner’s
self-regulated capabilities. In addition, it is important to stand aside once
the information has been properly delivered; it is imperative that students use
the knowledge on their own and share their perspectives regularly with their
peers.
Conclusion
Running a successful self-directed learning course means the
educator has to take on a new role in the classroom. Instead of relying on the
teacher driven paradigm, the instructor now becomes a mediator or facilitator.
Many students, who are interested in a self-directed course, are likely to be
already informed or have strong opinions on the content. As such, it is
important for the “lecture” to become a forum, so that students are able learn,
not just from their teacher, but from each other as well: while drawing upon
their previous experiences and studies.
References
Barkley, E, F., (2010). Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for
College Faculty, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint, Chapter 2, P.9
Nilson,
L.B., (2014). The Secret of Self-regulated Learning, Faculty Focus, Higher ED
Teaching Strategies from MAGNA Publications Retrieved from:
Rogers,
C., (1961). On Becoming a Person. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin.
Rogers,
C., (1962). Towards Becoming a Fully Functioning Person. In Perceiving,
Behaving, Becoming. (Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development
Yearbook). Washington, DC: National Education
Association.
Rogers,
C., (1969). Freedom to Learn. Columbus,
OH: Charles Merrill.
Rogers,
C., (1980). A Way of Being. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin
Sze-Yeng,
F., & Hussian, R. (2010). Self-directed Learning in Socio-Constructivist
Learning Environment. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 9, 1913-1917.
