Self-directed learning - a critique - 9 views

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  #1 Colin Hynson on 10 Sep 14

   

  Much of the material for this module revolves around the concept of self-directed learning taking on a greater role in our education, especially through social and 'connected' learning. It seems to me that many of the people (such as Alec Couros and the authors of the Connected Learning report) are still failing to see one thing.
  
  Self-directed learning will only be of use to those who are already motivated; already resourced and already want to learn. That leaves a huge chunk of people who cannot or do not know how to access this kind of learning. What happens to them?
  
  Perhaps the problem is that evangelists of this shift in the way that people learn simply assume that everybody is like them. They can only see the world through the prism of their own experience. This article explains this feeling much better:
  
  http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/07/ed_tech_promoters_need_to_realize_we_re_not_all_autodidacts.html

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">Much of the material for this module revolves around the concept of self-directed learning taking on a greater role in our education, especially through social and 'connected' learning. It seems to me that many of the people (such as Alec Couros and the authors of the Connected Learning report) are still failing to see one thing. <br /> <br /> Self-directed learning will only be of use to those who are already motivated; already resourced and already want to learn. That leaves a huge chunk of people who cannot or do not know how to access this kind of learning. What happens to them? <br /> <br /> Perhaps the problem is that evangelists of this shift in the way that people learn simply assume that everybody is like them. They can only see the world through the prism of their own experience. This article explains this feeling much better: <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/07/ed_tech_promoters_need_to_realize_we_re_not_all_autodidacts.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/07/ed_tech_promoters_need_to_realize_we_re_not_all_autodidacts.html</a></div>

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  #2 Kevin Stranack on 10 Sep 14

   

  Great post to help us balance the conversation, Colin. As you probably noticed, I'm one of the those evangelists for self-determined learning, but I do respect the point. I'd argue that traditional schooling has often sapped us of the ability to self-direct, and as teachers, we should be trying to gradually move our students in this direction -- for their own long-term benefit. One way we tried to do this in OKMOOC has been to draw a fairly clear line in the Activities as to what to do, but allow for as much (or as little) flexibility in those activities as a student is comfortable with. It probably still won't work for everyone, but that's part of the experiment. Thanks for being part of this!

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">Great post to help us balance the conversation, Colin. As you probably noticed, I'm one of the those evangelists for self-determined learning, but I do respect the point. I'd argue that traditional schooling has often sapped us of the ability to self-direct, and as teachers, we should be trying to gradually move our students in this direction -- for their own long-term benefit. One way we tried to do this in OKMOOC has been to draw a fairly clear line in the Activities as to what to do, but allow for as much (or as little) flexibility in those activities as a student is comfortable with. It probably still won't work for everyone, but that's part of the experiment. Thanks for being part of this!</div>

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