Literature Review - Perry

LaKrisha Perry

Literature Review

EDAC634

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING

Introduction

Self-directed learning is about the individual taking responsibility and being accountable for learning, but still having input from others.  It is not a blanket method used by all based on their needs; self-directed learning is a process of learning based on the individual’s preference.  The individual has to have a willingness to learn.  Once they are open to learning they must set learning goals/outcomes.  They have to be engaged in the process and lastly they must see how the outcomes relate to their lives.  Knowles defines self-directed learning as learning “in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes” (Knowles, 1972).

General Themes

Self-Directed Learning and Technology

In today’s learning communities, technology is an integral part of learning environments.  Individuals have information at their fingertips and many times can suffer from information overload.  The self-directed learner must determine how they will utilize the technology.  When looking into the technological learning environment, individuals are able to communicate with professors, students, mentors and friends.  This provides an amazing variety of resources and knowledge that cannot be obtained by the regular physical classroom setting.  Individuals are able to “collaborate with others in the learning community.  The individual making the solo-quest for knowledge may rely on his or her curiosity, initiative, personal responsibility for learning, persistence in learning, self-confidence, and even goal orientation for that learning to occur, but the assistance of digital partners who may sit on another continent cannot be ignored” (Bryan, 2015). 

Collaboration provides an opportunity for the individual to grow in knowledge of technology tools and social networks.  It “heightens the need to succeed together” (Bryan, 2015).  Learners can be equipped at a young age to sort through sea of technology, but must also learn to use the tools to collaborate once they are in situations.  “Students’ prior knowledge can dictate their readiness to learn new material” (Mello, 2016), but some are not able to sort through the information and become overloaded with its abundance.  Even when provided the technological pathways to utilize, some individuals are not able to effectively comprehend the information as each relates to the big picture of the topic at hand.

Bryan provides the following bullet points in assisting individuals in the learning environment.  This list in not all inclusive to the points provided, but focuses on areas that are meaningful to the direction of this topic:

·         Assist the learner in becoming self-aware;

·         Teach how to use technology tools found on various devices;

·         Allow learners to take more control and responsibility for decisions about what and how they are to learn;

·         Assist learners in recognizing information overload and how to deal with it;

·         Provide encouragement for the learner to acquire skills, knowledge, and abilities that may improve his or her speed of assessing information and using that information;

·         Encourage learners to enjoy the chase for new knowledge or the thrill of discovery;

·         Provide the tools for learners to navigate in a safe learning environment with tools that help them to identify accurate information.

As we move toward a world more dependent upon technology, individuals must stay abreast of the changes to compete in an ever-changing world.  It must start at a young age.  “In essence, the learning orientations of today's younger people tied to expectations of what the Web promises, and even the growing pervasiveness of virtual information in almost any location may actually make self-directed approaches to teaching and learning the default norm” (Hiemstra, 2003)

Student Perspectives on Self-Directed Learning

Incorporating student self-directed learning on college campuses gives students the ability to take hold of their education.  They are able to shape the learning process to fit their needs.  Research completed by Trigwell & Prosser (as cited in Douglass & Morris, 2015) found the more control students have in their learning process, the more they sharpen their ability to sort through presented information as well as critically reflect and analyze their performance.

Even with students realizing the importance of making the most of their learning experience, professors have obligations as well.  Professors are given the opportunity to engage students in the learning process by allowing them the right to choose the learning methods best suited for their style of learning.  Giving students a choice allows them to be the decision maker.  “Many teachers and trainers have come to understand the importance of involving learners in the educational process” (Hiemstra, 2014).  Professors have the ability to form their class to allow students to work independently or interact with each other.  Students hold the responsibility of completing assignments based on the professor’s direction.  Research completed by Paavola & Hakkarainen (as cited in Douglass & Morris, 2015) found that learning occurs as students present information to and assess each other with the aim to create new knowledge through work.

In as much as professors have the ability to construct the class as they desire “straightforward: self-directed learning and self-assessment are facilitated by professors who have clear and relevant grading structures, offering job-shadowing and internship or clinical opportunities, are supportive of students and enthusiastic about teaching and learning” (Douglass & Morris, 2015).  Professors have a level of engagement they must uphold for students to stay connected to the online or physical classroom setting.  Professors must know what is important to the class of students they are instructing.  There is not an option that covers all concentrations of learning.

Likewise, administrators try to make student focused decisions, but may not realize how prominent students regard administrators’ roles in facilitating or blocking self-directed learning through scheduling courses, determining class sizes, setting faculty loads, and developing budgets for classroom technology” (Douglass & Morris, 2015).  Unfortunately, administrators may not always realize how their actions can impact the student learner’s ability to self-direct their learning.

Ultimately “students noted that learning tasks that gave them a sense of autonomy, competence, relatedness, or purpose did increase their motivation to self-direct their own learning” (Douglass & Morris, 2015).  These can be directly related to the instructor and administrators overseeing the educational process.  Given the students’ ability to connect with their educational experience, they will either perform or not.  Many are not motivated by the extrinsic rewards, but more so by the intrinsic reward of gained knowledge and experience.

Self-Directed Learning on Workplace Learning

Increases in knowledge, when applied in the work situation, can lead to improved productivity and/or quality.  Even though employees are placed in their respective positions, they compete on a daily basis with their co-workers to keep their positions. From the workers' point of view, the influence of social, technological and economic developments mean job security is no longer guaranteed.  Positions requiring mental problem-solving abilities are more apt to workplace sustainability.

As the workplace evolves, there are two dimensions found in the work environment: job demand and job control.   “Job demands refer to the physical and mental efforts involved in the work, specifically that a large volume of work is to be performed under conditions of high requirements and time constraints. Job control refers to the worker’s control over his or her work processes, in other words, the ability to make decisions and the opportunity to exercise a degree of control over the work to be carried out” (Raemdonck, Gijbels, & Groen, 2014).  Employees learn in environments where they are mentally challenged.

Learning environments also include social aspects.  A high level of social support allows for a collective work situation; when support is low it allows for an isolated work situation. Isolated work situations tend to have a high level of stress and which in turn increase health risks.  Health risks decrease productivity of employees directly and indirectly.

Positive effects on workplace learning are expected in situations in which there is a combination of high job demands, high job control and high social support.  This combination may at times create a high level of active learning.  Active learning takes place when the individual is actively engaged in their work and seeks ways to overcome challenges presented in the work environment.

The most advantageous combination of job characteristics for workplace learning includes high job demands, high job control, high social support, and a high level of self-directed learning.  This combination has a positive influence on employees’ workplace learning behavior.  “Workers with high job demands often find themselves challenged in their work and so are able to learn as part of their regular day to day work. They are also required to learn, as they have to cope with changes at work; because of this they frequently find themselves in new situations that demand new skills and knowledge” (Raemdonck, Gijbels, & Groen, 2014).

Employees can be categorized as engaged or unengaged.  Engaged employees tend to take the initiative to gain more knowledge about the tasks and work they are involved.  Thereby involving themselves in self-directed learning.  “High self-directed learning orientation sees learning first and foremost as their own responsibility, in order to keep up-to-date and as an essential component of their tasks. Furthermore, this type of worker learns for the sake of learning and for the pleasure experienced while learning. They have a continual desire to develop and are therefore motivated to take the initiative to learn and to persist in learning” (Raemdonck, Gijbels, & Groen, 2014).

Although stress can act as a potential barrier in the learning process for high demand and high control positions, workers tend to be persistent in pressing through the issue.  “As workers with a high self-directed learning orientation do not allow their learning to be held back by barriers, it is reasonable to assume that they can also overcome stress” (Raemdonck, Gijbels, & Groen, 2014).   Employees with high self-directed learning tend to overcome stress better than individuals with lower levels of self-directed learning.

Implications

At an early age children are given the opportunity to begin making decisions of educating themselves based on information they are subjected to.  They must be guided in determining the relevance of information to their needs.  As they progress in age their decision making abilities can allow them to be successful in the educational arena and workforce.

The availability of technology allows individuals to connect in and outside of the physical classroom setting.  Students are now able to collaborate with students locally and in other countries while still being in the same online classroom.  This allows for a broader range of knowledge as it relates to topics studied which gives students the ability to develop a more diverse way of processing information.  Although students can connect with each other in the online class setting, there are still physical classroom settings that can create or hinder the self-directed learning process.   Students must be given the ability to have control over their learning process.  Students should be allowed the opportunities to determine the best methods of delivery of information, be responsible for setting learning objectives and allow students the opportunity to work independently and collaboratively.

Professors must create a classroom that allows students to be engaged in the learning process.  Students must be given different methods to learn the information presented as they are all different.  Professors must be engaged in the teaching process so students can be engaged in the learning process.

Administrators must realize the importance of diversified settings based on the subject area of learning.  One size fits all will not work when looking at the different subject areas.  Students in different concentrations learn in different ways/settings.  They must look at class sizes, technology, and faculty loads.

Self-directed learning in the workplace is at its greatest in employees when learning includes high job demands, high job control, high social support, and a high level of self-directed learning.  This combination has a positive influence on employees’ workplace learning behavior.   Employees become engaged as they have a sense of connection to the workplace as they are now a problem-solver for the company.  They flourish when they have a social support system that can empathize with their situations and provide suggestions.  The more the employee is engaged in self-directed learning in the company, the more the employee realizes he/she can process through stressful situations and looks forward to challenges.

Reflection

When coming up with the ideas for my paper, I chose to base it on the different areas as they relate to a person’s career.  I chose to start with technology as it encompasses many areas of learning both young and old.  Self-directed learning as it relates to technology is not for everyone.  Many may not realize how technology can be overwhelming even when only given a small piece to work with.  All individuals are not ready nor will they ever be ready to take on the complications of technology.  I moved into the educational arena and students’ perspectives on self-directed learning.  I began to realize how self-directed learning can either be present or omitted from the learning process.  Even though it may seem a student is in control of this process, many times they are not.  Students are not always allowed to think for themselves and be the decision maker in their educational journey.  Many times, students are provided information in one format and expected to regurgitate what the professor has taught them at a specified time.  Students are not engaged as the learner and given opportunities to initiate their own learning objectives and find ways that best relate to their learning abilities.

Table

	Main Themes of Literature	Application of Main Themes in Practice
Theme 1	Self-directed learning and technology	·         Technology must have a focus/direction in the educational process before it can be effective; students should be educated on the different areas of technology to be able to effectively utilize them. ·         Technology allows students to collaborate outside of the physical classroom.
Theme 2	Student perspectives on self-directed learning	·         Allow students to have control over the learning process; they will sharpen their ability to sort through presented information as well as critically reflect and analyze their performance. ·         Professors should engage students to know what is important to the class they are instructing. ·         Administrators must assist in creating the self-directed learning environment by providing the appropriate technology, class size and scheduling.
Theme 3	Self-directed learning on workplace-learning	·         Self-directed learning will be heightened in environments where employees are empowered with opportunities to be decision-makers. ·         Social networks must be created in the workplace; a high level of social support allows for a collective work situation.

REFERENCES

Bryan, V. C. (2015). Self-Directed Learning and Technology. Education Digest, 80(6), 42-44.

Retrieved from http://proxy.bsu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=tfh&AN=100899083&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Douglass, C., & Morris, S. (2014). Student perspectives on self-directed learning. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 14(1), 13-25.

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v14i1.3202

Hiemstra, R. (2003). More Than Three Decades of Self-Directed Learning: From Whence Have We Come?  Adult Learning, 14(4), 5-8.

Knowles, M. S. (1972) Principles of Andragogy.

Mello, L. (2016). Fostering postgraduate student engagement: online resources
             supporting self-directed learning in a diverse cohort. Research In Learning
             Technology, 24. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v24.29366

Raemdonck, I., Gijbels, D., & Groen, W. (2014). The influence of job characteristics
             and self-directed learning orientation on workplace learning.  International
             Journal Of Training & Development, 18(3), 188-201.
             doi: 10.1111/ijtd.12028