1.

Self-directed learning is "a process in which individuals take the initiative without the

help of others in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating goals, identifying human and

material resources, and evaluating learning outcomes", therefore, a self-directed learner is an

individual that initiates a learning process without the need of people to tell him or her what

they should learn, create goals and how they achieve their goals. According to the University

of People, there are four key stages to independent learning: being ready to learn, setting

learning goals, engaging in the learning process, and evaluating learning. The University also

points out that for students to be successful in self-directed learning, they must be able to

engage in self-reflection and self-evaluation of their learning goals and progress in a unit of

study. Furthermore, students should evaluate their current situation, study habits, family

situation, and support network both at school and at home and also involves evaluating past

experiences with independent learning.

Students need to understand themselves as learners in order to understand their needs as self-

directed learning students. Thus, readiness for self-directed learning includes being

autonomous, organized, self-disciplined, able to communicate effectively, and able to accept

constructive feedback and engage in self-evaluation and self -reflection.

2. My two biggest strengths as a student are my communication skills and my Curiosity

and those strengths help to express myself and share my ideas freely and show what I have

learned to my students or friends. I am the type of person that I don’t wait for the knowledge

to knock at my door, I will look for it and curiosity helps me to get to the bottom of the topic

through questions that I ask myself or my cat or my friends.

3. My biggest weaknesses time managing and overthinking. I am trying to do so many

things at the same time and I always end up doing nothing. I have this self-entitlement that I

can do anything but I have never put time between tasks and trying to study, work, manage

my personal life without timing them, it is causing me a lot of trouble because I am losing
focus in all of the things I need to do and I start to overthink about everything and eventually

I procrastinate, not intentionally because when I overthink, I self-doubt a lot and it leads to

other problems and become my own saboteur.

4. To becoming a more self-directed learner but for me: Identify my learning goals, seek

out interesting challenges, and cultivate intrinsic motivation. The reason I picked those

strategies are that through identifying my goals I will be a constant reminder of the purpose

of my studies; like a person that loves to be challenged, seeking out interesting challenges

will help me to develop my critical thinking and help to find solutions to potential problems

in my personal and professional life and by cultivating intrinsic motivation will keep the fire

of learning alive in me and share what I have learnt until now to my students, peers and

future employees and pass the power of learning to them. Motivation will keep the fire of

learning alive in me and share what I have learnt until now to my students, peers and future

employees and pass the power of learning to them.

Reference:

Briggs, S. (2015, May 3). 20 Steps Towards More Self-Directed Learning. Retrieved May 14,

2020, from https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/29-steps-toward-more-

selfdirected- learning/

Self-Directed Learning: A Four-Step Process | Centre for Teaching. (2019, March 4).

Retrieved May 14, 2020, from https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching excellence/teaching

resources/ teaching-tips/tips-students/self-directed-learning/self-directed-learning-four-step

process