Self-Directed Learning By Malcom Knowles

Published by Cambridge Adult Education in 1975 I met Malcom Knowles at an ASTD (American Society of Training and Development) National Conference in St. Louis, Missouri in May 1986. I participated along with 300 conference attendees in a Coffee with Malcom workshop that lasted one hour. During that hour he magically took us through individual, dyad, triad, small group exercises and ended with a fishbowl approach where five participants representing the rest of us discussed common problems and potential solutions. It was an amazing event! Knowles, the facilitator, artfully established a supportive climate, encouraged us to take responsibility for our own learning, and moved us through the array of exercises to develop our own outcomes. His book, Self-Directed Learning, is a mere 135 pages long. It is divided into three distinct sectionsThe Learner, The Teacher, and a set of learning resource exercises. It is not a book that you can read once. I have found it best to scan through quickly and then go back for a more thoughtful study. It is important to see the flow of material before diving to a deeper level. Part 1The Learneraddresses three areas: 1. What is the definition of Self-Directed learning? And how is it different than Teacher-Directed Learning? Teacher Directed Learning
Assumes the learner is essentially a dependent personality and that the teacher has the responsibility what and how the learner should be taught. Assumes that the learners experience is of less value than that of the teacher, the textbook, the

Self Directed Learning

Assumes that the human being grows in capacity (and need) to be self-directing as an essential component of maturing, and that this capacity should be nurtured to develop as rapidly as possible. Assumes that the learners experiences become an increasingly rich resource for learning, which

textbook writers and materials producers as a resource for learning, and that therefore the teacher has the responsibility to see to it that the resource of these experts are transmitted to the learner. Assumes that students enter into education with a subject-centered orientation to learning (they see learning as accumulating subject matter and that therefore learning experiences should be organized according to units of content. Assumes that students are motivated to learn in response to external rewards and punishments, such as grades, diplomas, awards, degrees, and fear of failure.

should be exploited along with the resources of experts.

Assumes that the students natural orientation is task or problem centered and that therefore learning experiences should be organized as task accomplishments or problem solving learning projects (or inquiry units). Assumes that learners are motivated by internal incentives, such as the need for self-esteem, the desire to achieve, the urge to grow, the satisfaction of accomplishment, the need to know something specific, and curiosity.

2. Why is Self-Directed Learning important? There is growing evidence that people who take initiative in learning, learn more and learn better than those who dont. The evidence is also that they learn more deeply and permanently.

3. What are the key competencies for Self-Directed Learning? Understanding the differences between Teacher-Directed Learning and SelfDirected Learning. Working collaboratively with others (people and resources). Selecting strategies skillfully and with initiative. Knowles suggests the following questions to get one started in their Self Directed Learning process:
The simplest steps of scientific inquiry are answering the following questions: 1. What is the question I want an answer to? -Is it a question worth asking? -Is it a question you really care about? -Is it a question that is answerable by data? -Is the question clear and understandable to others? 2. What is the data I need to answer this question? -Are the data available to you within your limitations of time, money, etc.? 3. What are the most appropriate and feasible sources of these data? 4. What are the most efficient and effective means I can use to collect these data from these sources? 5. How shall I organize and analyze these data to get an answer to my question? 6. How will I report my answer and test its validity? A more sophisticated approach is to use the learning contract (with yourself). It consists of: 1. Learning objectives 2. Learning resources and strategies 3. Evidence of accomplishment 4. Criteria and means of validating

Collecting and validating evidence of accomplishment of various kinds of learning objectives.

Part 2The Teacher- takes the reader through a very detailed process of how a learning facilitator can take a group of learners through a self-discovery process. The section can easily lose the readers interest because of its detail and reference to Part 3 where the exercise and reference material are located. I found it much easier to move from Part One to Part Three and then go back to Part Two to finish the book. Part 3Learning ResourcesThis section consist of a dozen exercises that must be taken seriously to appreciate the book. I found the best way to work with the section is to take the time to apply and finish the exercises. Exercise LReading a Book Proactivelyis well worth completing. I used his suggested approach in reading through Building Wealth (last months book review). This process taught me how to identify learning objectives prior to reading a book and developing a set of outcomes that I wanted before reading. It proved invaluable. In summarizing the book, it is clearly a working guide to help adults understand the process of learning and the responsibility the Self-Directed Learner has in his/her own learning. What are the benefits? Taking responsibility for ones own learning tends to increase self-esteem and produces an inquiring mind on everything one does. As Knowles says, We must learn from everything we do; we must exploit every experience as a learning experience. Every institution and every person we have access too become a resource. It is a lifelong process.