Self-Directed Learning

Self-Directed Learning

Career Explorations

Open Ended

What motivates you to learn something new on your own?

Open Ended

What's your best example of learning something on your own to accomplish a goal? 

Open Ended

Can soft skills be taught? Explain.

Open Ended

How can soft skills be taught?

(think about where you got yours!)

Open Ended

If any, what soft skills have you tried to developed because you knew they were important?

​What is Self-Directed Learning?

• ​Self-directed learning is taking personal responsibility for determining and addressing your own learning needs

• It requires you to have motivation for learning

• Everyone has a different capacity to practice self-directed learning because everyone has different skills and motivation for learning

• Self-directed learning empowers you to choose what you want to learn, as well as when and how

​Self Directed Learning

• Taking initiative will help you learn more than being passive and waiting for someone to teach you

• ​ Make you more competitive in the workplace/school

• ​ Increase your confidence and performance

• ​ Be able to adapt and change

• ​ Make you a better problem solver

​Characteristics of a Self-Directed Worker

• ​ Self-motivated

• ​ Reflect on learning

• ​ Monitor learning

• ​ Take responsibility for learning

• ​ Plan and use strategies to learn

• ​ Seek opportunities to learn

​Ways to Learn

• ​Participate in a training workshop or conference

  Attend a presentation, lecture, or panel discussion

  Take a class

  Conduct research in a focused area

  Read books, journals, blogs, or articles

• Engage in discussion

• Observe peers​

• Participate in an internship

• Volunteer to learn by doing

  Interview someone to learn from their experience

  Get advice and information from an expert

  Follow experts and "thought leaders" on social media

  Find a mentor or someone willing to coach you

How do I know what I should learn?

• ​ Create a list of your strengths and weaknesses

• ​ Get feedback from your fellow students or people at your work

• ​ Ask yourself what you could do better

Open Ended

What would you like to learn in the future and what will you do to learn it?