self-directed learning still needs support, and can be a common mistake for operational managers to think that providing a budget, and a course catalog is enough to get the most out of L&D programs - this is a mistake.

there can be reasons why some learners might not prefer the self-directed learning approach, or know how to make the most use of it - instead of dismissing them as 'non-learners', it'd be a good idea to figure out what their expieriences around learning are, what learning looks like to them - and how to support them.

Svein Loeng. (2020). Self-Directed Learning: A Core Concept in Adult Education. Education Research International, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/3816132

I am not certain where humanism comes into play here. But I recently read some information about it in another article.

This chapter defines andragogy and reviews the early foundations of adult learning theory. Previous adult learning research performed with multiple constraints demonstrated that circumstance (education, training, health, speed of response) may have more of an impact in learning than age. Studies also revealed that age impacts the ability to perform some cognitive functions yet has little impact on others. While the characteristics of the adult learner have remained relatively consistent, perspectives in classifying the topic and its principles have varied. In discussion of self-directed learning, the authors address related objectives, ethos, self-directed attributes, and assessment methods. The authors report a decline in literature focused on self-directed learning within adult education and advocate for continued investigation and research. 8/10

Fostering self-directed learning through strategy is discussed by Bailey et al. (2019) in chapter 1 of “Self-Directed Learning for the 21st Century: Implications for Higher Education.” The authors review the changing role of the educator and the learner based on respective self-directed teaching strategies (problem-based learning, cooperative learning, process-oriented learning) and the learner’s propensity for self-directed learning. In addition to providing principles to promote self-directed learning, the Grow and Borich models for implementing said learning were briefly reviewed. 8/10

(Click Download full-text PDF to read). In this article, the authors reflect on the need to cultivate creativity and self-directed learning through transition from conventional course design to a more comprehensive design, which includes technology, problem solving, and collaboration. Moreover, the authors contend that measures of success should not be limited to traditional assessment methods. Barriers to the success of a self-directed design within the typical learning environment are mentioned. Through case study review, the authors demonstrate that strategic course design (educator, setting, technology, expectations) fosters development of the self-directed learner. Dynamics supporting the success of the technology-rich, creative, self-directed design were included. With a methodological approach that incorporates technology, problem-solving, teamwork, and educator support, self-directed behaviors emerge.(8/10)

Article discusses informal, personal learning networks as they relate to older, adult learners and self-directed study. Author questions how and why adults turn to internet and social media tools for knowledge acquisition. Concedes a lack of research in regard to adults' use of internet-based tools. Defines older adults as 60+. Rating 7/10

Article offers a discussion of SDL as component of adult learning theory. Useful discussion of conceptual framework and literature review. Characteristics of SD learners are explored. Concludes with some implications for the study of adult learning. Rating 7/10

Description: This article reflects on the impact of self-directed learning, technology readiness, and student motivation in blended and non-blended learning environments. These three categories were selected due to their importance in success as a student as well as an employee. It is clear that self-directed learning has a bigger effect on blended learning environments because of the independence students must exhibit during the online portion of the class. Similarly, students need more technology related skills to be successful in a blended environment. Yet, student motivation impacted both blended and non-blended learning nearly equally.

Rating: 7/10

Reason for the rating: There are plenty of citations throughout the text and the data is represented in an easy to understand fashion. Yet, the data sample size was small with only 200 students participating in the research. Therefore, more trials are needed to get a definitive answer.

Description: The article discusses the use of social media in a blended learning environment. There were three groups. The control group was taught the material face-to-face without technology. The first experimental group was taught in a blended setting with some face-to-face interaction and limited internet classes. The second experimental group was blended, similarly to experimental group one, but also had access to the class through social media. All students took a pre and post test. Students in the control group stayed the same while students in the experimental groups grew. The researchers concluded that the blended environment helped while social media support did not.

Rating: 6/10

Reason for the rating: The researchers were thorough in their data collecting and interpretations. They described each method in detail and included charts with their data. Yet, only 74 people participated in this study therefore it may not be the best judge of social-medias ability to aid education.

Summary portion

This article was published by a team member of the ASU Online Instructional Design and New Media (IDNM) team at Arizona State University. This team shares instructional design methods and resources on the TeachOnline site for online learning. "Integrating Technology with Bloom's Taxonomy" describes practices for implementing 6 principles of Bloom's Digital Taxonomy in online learning. These principles include Creating, Evaluating, Analyzing, Applying, Understanding, and Remembering. The purpose of implementing this model is to create more meaningful and effective experiences for online learners. The author guides instructors in the selection of digital tools that drive higher-order thinking, active engagmenent, and relevancy. Rating 9/10

This research article explores an andragogical method of learning for the in-service training of nurses. In a study of a training period for 35 nurses, research found an empowering model of education that was characterized by self-directed learning and practical learning. This model suggests active participation, motivation, and problem-solving as key indicators of effective training for nurses. Rating 8/10

This chapter, "Advantages of Online Professional Development" describes the benefits of online teacher professional development (OTPD), which implements technology to deliver training and learning in an online environment. OTPD allows teachers to participate in a flexible, self-directed, and collaborative learning community. They can interact with other teachers synchronously and asynchronously, or take professional development courses at their own schedule.

This website is part of Angelo State University's online teaching training course for faculty members. This section outlines three prominent theories of education-Behaviorism, Social Cognitive Theory, and Constructivism-and applies them to online learning. Instructional Designers and course instructors can use this guide for the construction of meaningful and active learning environment for students. Rating: 10/10

This website outlines Section 1.5 of Angelo State University's guide to instructional design and online teaching. Section 1.5 describes key characteristics of online learners, as well as the technology and computer skills that research has identified as being important for online learners. Successful online learners are described as self-directed, motivated, well-organized, and dedicated to their education. The article also notes that online learners should understand how to use technology such as multimedia tools, email, internet browsers. and LMS systems. This resource serves as a guide to effective online teaching. Rating 10/10

This website outlines key principles of the E-Learning Theory developed by Mayer, Sweller, and Moreno. E-Learning Theory describes how the implementation of educational technology can be combined with key principles of how we learn for better outcomes. This site describes those principles as a guide of more effective instructional design. Users can also find other learning theories under the "Categories" link at the top of the page. Examples include Constructivist theories, Media & Technology theories, and Social Learning theories. Rating: 8/10

This website is the "Resources" archive for the IgniteED Labs at Arizona State University's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. The IgniteED Labs allow students, staff, and faculty to explore innovative and emerging learning technology such as virtual reality (VR), artifical intelligence (AI), 3-D printing, and robotics. The left side of this site provides several resources on understanding and effectively using various technologies available in the IgniteED labs. Each resources directs you to external websites, such as product tutorials on Youtube, setup guides, and the products' websites. The right column, "Tech Literacy Resources," contains a variety of guides on how students can effectively and strategically use different technologies. Resources include "how-to" user guides, online academic integrity policies, and technology support services. Rating: 9/10

The article, "Keys to success: Self-directed learning,' authors Fellows, Culver, and Beston discuss the components of Grow's self-directed learning (SDL) model. Learners and instructors fit into a matrix which can be used to determine optimal instructional strategies to meet the readiness of the learner. The authors discuss how SDL is implemented in multiple institutions for higher education. Instructional methods are shared to address foundational SDL skills as well as issues that arose when learners were having difficulty transitioning from one stage of readiness to another. Overall, holistic learner skills were enhanced with SDL. Rating: 9/10

Several problems and barriers to technological integration are often included in the discussion about using technology in higher education, however it is less common that solutions are presented. This article proposes solutions for transforming educational technology through personalized experiences and collaboration.

Rating: 8/10

This article stuck me immediately as a former K-12 teacher who now works in higher education. Andragogy and Pedagogy are both extremely similar and unalike in many ways. It is important to understand technological styles in pedagogy, as this article demonstrates, in order to effectively apply similar principles in the higher education setting.

Rating: 8/10

This site is interesting in that it is actually a collection of resources meant to assist in a state program called TEAL (Teaching Excellence in Adult Literacy). This resource in particular lists the theories of adult learning in a concise, easy-to-understand method.

Rating: 9/10

This article reviews effective teaching characteristics and effective teaching methods and strategies to engage adult learners. The piece goes further in exploring five specific teaching methods to support adult learning: self-directed, active, experiential, collaborative, and narrative.

9/10

Throughout this article are several highlighted passages that combine to form this annotation.

This research study presents the idea that the social environment is a self-selected learning environment for adults. The idea of social prestige-bias learning is intriguing because it is derived from the student, not an institution nor instructor. The further idea of selecting whom to learn from based on prestige-bias also creates further questions that warrant a deeper understanding of the learner and the environment which s/he creates to gain knowledge.

Using a previously conducted experiment on success-based learning and learning due to environmental change, this research further included the ideal of social prestige-biased learning.self-selected by the learner.

In a study of 167 participants, three hypotheses were tested to see if learners would select individual learning, social learning, prestige-biased learning (also a social setting), or success-based learning. The experiment tested both an initial learning environment and a learning environment which experienced a change in the environment.

Surprisingly, some participants selected social prestige-biased learning and some success learning and the percentages in each category did not change after the environmental change occurred.

Questions that arise from the study:

• Does social prestige, or someone who is deemed prestigious, equate to a knowledgeable teacher?
• Does the social prestige-biased environment reflect wise choices?
• If the student does not know what s/he does not know, will the social prestige-bias result in selecting the better teacher, or just in selecting a more highly recognized teacher?
• Why did the environmental change have little impact on the selected learning environment?

REFERENCE: Atkinson, C., O’Brien, M.J., & Mesoudi, A. (2012). Adult learners in a novel environment use prestige-biased social learning. Evolutionary Psychology, 10(3), 519-537. Retrieved from (Prestige-biased Learning )

RATINGS content, 9/10 veracity, 8/10 easiness of use, 9/10 Overall Rating, 8.67/10

Why isn't this in the Horizon HE report? It's more applicable to HE students who have greater opportunities and resources for experiential/self-directed learning.

How do I learn best? What resources are the best ones for me?

That's a lot to throw in here at the end. It does make me wonder about how focusing too much on assessment might become the tail wagging the dog, if you know what I mean. Because ultimately it gets back to working together to create quality assignments and teaching the process of self-directed learning.