Self-directed learning allows individuals to take responsibility for their own learning by identifying their needs, goals, and resources. It follows Malcolm Knowles' definition from 1975 as a process where learners take initiative in diagnosing, planning, implementing and evaluating their learning. Its history traces back to Cyril Houle's work and influence of Allen Tough and Malcolm Knowles. Medical education has shifted to more active, self-directed models to better prepare students for lifelong learning and changing contexts. Encouraging self-directed learning in medical colleges helps students develop responsibility for their own learning and maturation. Approaches include problem-based learning, student-led study groups, and facilitating learning needs rather than passive teaching. Benefits include enhanced enthusiasm
3. • “The hardest thing to
get into the mind of the
beginner is that the
education upon which
he is engaged is . . . a
life course, for which
the work of a few years
under teachers is a
preparation.”
4. Defination
• In 1975, Malcolm Knowles defined self-
directed learning as a “process in which
individuals take initiative,
• with or without the help of others, in
diagnosing their own learning needs,
• formulating goals, identifying human and
material resources for
• learning, choosing and implementing
appropriate learning
• strategies and evaluating learning outcomes.”
6. • Cyril Houle’s key role in thedevelopment of
self-directed learning as an area of research.
He didthis in two ways: (a) through the
publication of his classic work, The Inquiring
Mind and (b) through the influence of two of
his doctoralgraduates: Allen Tough and
Malcolm Knowles.
7. • Three years later, Knowles’ (1975) own book,
Self-Directed Learning: A Guide for Teachers
and Learners, was published.
10. SDL in Medical Colleges
• WHY???
• How???
• What we will achieve???
11. Why???
Knowledge that medical students acquire at
school may become obsolete when they join
for medical practice.
• Medical students are likely to work in different
contexts during their professional career.
• Doctors thus need to keep learning and
engaging in continuing education.
12. • The field of medical education has witnessed a
change in a student’s role from passive to
active learner
• this moved the centre of gravity away from
the teacher and closer to the student
13. Advantages
Learn more things and learn better than
people who sit at the feet of teachers
passively waiting to be taught.
• More in tune with our natural processes of
psychological development; an essential
aspect of maturing is developing the ability to
take increasing responsibility of our own lives
to become increasingly self-directed.
• Many of the new developments in education
put a heavy responsibility on the learners to
14. Teacher-------Facilitator
• Concept should change from that of 'teacher'
to that of 'facilitator of learning',
'motivator'
and 'designer of the learning situation‘
and sometimes join the students honestly as a
continuing co-learner
15. How????
• Integrate basic and clinical disciplines
Students to meet patients early
• Small group teaching
• Problem base learning
16. Problem –based-learning
• Have you been teaching your students using
this?????
• My answer-----NO
• Instructor --- problem
• Students identify what they need to learn
17. • Students learn what they have identified
• Students then use the newly acquired
knowledge to solve the problem
18. How???
• Optional strategies you might use for doing
this:
• Ask the students individually (preferably,
before classes start) to study a topic on their
own coming to you only when they want help.
• You could team the students up into small
groups and ask them to pursue the topic
independently as teams, coming to you only
when they need help.
• You could involve all of a given group of
19. Achievement
• They displayed a greater enthusiasm at the
start of the clinical rotation
• were often quick to inform their preceptors of
the type of cases that they had or had not
seen within the clinic,
• Identifying learning issues and learning needs
more efficiently and effectively.
• .
20. • They asked more questions
• They were more likely to spontaneously read
extra material or look up resources while in
the clinic, thus proactively enhancing their
own learning process.
