Self-Directed Learning: Taking Charge of Your Education, Study notes of Environmental Engineering

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Self-Directed Learning^ To learn is human... Jeanne M VanBriesen, Professor Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Carnegie Mellon University

What^ is^ self

‐directed^ learning? • Individuals take^ initiative^ and responsibility for^ learning • Individuals select,^ manage,^ and^

assess their^ own^ learning

activities

-^ Motivation^ and

volition^ are^ critical

-^ Independence^ in

setting^ goals^ AND defining what is worthwhile^ to^ learn.

-^ Teachers^ provide

scaffolding,^ mentoring, advising.

-^ Peers^ provide^ collaboration^ http://www.selfdirectedlearning.com

Isn’t^ all^ learning

self‐directed?

-^ Teaching as an Imposition

an unnatural act, an incursionon another person’s learning-in-progress, a sustainedredirection of another curiouscreatures’ voraciouscogitation (Jeff Kerssen-Griep)

Remember^

your^ first^ self

‐directed

learning^ experience

Remember^

your^ first^ other

directed^ learning

experience

So,^ is^ learning

ALL^ self‐directed

or

ALL^ other‐directed?

Can^ you^ teach

“self^ directed

learning”?

-^ Help^ the^ learner

identify^ a^ starting

point

-^ Be^ a^ manager

for^ the^ learning

experience^ rather than^ an^ information

provider

-^ Teach^ inquiry

skills,^ decision^ making

and^ self‐ evaluation^ of^ work • Learners^ transition

from^ “reactive”

to^ “proactive”

12 ‐^100 Intro

to^ Civil^ and

Env^ Eng

-^ Freshman^ engineering

students

-^50 ‐^100 students

per^ class

-^3 team‐based

projects^ with^ unstructured,

open‐ ended^ problems

make^ up^ the^ bulk

of^ the^ course

-^ Supporting^ lecture

material^ and^ homework problems • Instructor^ and^ TA

‘advise’^ and^ ‘consult’

Example^ Project:

Can^ we^ stock

Fish?

Example^ Project:

Can^ we^ stock

Fish?

-^ As^ they^ try^ to

structure^ data^ presentation

way^ too early ,^ they^ realize

they^ need^ to^ do

research

-^ into^ what^ conditions

fish^ like,

-^ what^ the^ conditions

are^ in^ their^ lake,

-^ how^ conditions^

change^ with^ season

and^ time^ of^ day and^ sometimes^ specific

locations^ in^ their^

lake,

-^ how^ statistics^ can

be^ used^ to^ support

conclusions.

Just^ in^ time

learning

Revised^ Project

:^ Will^ golden^ algae

bloom?

-^ Based^ on^2009

Dunkard^ Creek^ event near Pittsburgh^ (largest^ fishkill^ in^

US history) • Evaluate^ data^ for^

other^ streams^ in Pennsylvania^ to^ determine

the^ risk^ of^ a golden^ algae^ bloom

induced^ fish^ kill

-^ Unlike^ the^ fish^ stocking

problem,^ there IS^ no^ consensus^ on

how^ to^ answer^ this question. • More^ open^ ended,

less^ structured,^ even better^ for^ self‐directed

learning!

12 ‐^252 Environmental

Engineering^ Laboratory

-^ Water^ quality

techniques^ taught through self‐directed^ project^

on local^ water^ body

restoration.

-^ Panther^ Hollow

Lake.

-^ What’s^ wrong

with^ it?

-^ How^ can^ we^ fix

it?

How^ do^ I^ learn

to^ do^ this?

-^ You^ already^ have

the^ skills^ to^ use

this^ approach.

-^ You^ are^ a^ self

‐directed^ learner.

-^ How^ did^ you^ become

one?

-^ What^ is^ the^ purpose

of^ the^ Ph.D.?

Challenges^

for^ the^ teacher

-^ Give^ up^ center

stage!

-^ Give^ up^ any^ part

of^ the^ stage!

-^ You^ don’t^ have

to^ give^ the^ answer

to^ prove^ you know^ it.^ You^ are

not^ being^ evaluated!

-^ Cultivate^ uncertainty

and^ try^ NOT^ to^

solve^ the problem/project

ahead^ of^ time.^

Answer honestly^ that^ you

don’t^ know^ the

best^ approach

-^ Be^ confident^ that

the^ process^ is^ more

important than^ the^ product