Self-Directed Learning

Caroline Everidge

Commented On:

Molly Burns & Abigail Saunders

 

 

Project Title: Bros & Barbells

 

Goal: Improve overall physical health of men in recovery from substance use disorders.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will

©      Learn strategies to meet physical activity recommendations

©      Increase knowledge of planning, preparing, cooking, & eating a nutritionally balanced diet.

 Rationale: 

This curriculum was designed using Self-Directed Learning (SDL) as the guiding framework. Knowles’s definition of self-directed learning is described as “a process in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals … choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes (Merriam & Baumgartner, 2020, p. 138). Additionally, Knowles maintains that “there is convincing evidence that people who take the initiative in learning learn more and learn better than people who are passively being taught (Loeng, 2020).

With this foundation, the Bros & Barbells curriculum was developed around the Spear & Mocker model of SDL. This model centers around an “organizing circumstance,” a change in life circumstances, which provides resources and structure for learning. In this case, participants’ entrance into the recovery residence serves as the organizing circumstance for learning healthful behaviors.

Additionally, curricula designed using SDL has great benefit due to the ease of incorporating into daily routines and can occur at the learner’s convenience (USDE 2011). Participants are empowered to make decisions about content and methods of learning, while the instructor supports and encourages the process (USDE, 2011).

 Design:

 

 References:

Centre for Teaching Excellence. (n.d.). Self-Directed Learning: A Four-Step Process. University of Waterloo. Retrieved January 16, 2024, from https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/catalogs/tip-sheets/self-directed-learning-four-step-process

Loeng, S. (2020). Self-directed learning: A core concept in adult education. Education Research International, 2020, 1-12.

Merriam, S. B., & Baumgartner, L. (2020). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive
guide (4th ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

U.S. Department of Education [USDE]. (2011). TEAL Center Fact Sheet No. 11: Adult Learning Theories. https://lincs.ed.gov/sites/default/files/11_%20TEAL_Adult_Learning_Theory.pdf