Self-Directed Learning

I remember when I applied for the Mentor position at the Self-Design Graduate Institute, I got their attention when I said, "All learning is self-motivated".  I believe that to be profoundly true.  This belief comes from a deep biological understanding of the brain, as much as from the understanding of the psychology of self, identity and ego development.  

One of my favorite professors at Rutgers Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience was György Buzsáki, MD, PhD.  Every year, he would ask the newly minted students in his graduate class one question.  "What is the brain interested in?"  Afraid of saying the wrong thing, we all waited.  The answer was, "Itself".   Indeed this is true.  The brain is a self-referential organ.

He pointed to the fact that the brain is organized so that the number of neural connection coming from our senses to the "relay nucleus" (the thalamus) to the cortex are outnumbered by the projections from the cortex down stream to the thalamus by 6:1.  Well, that little bit of neuroscience shows up in how the brain and mind operate in general, and why schools have it all wrong in the way they educate.  If we don't let the emerging self participate in directing the learning, the likelihood is we will be fighting an upstream battle of 6:1.

I have been looking over my old papers, and came across interviews I conducted with educational leaders in the field of neuroeducation from 2011.  I was curious about how much of what was emerging then could have predicted where we are now.   I came across the self-directed learning section.  It feels good that I have been able to utilize this approach, and have seen it work.  I also love that I have a tool to share with others that gives the students not only the chance to select their content areas, but also when and how they will complete the tasks.  This is only a first step, and I plan to create something that will help students created longer term goals and projects.  But even to be able to structure their own learning experience is huge.  It is a life skill that they will be able to carry with them.

This first model of self-directed learning is a start towards students learning to make choices.  Looking at the interviews, I had to laugh at this one comment.  It is so true.  What are we teaching them, how to wall in the hallway?  Definitely not how to direct their own learning.

It is the teachers who are doing all the problem solving in school,
making all the decisions. The kids are never involved in any decision
making, even about the mundane things, about how to walk to the
library, or all of these other kind of thing. So when are they going
to learn how to make critical decisions when they grow up?  (P3)

Some of the other comments are just as relevant.  The word stranglehold really stands out to me.  Even moreso today when we are experiencing a form of indoctrination in many districts.  When do our students get to digest information according to their own understanding?  When do their opinions become relevant?  If we do not allow these capacities room to develop, what will become of their capacity to think critically?


I can be responsible as a teacher for teaching them how to read and how
to write and how to think better to improve those abilities. But I
don’t have to keep a stranglehold on what they read, and what they
write about and what they think about. I can allow them to follow
their own interests more, and pursue things that matter more to them.
(P15)

They cannot imagine really letting students make choices, or having
students ask their own questions without having to answer them. Or
when they actually see that students can possibly ask their own
questions and research it they’ll still say I am going to do this and
this and then I will allow them to do that. (P9)