Introduction
The purpose of this report is to discuss the advantages gained from self-managed learning approaches by students engaged in higher education. Self-managed learning, as proposed by Cunningham (1994), is a process by which individuals become actively involved in managing their learning process. According to Garrow (1998), the concept is an amalgamation of the learning techniques like self-directed learning, action learning and self development.
“Self-Managed Learning is a process by which individuals engage in ‘good learning’” .
In self-managed learning, the individual, i.e. the student, is responsible for identifying the following:
- What is to be learnt?
- How is it to be learnt?
- Where is it to be learnt?
/>
- When is it to be learnt?
- Why is it to be learnt?
Learners are divided into small groups headed by trainers, which can be referred to as Set Advisors. The trainers’ duty is to create and foster the sense of responsibility among the learners. He has to ensure availability of resources required for learning. He is responsible to keep a check on whether the learners are putting in the needed effort and time or not. Thus, the role of the learner is more of a supervisor, unlike the traditional instructor in college and university education. The relation between the learner and the learning group is bound by the ‘Learning Agreement’ in which the learner agrees to pursue his goals in terms of the five questions mentioned above and the learning group agrees to provide feedback to the learner.
In short, the students manage and actively control the context in which they learn. This context includes the setting, resources as well as the actions required to complete the learning process. The learner sets the goals as well as the performance measurement criteria to measure his success. The key requirements for effective self-managed learning are relentless motivation and positive attitude towards feedback from others.
For the scope of this study, the focus is especially on higher education. This is so because students enrolled in college and university programs are preparing for the corporate world. They require exposure to the practical world. Their requirements from a professional education program, at this stage, are dramatically different from those at an earlier stage of the educational career. In majority of the countries across the globe, higher education is not supported by financial assistance from the parents. Students have to earn and pay their dues themselves. In other countries, like Pakistan and India, the prevalent trend is towards parent-funded education for almost the entire educational career. Keeping in view that students are responsible for financing their higher education, they expect, or should expect, quality education matched to their personal preferences and learning objectives. They are looking forward to develop the skills and competencies that will increase their chances of success in the bottleneck competition in the corporate world.
Rationale behind Self-Managed Learning
No two persons are the same. Each individual has his own psychological makeup and is brought up in an environment specific to him. According to the research by Fischer and Silvern (1985), same species being brought up in dissimilar environmental contexts will be very different from each other. The major finding from their research can be summed up as following: the personality traits pertaining to one person might not pertain to another at all or might not pertain to another to the same degree due to factors relating to both nature and nurture. Background, culture, family structure, capabilities, motivations and personal interests vary for each one of us. Even siblings usually do not share the same preferences in the field of study or in any other aspect of life. This entails that the learning preferences will vary for every one of us as well.
Keeping in view these individual differences, let’s take a look at the traditional learning style. The traditional learning style with an instructor standing in front of the rows of students, delivering a lecture and teaching the same things to all students at the same time, might not take into account these individual differences. The role of students as learners in this setting involves noting down the lecture and preparing for the exams at the end of the term or semester. This conventional style ignores the individual differences and perhaps this is the reason some students lag behind others. According to the study by Khodabandehlou, et al., (2012), this approach is common even among modern higher education institutions and encourages dependency on the instructor rather than generating active, independent learners.
Self-managed learning approach allows each student to chart out his strategy of learning, in his own manner. This is not to say that Self-managed learning is an unstructured approach to learning. It is a systematic process which encourages students to learn from their experiences and feel in charge of their learning process. Individuals can learn at their own pace and through the methods they personally prefer. Learners’ enjoy the freedom in being as creative and innovative in the mode of learning as they want to. Not all students like memorizing textbooks or delivering presentations. Some might prefer learning through hands-on experience on through interviews with the pioneers of the fields.
Benefits of Self-Managed Learning
Cunningham (1999) supported that self-managed learning enables individuals to learn first about their own self in terms of their thinking patterns, their ability to recall as well as the processes they follow to solve problems. This realization, as a result, enables an individual to better design their learning process and identify the areas they want to learn in depth about. The personal autonomy gained from this process can help students uncover their strengths and weaknesses.
Self-managed learning is a holistic approach that balances the focus on theoretical studying with real life experiences. This ensures that learner stays connected to the actual world and not just lost in the theoretical underpinnings developed by others. This application of knowledge balances out a learners thought and action processes providing an optimal learning context. Rather than being constrained by the syllabi and burdened by end of term examinations, the self-managed learning allows collaborative learning with the tutor group assigned to each learner. The group plans their own syllabi and provides constructive feedback to each other’s work. Each learner gets their ‘individual time’ in every group meeting which helps in fostering listening and interpreting skills by the other members.
Not only do people learn according to their learning requirements, they develop self-confidence and self-reliance. This important quality allows students to enter the professional market with the zeal and poise required to impress the potential employers and to stay ahead of the others.
The purpose of self-managed learning goes beyond achievement of learning goals during the length of the program. It aims to develop lifelong active learners. Lessons learnt from experiences or activities during the self-managed learning can become outdated some time later. The world is not statutory rather it is highly dynamic and ambiguous. To cope with this complex environment, learners need to be engaged with the learning process continuously. Self-managed learning encourages dealing with ambiguity and uncertainty and allows individuals to become proactive rather than reactive learners. This helps in developing a competitive advantage for the self managed learner over other learners dependent on instructors and teachers.
As per the research by Garrow (1998), self-managed learning allows individuals to identify learning aids and resources more quickly than in a traditional learning environment. This could be due to the fact that individuals realize they are not going to be spoon fed by the teachers. They know that they have to be in charge of their learning program, locate the required resources and utilize available knowledge in the best possible manner in order to achieve their learning goals.
Moreover, self-managed learning allows a wide range of learning interests that an individual can follow as compared to the rather limited range of possibilities offered by universities and other academic institutions. It is not to say that typical educational institutions do not offer variety, rather it is to say that self-managed learning allows individuals to pursue the subjects or topics of interest in much greater detail and at the level they prefer. This flexibility can be applied to areas ignored by traditional learning practices as well as areas touched by such practices briefly.
Self-managed learning encourages and develops collaborative behavior in an individual. The student acquires the skill of taking criticism by peers, i.e. learner group’s member, positively and constructively. He practices to listen and understand the point of view of others. The process of self-managed learning develops tolerance and patience in the learner which helps him in facing ambiguous and challenging situations in student life as well as practical life.
Conclusion
The above discussion briefly explains the importance of self-managed learning and its associated benefits from the perspective of students. Environment, society, culture and heredity play an important role in shaping an individual’s personality. As these factors are not experienced in an identical manner by different individuals, people differ from one and other. To cater to these individual differences and personal preferences of students, self-managed learning approach provides a valuable opportunity for students to learn in their own way. The process of self-managed learning allows students to identify their learning needs and the context in which this learning should take place. Learning at a pace at which the individual is comfortable, and learning the material that motivates the individual are two characteristics emphasized the most by majority of the literature on self-managed learning. The benefits of self-managed learning involve development of self-confidence and self-realization. Moreover, the individual acquires the habit of staying up-to-date with recent developments and continuously altering knowledge.
Recommendations
As it is clear that the Self-managed learning can be of great value especially for students unhappy or uncomfortable with the formal schooling structures, colleges and universities should offer such alternatives to traditional learning practices. Acknowledging such learning styles will increase the knowledge, skills and capabilities of individuals which will benefit the overall society. Moreover, this new structure will introduce more active involvement of the learner in the educational process. The collaborative behavior, encouraged as a result of self-managed learning, will ensure that learners do not face problems regarding compatibility and team working in their professional careers. The habit of staying engaged with the learning process will tend to stick with the individual for the rest of his life, which will positively impact the performance of higher education institutions.
The current focus of higher education institutions remains on grades and performance on the examinations. However, this new approach if implemented will introduce the current educational system to an innovative, self-managed, performance criterion. The active involvement of the students enrolled in these self-managed learning programs will make sure that the institution produces quality graduates and post-graduates. Not only is this beneficial for the students but also for the educational institutions.
According to research by Ottewill (2002), this change away from traditional learning practices will involve training and development exercises for the faculty. The current methodology focuses on the role of faculty as instructors that provide the material to the students and grade their examinations. In self-managed learning, the faculty will need to learn leadership and mentoring skills. They will have to practice operating in the role of learner support and guidance, rather than resource provider and problem solver. Rather than just being proficient in their field, the faculty will need to polish and refine their pedagogical skills.
If higher education institutions adopt and acknowledge this new form of learning and provide supportive academic support, the overall level and rate of learning will increase. In this era of knowledge economy, students with the competencies inculcated as a result of self-managed learning, will become a competitive advantage for the whole economy.
Bibliography
Cunningham, I., 1994. The Myths of Self-managed Learning. Management Development Review, 7(5), pp. 3-6.
Cunningham, I., 1999. The Wisdom of Strategic Learning: The Self Managed Learning Solution. 2nd ed. s.l.:Gower Publishing Ltd..
Fischer, K. W. & Silvern, L., 1985. Stages and Individual Differences in Cognitive Development.. Annual Reviews, pp. 613-648.
Garrow, V., 1998. Self Managed Learning: Development for the 21st Century, Horsham: Roffey Park Management Institute.
Khodabandehlou, M., Jahandar, S., Seyedi, G. & Abadi, R. M. D., 2012. The Impact of Self-directed Learning Strategies on Reading Comprehension. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 3(7), pp. 1-9.
Ottewill, R., 2002. Student self-managed learning: time for action. On the Horizon, 10(2), pp. 13-14.
