A self-directed learner or an autonomous learner is proficient in many things. They possess a lengthy list of attributes, characteristics, values, competencies and even learning skills. These traits fall under thirteen broad areas, as identified by Candy in 1991:
- Be Methodical and Disciplined
- Be Logical and Analytical
- Be Reflective and Self-Aware
- Demonstrate Curiosity, Openness and Motivation
- Be Flexible
- Be Interdependent and Interpersonally Competent
- Be Persistent and Responsible
- Be Venturesome and Creative
- Show Confidence and Have a Positive Self-Confidence
- Be Independent and Self-Sufficient
- Have Developed Information Seeking and Retrieval Skills
- Skills at the Learning Processes
- Develop and Use a Criteria for Evaluation
Be Methodical and Disciplined
Autonomous learners who demonstrate this trait of being methodical and disciplined are those that have a direction and are able to focus on an area of interest for a long period of time. They can exercise self-discipline as they follow their own developed learning plans to achieve their goals. They are able to analyze and plan the entire learning process and also able to manage this process efficiently and effectively. They can plan their learning far into the future and use their time effectively. They will establish and maintain their personal learning priorities with a sense of what is important to themselves, those around them and their community. They can put learning needs into specified objectives with a highly systemized organizational method. They can develop sequential plans with these objectives with records to detail the learning process.
Be Logical and Analytical
Being logical and analytical for the self-directed learner is an ability that requires the learner to be attuned to their whole person. They are able to organize their thoughts into schemas and form generalizations, look for principles and find basic structures for information and subjects. They enjoy questioning, learning, evaluating, testing and analyzing information. They can define and analyze problems. They are adept at problem-solving. They can develop criteria to assess the varying solutions to the problems while breaking it down into goals that are associated with achievement. They engage in logical reasoning, draw inferences, come to conclusions, organize data, analyze information and identify underlying assumptions. They are able to go beyond the simple solutions to see the implications – both short and long term.
Be Reflective and Self-Aware
The reflective and self-aware individual who is an autonomous learner is one that is able to identify the needs for problems to be solved, skills or information that needs to be obtained. They can effectively judge what knowledge and skills need to be learned. They have access to alternative perspectives for a complete understanding with an awareness of the situation. They can identify learning objectives. They are aware of the needs of the learning in contrast to the constraints, possessing a powerful self-concept of themselves as an effective learner. They can clarify their values, establishing their goals based on these identified values. They know their learning style, learning personality, learning strengths, learning weaknesses and know when to ask for help. They can identify their own values, interests, abilities and knowledge with the associated gaps. They know exactly what they want to be as an adult learner and contributor of society and its members.
Demonstrate Curiosity, Openness and Motivation
The autonomous learner is one that is a self-starter with initiative and high intrinsic motivation. They are curious with a drive to keep learning a variety of areas. They are open to all learning but will have an area of particular interest, even to own their projects. They have a passion for learning and are open to new learning opportunities. They are future-oriented, discover new information through investigation and will confront questions and problems eagerly and willingly.
Be Flexible
Flexibility for the autonomous learner is paramount to their success in learning. They are able to learn from a variety of situations whether that be in conversation, in reading or by observation. They can learn when listening, taking notes or even memorizing. This does not mean that they do not have a preference for a learning style, just that they are capable of being flexible between these styles. They can modify their learning modalities to meet the needs of the situation. They can be flexible in evaluating the information to accept or reject the information as valid and to alter their learning goals as needed.
Be Interdependent and Interpersonally Competent
The self-directed learning can be sensitive and open in social interactions which permits them to have more access to information. They will have sustained relationships with subject matter experts and even a small group of friends. They can work cooperatively with others, acknowledging their gaps in knowledge while learning with and from others. They are able to share ideas and develop group plans to achieve goals. They know when to ask for help. They can analyze group dynamics and are capable of using a group decision-making process. They can diagnose learning needs, with help from others as needed. They can relate to teachers with the ability to secure cooperation and support from advisors. They relate to their peers as resources. They also can relate to others despite any differences in socio-economic status, age, race or roles.
Be Persistent and Responsible
The persistent and responsible self-directed learner is emotionally stable, objective and impartial. They can be serious, committed and organized. They are systematic. They assume responsibility and are capable of intellectual concentration. They accept their responsibility for their learning. They will stick to their plans – modifying them only as needed. They can rejuvenate their motivation even in times of learning frustration. They possess the ability to detect and cope with personal and situational blocks to learning with a determination to resolve problems.
Be Venturesome and Creative
This learner is able to develop new frameworks and capable of original thinking. They can produce analogies. They are creative, construct special materials and are unafraid of being different. They are able to discover new possibilities for learning and application. They can develop alternative solutions to problems who engage in divergent thinking. They are intuitive and risk takers.
Show Confidence and Have a Positive Self-Confidence
The autonomous learner is confident enough to be able to disagree with information and unafraid to be different from others. They can stick to a position and work for their own satisfaction with a quiet self-confidence. They know how to achieve their goals and objectives to pursue excellence based on their personal standards. They project to the world a clarity of purpose.
Be Independent and Self-Sufficient
Self-directed learners can relate to others without depending on them. They possess skills to study independently in reading, writing, listening, reflective thinking, time use and motivation. They are able to work independently while taking the initiative. They also can work cooperatively with others but enjoy being on their own to learn.
Have Developed Information Seeking and Retrieval Skills
This learner is one that is capable of selecting the most relevant resources, identifying and knowing how to use these resources to achieve their learning objectives. They establish feedback loops to evaluate their performance and progress to meet their goals. They are able to dig up materials that may be less accessible while knowing of available opportunities.
Skills at the Learning Processes
The self-directed learner is proficient at knowing the ins and outs of the learning process. They can report back on what they have learned in a variety of ways, to decode a message through textual, auditory or visual means. They can collect information through appropriate tools and instruments that match the needs. They can master tasks through their skills and competencies. They can understand learning and behavior changes to achieve learning objectives. Basic study skills and problem-solving skills are used for the self-directed learner to gain knowledge and skills through resources. They are proficient at note taking, remembering and relating information. They conduct learning activities.
Develop and Use a Criteria for Evaluation
The self-directed learner knows how to develop and use a criteria for evaluation through selecting what is valuable to the situation from mass information. They are able to participate in diagnosing, prescribing and evaluating their learning progress. They can evaluate the appropriateness of new skills, adequacy of solutions and the quality of new ideas and knowledge. They are able to evaluate data and learning activities.
Sources:
Candy, P. (1991). Self-Direction for Lifelong Learning. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco. Available: https://amzn.to/3lPVbcg
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By Tracy Atkinson
Tracy Atkinson, mother of six, lives in the Southwest with her husband and spirited long-haired miniature dachshunds. She is a teacher, having taught elementary school to higher education, holding degrees in elementary education and an EDS in higher education. Her passion is researching, studying and investigating the attributes related to self-directed learners and learning styles. She has published several titles, including MBTI Learning Styles: A Practical Approach, The Art of Learning Journals, Calais: The Annals of the Hidden, Lemosa: The Annals of the Hidden, Book Two, Rachel’s 8 and Securing Your Tent. She is currently working on a non-fiction text exploring the attributes of self-directed learners: The Five Characteristics of Self-directed Learners.
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