UNDERSTANDING SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING IN OTHERS

I. Preparation

1. Familiarize yourself with the learner interview questions displayed in Supplement A, or some other interviewing techniques that you could use to find out about another person's learning endeavors or experiences.
2. Become familiar with one or more of the following sources if at all possible: Brockett and Hiemstra (1991); Candy, (1991); Hiemstra (1975); Tough (1979).
3. Review some initial discussion on self-directed learning.

II. Presentation

1. Complete an interview of at least ten adults (more if possible) to determine what you can about their learning activities during the past year.
2. Obtain information relative to their learning activities, learning interests, self-directed learning preferences, etc.
3. Summarize your findings in a manner similar to how other such learning information has been reported or in some other manner that makes sense to you. Supplement B displays some related tables to provide ideas for displaying your findings.
4. Derive a statement of personal reflection and assessment based on the findings.

III. Educational Goals

1. That you will improve your understanding of the self-directed, individualized adult learning that goes on in society.
2. That you will be able derive some personal reflections on the implications of your findings.

IV. Miscellaneous

1. You are encouraged to work together with one more other people on this activity as it will enhance the learning experience synergistically.
2. Remember to keep this activity very informal, as the intent is to help you obtain a greater appreciation of adults as learners.

SUPPLEMENT A

INTERVIEW SUGGESTIONS

1. Reasons for learning - Why do you learn? What motivates you to learn? Is your motivation to learn now the same as it was 5, 10, 15, or 20 years ago?

2. Areas of learning - What do you want to learn? If your "basic" leaning needs were met, and there were no constraints, what would you want to learn?

3. Amount of learning - What have you learned during the past year? How many different learning projects or activities have you undertaken? Approximately how many hours have you spent in learning activities of all types during the past year?

4. Preferred learning style - How do you learn? Do you learn most things in the same way? Where do you prefer to learn? When do you prefer to learn?

5. Self-directed learning preferences - What are your expectancies regarding control of learning decisions? Do you consider yourself a self-directed learner?

6. Barriers (situational, dispositional, institutional barriers) to learning - -What keeps you from learning?

7. Role of past educational experiences - What are your memories of your early education in school?

8. Role of others - How did your family view education? Do any of your teachers at any level stand out in your mind?

9. Potential for change - What would you like to change in relation to your own learning?

SUPPLEMENT B

SOME SAMPLE TABLES

Table 1. Resources Used by Self-Directed Adult Learners:

Preferences by Rankings and Age Categories

Resources	25-54 (N=775)	55-78 (N=712)
Books, articles, newspapers, etc.	1	1
Expert	2	6
Friend, relatives, peers	3	5
Group, group instructor	4	3
Personal experiences, observations	5	2
TV, radio, recordings, films	6	4
Travel	7	9
Displays, exhibits, museums	8	8
Programmed learning materials	9	7

Adapted from various studies on learning projects (see Tough, 1979).

The following three tables are from Hiemstra (1975).

Table 2. Older Adults' Learning Projects:

General Descriptive Information

Informational Description	Hours	Projects
Average per person	324.56	3.33
Standard Deviation	296.05	1.95
Median	237.43	3.04
Range	12-2300	1-9
Total Number of Projects = 712 Total Number of Hours = 69,456

The above data are based on 214 individuals with one or more learning projects.

Table 3. Number of Learning Projects Conducted in One Year

Number of  Projects	Number of  People	Percent of  People
0	41	16.1
1	46	18.0
2	43	17.0
3	34	13.3
4	38	14.8
5	26	10.2
6	14	05.5
7	05	02.0
8	06	02.3
9	03	01.2

Based on a total of 256 individuals.

Table 4. Frequency of Type of Primary Planner of Learning Projects

Primary Planner of Project	Number With At Least One Project	Average No. With Planner
A Group or its Leader/Instructor	086	1.69
One Person in One-to-One Situation	048	1.52
Material/Non-Human Resource	022	1.27
The Learner Him or Herself	183	2.14
Mixed (No Dominant Type)	046	1.57

Table 5. Learning Projects: Supportive Information

Informational Description	No. of Projects	Percent of Projects
Current Status of Projects:
Inactive	176	24.79%
Active	534	75.21%
Reason for Doing Project:
To Obtain Credit	027	03.84%
For a Test or Examination	009	01.28%
For Job Improvement/Acquisition	106	15.08%
Enjoyment	485	68.99%
Mixed Reasons	076	10.81%
Primary Planner of Project:
A Group or Its Leader/Instructor	145	20.45%
One Person in One-to-One Situation	073	10.30%
Material/Non-Human Resource	028	03.95%
The Learner Him or Herself	391	55.15%
Mixed (No Dominant Type of Planner)	072	10.16%
Subject Matter Area:
Occupational/Vocational	115	16.17%
Personal/Family	144	20.25%
Social/Civic	067	09.42%
Self-Fulfillment	385	54.15%
Source of Subject Matter:
Group/Group Instructor	086	12.11%
Expert	032	04.51%
Books/Pamphlets/Newspaper	222	31.27%
Programmed Materials	020	02.82%
TV/Radio/Recordings	066	09.30%
Displays/Exhibits/Museums/Galleries	008	01.13%
Friend/Relative/Neighbor	053	07.47%
Mixed Source	223	31.41%

Project total for each major category are not always equal because of occasional non-responses.

References

Brockett, R. G., & Hiemstra, R. (1991). Self-direction in learning: Perspectives on theory, research, and practice. New York: Routledge.

Candy, P. C. (1991). Self-direction for lifelong learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Hiemstra, R. (1975). The older adult and learning. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 117 371).

Tough, A. M. (1979). The adult's learning projects (2nd ed.). Austin, Texas: Learning Concepts (originally published in 1971).

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