Presentation of a workshop on Self Directed Learning (Brussels, June 2014, Corporate Universities Summit). What would our workplace look like if we could increase Self-Directed Learning?

1. All we really
need is us…
How to increase the
number of self-directed
learners (SDL) in our
organizations?
Bert De Coutere
Corporate Universities Summit
Brussels – June 2014

2. Nice to meet you!
Bert De Coutere lives in Belgium, works for the Center for
Creative Leadership, blogs on homocompetens.blogspot.com
and is a fan of competent people.

3. I discovered
that all my
professional
interests over
the years had
one common
theme…
self-directed
learning

4. The plan for today
(from structured to …)
• Bert will share 5 things about self-directed learning
• We’ll introduce ourselves at our tables and reflect on
our own learning ability
• Then we’ll go over the increased importance of SDL and
look at some definitions and models
• We’ll imagine what it would be like to have more SDL in
our organizations
• Case 1: the Quantified Self movement
• Then we’ll list the ‘ingredients’ of successful learning
• Case 2: MOOCs and the LeaderMOOC experience
• Let’s experience SDL at our table groups
• What is the one action we will take after this workshop
to increase the level of SDL in our organization?

5. You’re not
alone.

6. It’s probably
not for
everyone.

7. Can you really
set your own
learning goals
up front?

8. It is all in
our heads.
(well, a lot of it…)

9. What would
stop SDL from
happening?

10. Envelope 1 –
Let’s connect
• Take envelop 1 on your
table
• The envelopes have a
key question
• The instructions are on
the cover

11. Let’s try a poll –What is the
most recent you learned to do?

12. So what is the
big furry deal?

13. Haven’t we
been saying for
years we
wanted to put
learners in the
driver’s seat?

14. What’s in a
word?
Do you need
one definition?
Let’s give you
several!
• Autodidact
• Self-Directed
Learning
• Self-Regulated
Learning
• Self-Organized
Learning
• DIY Learning
• Learning Agility
• Heutagogy

15. Definitions.

16. Knowles (1975)
Self-Directed Learning (SDL) is “a process in which individuals
take the initiative, with or without the help of others, to
diagnose their learning needs, formulate learning goals,
identify resources for learning, select and implement learning
strategies, and evaluate learning outcomes”.
Knowles also provided the following characteristics for SDL:
(a) self-directed learning assumes that humans grow in
capacity and need to be self-directing;
(b) learners' experiences are rich resources for learning;
(c) Individuals learn what is required to perform their
evolving life tasks;
(d) an adult's natural orientation is task or problem-centered
learning;
(e) self-directed learners are motivated by various internal
incentives, such as need for self-esteem, curiosity, desire
to achieve, and satisfaction of accomplishment

17. “the degree of choice that learners have within
an instructional situation.” “open-ended
opposite of “dependent” learning.” (Grow,
1991: 128)
Self-regulation abilities include goal setting,
self-monitoring, self-instruction and self-
reinforcement.

18. Models.

19. Poll – What do you estimate is
the % of people in your
organisation that is currently
capable of SDL?

20. Poll – What might that %
become in the future? (eg in
two years time)

21. Envelope 2 –
Imagine all the
people…
How would your organization look like
when it had more SDL learners?
1. Spread out the Visual Explorer ™ cards on
your table.
2. Individually, pick a card that for you best
anwers the question “How would your
organization look like when it had more
SDL learners?” (Hint: It helps to do this in
silence. Sometimes people say that the
‘card picked them’.
3. Individually, take a minute to write down
what you see in the picture, why you
selected it. What are the benefits you see
of an environment with more SDL
learners?
4. Now with your neighbour, discuss why you
picked the card and what you see in the
picture. Let your neighbour also comment
on what he or she sees additionally in
your card.
5. Swap roles – now your neighbour shows
their card and explains and you add
comments what you see in their card.
6. If time permits, repeat for other people
on the table.

22. Poll – So, what were some of
the benefits of SDL you could
imagine?

23. Case 1: The
Quantified Self
movement
• What did you do?
• Why did you do it?
• What did you learn?

24. Case 1: The
Quantified Self
movement
• So where is the
learning?

25. Envelope 3
– The
ingredients
of learning…
What do we need to be able to
learn? What does it take to drive
our own learning?
1. This envelop contains models
of learning and various hints to
explore. You may or may not
find it useful to discuss some
of the material.
2. Have a discussion with the
entire table on the questions
above. Take note of the
‘ingredients of learning’.

26. Poll – What does it take to
drive your own learning?

27. Motivation
(although
important) might
be overrated…
it is not enough

29. It is really about
building and
executing our
own process for
learning.

30. Case 2: MOOCs
• Massive
• Open
• Online
• Courses

31. What did we
learn from our
LeaderMOOC
experience?

32. What we learned from our pilot.
Nothing really new, just more of it.
Rather
New

33. What we learned from our pilot.
So what?
(Warning: limited audience interaction ahead.)
The answer to life, the
universe and everything.
The raw data
M for massive dropouts
Educational Darwinism
How far can we go?
Learning outcomes
Show me the money
In search of a business
model
It’s what you do with it.
Technology matters.
Maybe this will work.
Three experiments.
M for massive work
No traffic jams on the
extra mile.
The after-MOOC
The cult of the wicker-man.
<insert incredibly
insightful question
here>
Anything else

34. Envelopes 4–
Experience SDL
• How do other people
do it? What are best
practices?
• Identify actions YOU
can take to grow SDL
in yourself or your
organisation

35. Poll – What is one action you
will take to increase SDL in your
organization?

36. Let’s end this
session by
adapting a
Chinese
proverb…
Give a man a fish and you
feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish and
you feed him for a lifetime.
Make a man a better
learner and he’ll have a
varied menu for the rest of
his life..