Pursuing self-directed learning

Self-directed: under one’s own control.

In 1991 Gerald Grow presented a model to help us understand the needs of different learners. He suggested that a learner who is dependent on others for information is likely to be well matched to learning via authoritarian experts, whereas they’ll struggle with facilitators. The opposite is the case for people who are already self-directed. They’re likely to resist the teachings of rigid experts and thrive in the company of a facilitator and other learners. Within this model there’s also the notion of an ‘involved learner’ who is best paired with a trainer and an ‘interested learner’ who can get help from a motivator.

While it might be advantageous, in general terms, to develop all learners to become self-directed, the model is realistic in seeing some learners needing to be slowly weaned off their dependencies to a place where they can tentatively explore their own freedom and independence.

What do you make of this model? Can you see yourself within it? Would it be useful to reflect on how different subject matters and different situations may bring about different learning styles within ourselves?