“Culture Shock!”
Easing the Transition from High School to College
Dr. Robinson Yost, Social Science Department
Dr. Laura Yost, Distance Learning Department
Table of Contents
 PPT Presentation
 High School versus College: Transitioning to Higher Education
 Selected Student Reflection Survey Results
 Reducing “Culture Shock” Samples
 Supplemental Source Material
1
High School versus College:
Transitioning to Higher Education
by Robinson Yost
When a student is baffled by a college teacher, it is almost certainly because the
teacher and the student are at cross-purposes. The student’s efforts are
not matching the teacher’s expectations.1
Purpose:
1) Establishing as clearly as possible the expectations for student success in this
course.
2) Examining some of the challenges in the transition from high school to college.
Introduction:
Depending on your previous academic experience (particularly in history classes), this
course may have expectations & an approach differing from high school. For example, if
the following student comments remind you of high school, then greater adjusting &
adapting on your part are more likely:
1) Not a lot [of reading]. We hardly ever used the books unless in class. Maybe 2-3 pages
a week of that. The tests were all multiple choice. We almost never had an essay, not
even on finals. All I would do was re-read my notes and try to memorize everything. It
only worked for a short amount of time.
2) My teachers were never enthusiastic and we watched a lot of war films. Less than
10 pages a week [of assigned reading]. We copied down a lot of notes…. We
were given a study guide containing all that we needed to know.
3) My history classes consisted of doing packets. It would have been negative, because I
didn’t retain any of the information. I would look up the information I needed to
answer the question, then forget it all after the test.
4) In high school I usually got a list of people and events to memorize. Most of the
classes involved the copying of notes from the overhead and left little time for
discussion… I did not have many writing assignments. Usually we had worksheets to
fill in with a couple short answer questions.
5) In high school I didn’t have any good experiences, because our history teacher was the
boys basketball coach… The tests were multiple choice. I studied by the information
given to us that told us what was going to be on the test. We didn’t do much writing
at all…
6) My U.S. History class wasn’t very informative, because our teacher barely taught. She
had her student teacher teach us the whole time… We were never assigned reading,
they let us choose to do so.2
1
Robert Leamnson, Learning Your Way Through College (1995), p. 12.
Student Surveys (Spring 2007). Students were asked to describe their experiences in high school history
courses, how much writing they did, what types of tests and assignments, & how much read was assigned
per week.
2
2
College students should NOT expect more of the same experiences especially like those
described above. In fact, Kirkwood offers comprehensive assistance outside the
classroom to aid students in transitioning to college-level work.
College instructors will treat you as adults rather than children; as one experienced
professor explains, this is not always an easy adjustment:
Almost overnight, the rules change and we find that we can pick our own schedule, choose
among teachers, skip class, miss the due dates, or sleep through the morning exam without
anyone yelling at us or laying down the law. But neither will anyone spare us the
consequences of those actions. Most of your teachers, following adult/adult rules, will
assume that you are capable of handling your own affairs and would ask for advice of you
needed it. It is sad to see a freshman misunderstand what is going on, make a shambles of the
first year, and offer as explanation the perception that “no one here cares.” In such a case,
adult behavior is being misinterpreted as lack of concern.3
Kirkwood instructors care about whether you learn & want you to succeed, but they
expect each student to behave as an independent adult. Avoid excuses like “Nobody here
cares” or “The teacher wants me to fail.” Your college success (or failure) is a
CHOICE4—many people are readily available & willing to help you—but only you can
make that choice. The four behaviors discussed in the next section all involve decisions
that you can make. Each BAD CHOICE made by you increases the likelihood of poor
performance, while each GOOD CHOICE enhances your chances of success. More
importantly, each wise decision means that you will be a) getting more for your money,
b) learning content knowledge & important skills, and c) earning an education rather than
just working toward a slip of paper.
Four Keys to Success:
1) Regular Attendance
Even when there is no official “attendance policy,” it makes sense that coming to class
matters and that missing classes lowers your grade.5 There is a correlation between
grades and attendance, but what does attendance actually mean? It does NOT mean the
ability to warm the seat of your chair; it means more than writing your name on a list
during “roll call.” In college, attendance means being attentive (i.e., actively
participating) and being prepared. As Robert Leamnson explains: “[Learning] is not an
automatic consequence of attending and does not depend primarily on the teacher.” This
may shock you, but it is a crucial part of transitioning to college life. Learning is
something you DO TO YOURSELF, it cannot happen by passively sitting in a chair
waiting for someone else to make you learn. With regard to lecturing: “The teacher is a
3
Robert Leamnson, Learning Your Way Through College (1995), p. 26
Based on a quote seen on a tee shirt at the Kirkwood Recreation Center (July 5, 2007): “SUCCESS IS A
CHOICE,” Rick Pitino.
5
The Kirkwood Student Handbook (2007-2008) states: “Students are expected to attend all sessions of
classes for which they are enrolled. Absences shall in no way lessen student responsibility for meeting the
requirements of any class. Students are expected to know the attendance policy of each of their instructors.
Failure to abide by an instructor’s attendance policy may result in failure.” p. 8
4
3
resource, a guide, and a coach… [The] lecture can be a highly efficient learning period,
but not if you depend on the teacher to do all the work.”6
In college, attendance means being in class (on time), being prepared and paying
attention. Merely sitting there does no more for your brain than staring at exercise
equipment does to improve your physical fitness. Simply put, those who come to class
and actively participate do better than those who do not. Attendance by itself, however,
does not guarantee success.
2) Focused Reading
Just as “attendance” can have differing meanings for incoming students and their
teachers, so too can “reading” or “studying.” This is one of the most difficult areas of
adjustment coming from high school to college. If the comments below sound familiar,
then you will have more work to do:
1) Almost always the exams or test were multiple-choice and usually I did not study for
them but right before the test to refresh my memory.
2) In high school, for history I really didn’t study for the test cause it was all common
sense. Plus, it was way to [sic] easy on that test.
3) [Exams were] mostly multiple choice. I didn’t study, didn’t need to.
4) I crammed the night before. No essays. We had worksheets to match answers in the
book with the questions.
5) I did study guides before the tests. These were all that would be on the test. I
basically studied the study guide… My assignments were all study guides and multiple
choice questions.
6) The tests were all multiple choice. The teacher gave us multiple-choice
homework with the exact questions in different order. I did not do the
homework and studied for the test by memorizing someone else’s homework just
previous.
7) There were no essays and we got all answers to tests the day before…. We would look
at notes that the teacher provided and fill out the study guide then study that for the
exam…7
Notice above that “studying” or “doing the reading” is something that, if done at all, is
only performed immediately before an exam. It usually involves “cramming” or shortterm memorization for short-term recognition; it can also include “study-guides” that
tell you exactly what you need to know for tests. These “techniques” will not work in
this class. Unfortunately, many students discover this the hard way, while others change
their habits or seek out assistance.
Here are several expectations regarding reading that may require changing your habits:
 Reading should be completed BEFORE CLASS begins, not during (it’s obviously
inconsiderate and counterproductive to read your book once class begins).
6
Leamnson, 34.
Student Surveys (Spring 2007). Students were asked to describe their experiences in high school history
courses, how much writing they did, what types of tests and assignments, & how much reading was
assigned per week.
7
4
 Reading is not optional or supplemental to class lectures, it is a REQUIRED
PART of the course (otherwise, why buy expensive textbooks?).
 Readings may have to be done MORE THAN ONCE (you may also need to look
up words you don’t know in a dictionary or get assistance from the instructor).
 Productive reading should be done WITHOUT CONSTANT DISTRACTIONS
(avoid the myth of “multi-tasking”; you cannot read productively while watching
TV, talking on the phone, making an omelet, or driving your car).
To summarize, students who regularly read for the bigger picture & meaning—free from
distractions—will perform better than those who don’t. This takes discipline and
practice, especially if you’ve never done it before, but it is a choice you can make.
Finally, try reading like your teachers do:
[Pretend] while reading, that you will have to present this material to someone else. Every
teacher will tell you that nothing focuses the mind so keenly as the need to prepare a lecture.
By pretending that you are going to teach someone else, you provide yourself with the
motivation to focus your mind and get a clear idea of what the writer has to say… When you
are doing assigned reading, try pretending that you are going to present a lecture to your
classmates on this topic.8
3) Frequent Writing
Just like regular attendance and focused reading, frequent writing will be a critical
component of this course. There are many reasons why we will be doing a lot of writing,
but the most important are that it offers opportunities to show what you’ve learned and
how well you understand it. It also allows you to practice an essential skill that all
college-educated people need and all employers want: the ability to communicate,
clearly, concisely, and effectively.
However, for writing to be useful, it “must be the kind of writing that actually activates
the thinking part of the mind. Mechanically transcribing words from on page to another
does not require that the words be thought about . . . That kind of writing [otherwise
known as copying or plagiarism] does nothing permanent to the brain and does not cause
learning. Writing causes learning when the words are firmly associated with thoughts or
ideas.”9
For the entire semester you have an open invitation to discuss written assignments
with me in person. If you struggle, then the ball is in your court to see me. You also
have an open invitation to write practice essays outside of class (prior to our written
exams) and hand it in to me for comments, suggestions, and a discussion on how to
improve. This will take extra effort, but it’s worthwhile if you seek to improve. Writing
will not improve unless you practice, get feedback, understand the feedback, and act
on it accordingly. As Leamnson concludes:
8
9
Leamnson, p. 46.
Ibid., p. 58.
5
Writing is an important element of learning, and writing well will require effort. However,
being able to state, in clear and precise language, what you have come to understand brings
great satisfaction. You will say some day that it was worth the effort…
Writing provides another example of our central theme: Learning requires doing the difficult,
but mere activities do not guarantee learning just because they are difficult. Learning comes
from doing the right things. It seems a waste to spend time and energy writing and not to
learn while doing it. Writing is hard work either way; why not engage the mind and learn as
you go?10
Writing cannot be made easy, but the effort is worth it. Notice that effort is the key, but it
is the right kind of effort. Just as with exercise, you may not see results immediately, but
the long-term benefits will pay off in the end.
4) Asking Questions
At the risk of beating a dead horse: ask questions and avoid making excuses for why you
couldn’t or didn’t. Those who ask for help demonstrate the mature attitude that they want
to learn; while those who wait until it is too late are desperate only for a grade. Two
strengths of Kirkwood are its small classes and numerous opportunities for personal
interaction with staff & instructors. In this class, there are many opportunities to ask
questions:
 In class (simple, straightforward, raise your hand and ask)
 By phone (see office phone number in syllabus)
 By e-mail (see syllabus)
 Outside of class (see office hours in syllabus)
 In writing (you have an open invitation all semester long to write questions on a
sheet of paper and hand them at the end of class)
In short, avoid reasons why you could not or would not get help—it’s up to you to take
the initiative and make wise choices. Again, Leamnson explains a common
misconception common among new students:
The absence of continual supervision and monitoring by teachers is, I believe, the aspect of
adult behavior that most confuses new students. Teachers who do not advise students that
they have missed assignments or quizzes, or that their performance is not up to par, are
seen by some students as indifferent or unconcerned. Quite simply, this is not a valid
conclusion.11
Teachers at Kirkwood want you to become better thinkers & learners, but they also will
assist you by treating you like adults. Take the first steps: get help, ask questions, and
you will get more for your money. After all, you’re here to get what you’re paying
for: an education.
10
11
Leamnson, pp. 67-68.
Ibid., p. 27.
6
Conclusion:
Everyone is naturally anxious to start something new, but if you take this advice to heart
it will make a difference to your success in this course (and your overall success in
college). If you doubt this, consider this sampling of student comments when asked what
they would keep about course(s) and the most important thing they learned:
1) When you have quizzes all the time the students have to do the work and get an actual
education out of it. [Fall ‘04, Europe: Age of Revolution]
2) Basically my study habits. I knew for this class I had to take the time to sit down, not
only to read, but comprehend & take notes over the text. [Fall ’04, Ancient
Mediterranean World]
3) Learning is up to the individual, you have to put in the work to get out the knowledge.
[Spring ‘05, Europe: Age of Monarchy]
4) You must force yourself to have discipline when learning. You can’t memorize facts,
you must interpret what they mean. [Spring ’05, History of Science]
5) The work ethic it caused me to develop to do well in this class. I’d keep it because it is
an important skill not only in college classes, but an important life skill to keep. [Fall ’05,
Ancient Mediterranean World]
6) I would keep the demands you place on students. It helps keep students focused and
involved. [Fall ’05, Europe: Age of Revolution]
7) Sometimes large tasks seem extremely daunting and it is hard for me to get
motivated to do them, but through this class I learned how gratifying it is to
complete them. [Spring ’06, Europe: Age of Nationalism]
8) How to read, take notes, & analyze all at the same time. I’ve always been able to slide
by in my classes & never have to open the textbook. This is really the first textbook
I’ve truly had to read. [Spring ’06, Europe: Age of Monarchy]
9) Probably the study habits, in this class we’ve been required to read all the material
prior to class and take notes. I’ve never been forced to do that, and that is why I
struggled early on. This class has prepared me to do what is necessary in the future [Fall
’06, Ancient Mediterranean World]
10) The reading I feel was necessary to survive the course. It actually imprinted the
knowledge in my head instead of going in one ear and out the other. [Fall ’06, Ancient
Mediterranean World]
11) Doing the work myself, and not expecting the teaching to tell us everything that is on
the test. Making my note taking technique better [Spring ’07, Holocaust & Genocide]
12) How to learn. I am a high school senior and this class really helped prepare me
for college level work. [Fall ’07, Ancient Mediterranean World]
QUESTIONS:
1) What specific things will be the most difficult for you to adjust to? Why?
2) What does college education mean to you? Do you expect it to be different
from high school? If so, then how specifically? Be specific.
7
COURSE INTRODUCTION HANDOUT:
Articulate Expectations ASAP!
KTS Understanding Cultures: Latin America (UCLA)
Spring 2008
Dr. Laura Yost
Course Expectation & Requirement Highlights
P
lease review the items listed below – they are to help ensure that our semester
runs smoothly! They are being provided by the instructor so that you can have a
better understanding of what key issues have caused some problems in the past
– and in by calling them to your attention, they can be avoided in the future . . .
On Behalf of the Students
 Routinely & regularly attending class meetings
 Routinely & regularly having access to an Internet-connected computer
 Familiarizing yourself with CE6 usage & the KTS UCLA online format
 When necessary, utilizing Kirkwood-provided CE6 support services, such as:
http://www.kirkwood.edu/elearning - where tutorials, demos, and other tools
are available for CE6 users
 Being able & willing to access Video on Demand (VOD) capabilities (only
accessible via Kirkwood sites) to review classes, watch documentaries, learn
supplemental information, etc.
 Knowing course policies & procedures, syllabus material, and other information
regarding class format & function as provided by the instructor and/or the
college
 Consistently checking CE6 or other regularly-used e-mail services (especially
after contacting instructor)
 Informing instructor immediately when encountering technical issues or
complications & actively working to correct those
 Ensuring attached documents are attached & proper content is provided when
submitting work
 Including your NAME & SITE LOCATION on ALL WORK – this ensures you will be
awarded the points you have earned!
 Providing paperwork in cases of excused absences (obituary notices, doctor- or
supervisor-provided notes, etc.)
 Completing excused make-up work within the time provided by the instructor
8
On Behalf of the Instructor
 Routinely & regularly attending class meetings
 Routinely & regularly having access to an Internet-connected computer
 Holding office hours or announcing/posting when cancelled & then scheduling
make-up meeting times
 Checking e-mail regularly & responding as quickly as possible (ideally within a 48hour period; if you have NOT heard from me by that point, assume that e-mail
did not go through & please resend it)
 Contacting students if uploaded, e-mailed, or otherwise submitted content does
not go through (for example, an attachment cannot be opened) – unfortunately,
this cannot be a routine occurrence on behalf of individual students
 Announcing assignments, as well as any scheduling changes, in conjunction with
CE6 posting = never just stating changes via the website alone
 Posting assignments in a timely manner via CE6
 Encouraging in-class participation & providing time at the end of each session –
or the beginning of the following – for student questions
9
COURSE SYLLABUS:
Follow-up With Paperwork
Understanding Cultures: Modern Japan – Web-Blended (UCMJ:WB)
Section #: CLS-165-CRTZ3
Meeting Time: Monday 7:00 p.m. – 9:50 p.m.
Main Campus Room: Linn Hall 203A
Origination Sites: As Assigned
Communication Policies
E-mail (through standard account): lyost@kirkwood.edu. Due to
the increasing amount of junk e-mails and heightened risk of
viruses, all e-mails MUST be written in the following format
(UCMJ: whatever you need). Example - UCMJ: Help, UCMJ:
Question, UCMJ: Student Concern, UCMJ: John Smith.
(Accounts not accessed evenings and weekends.)
Attachments: The flexibility of CE6 allows students to type
material directly into the submission page as well as submit
projects as attachments. If a student submits work through an
attachment, and the attachment does not take, the instructor will
follow up with an e-mail. The student will then have 24-hours to
respond with the homework in question or it will be counted late.
Course Materials
Course Text: Pyle, Kenneth, The Making of Modern Japan, D.C. Heath & Company,
Thompson Wadsworth, 1996.
CE6: All students will log-in and work via CE6; please be sure you can
access and navigate it. For assistance with any aspect of CE6 usage please contact the
Distance Learning office – 214 Linn Hall, Main Campus – or visit the KCC Distance
Learning website - www.kirkwood.edu/distancelearning.
All out-of-class homework assignments will be provided via CE6
 All out-of-class homework assignments will be submittd via CE6
 All homework, exam, and reading assignment due dates will be posted via
CE6
 At times students will be asked to print out material for use in class (the
instructor will announce this in class, as well as post the information online)
 At times students will be asked to submit their responses to some in-class
assignments via CE6
10
Student Evaluation: Assignments, Assessments, Group Work
General Homework Guidelines:
 Simply attending class and handing in homework is not enough. Students must
follow directions, provide complete and thorough answers, display effort, contribute
to group work, and participate in discussions to receive passing grades
 Homework (in addition to text reading assignments) will come from the course
website or will be handed out by the instructor
 LATE ASSIGNMENTS are allowed; 2 points will be deducted from a student’s
final score for each week an assignment is late
 LATE EXAMS are allowed; 10 points will be deducted from a student’s final
score for each week an exam is late
 Assignments that refer to statements made in another source, regardless of type,
need to be accurately cited (in most cases, indicating that the statement is quoted,
is sufficient)
 Written assignments need to demonstrate that a student has read the
material. Thus, to receive full credit he/she must be sure to include
supporting details or evidence from the reading
 ONE or TWO sentence answers will NOT receive full credit, and in most cases
will receive no higher than a C-range grade (please approach instructor with
ANY questions you have)
 Be sure to answer a question sufficiently – simply stating “yes” or “no” is not
enough
 Please be sure to approach the instructor with any questions you have about the
material (confusing statements, unfamiliar vocabulary, etc.). Writing in
assignments that you did not understand the material, were confused, or did not
understand a question is not acceptable
 The instructor is here to help you – so please stop by or e-mail any questions
that you have
 In addition to being announced in class, homework assignments will be posted
via CE6
In-Class Writing Assignments:
In-class writing assignments will be given based upon material presented in class through
handouts, videos, movie clips, assigned readings, quizzes, etc.
 These may or may not be announced, and they may or may not be graded
 Their purpose is to gauge a student’s progress
 The assignments develop a student’s ability to make arguments based on
interpreting facts and context
 STUDENTS CANNOT MAKE UP MISSED IN-CLASS WRITING
ASSIGNMENTS
 STUDENTS CANNOT HAND IN IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS OUTSIDE
OF CLASS
 Students cannot watch/make-up films on their own time & hand in their
work (this applies to rentals or borrowing from the instructor); in the past
the instructor allowed students to make-up films in the library but DVDs were
NOT returned so this policy was discontinued
11
Plagiarism Policy
According to Webster, to plagiarize is "to steal or pass off the ideas or words of another as
one's own . . . to use created productions without crediting the source . . . to commit literary
theft . . . to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source."
Kirkwood students are responsible for authenticating any assignment submitted to an
instructor. If asked, you must be able to produce proof that the assignment you submit is
actually your own work. Therefore, we recommend that you engage in a verifiable working
process on assignments. Keep copies of all drafts of your work, making photocopies of
research materials, write summaries of research materials, hang onto Writing Center
receipts, keep logs or journals of your work on assignments and papers, learn to save drafts
or versions of assignments under individual file names on computer or diskette, etc.
The inability to authenticate your work, should an instructor request it, is sufficient grounds
for failing the assignment.
In addition to requiring a student to authenticate his/her work, Kirkwood Community
College instructors may employ various other means of ascertaining authenticity - such as
engaging in Internet searches, creating quizzes based on student work, requiring students to
explain their work and/or process orally, etc.
Course Plagiarism/Cheating Policy (Supplemental)
Students are allowed to discuss work assigned for individual completion. Work must be in a
student’s OWN words, unless cited properly. However, students are NOT allowed to turn in
work that is the same, copied from another student’s, or highly similar (with some words
changed, sentences rearranged, etc.). ALL forms of this type of work are considered
cheating and will receive a ZERO; they cannot be made up.
12
SUPPLEMENTAL SOURCE MATERIAL
The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Andragogy
Malcom Knowles
“ . . . it is no longer functional to define education as a process of transmitting what is
known; it must now be defied as a lifelong process of continuing inquiry. And so the
most important learning skill of all – for both children and adults – is learn how to
learn . . .”
“The problem is that education is not yet perceived as a lifelong process, so that we are
still taught in our youth only what we ought to know then and not how to keep finding
out. One mission of the adult education, then, can be stated positively as helping
individuals to develop the attitude that learning is a lifelong process and to acquire the
skills of self-directed learning. In this sense, one of the tests . . . is the extent to which
the participants leave a given experience with heightened curiosity and with increased
ability to carry on their own learning.”
“Another ultimate need of individuals is to achieve complete self-identity through the
development of their full potentialities. Increasing evidence is appearing in the
psychological literature that complete self-development is a universal human need . . .”
“The idea of maturity as a goal of education must be defined more specifically . . . if it is
to serve as a guide to continuous learning.”




SELECTED DIMENSIONS OF ACADEMIC MATURITY
From dependence to autonomy. “One of the central quest of [students’] lives is
for increasing self-direction. . . . The fact is that every experience we have in life
tends to affect our movement from dependence toward autonomy.
From passivity toward activity. “And the way they are taught to participate in
school and in other educative experiences – whether they are put in the role of
passive recipients of knowledge or in that of active inquirers after knowledge –
will greatly affect the direction and speed of their movement in the direction of
growth.”
From small abilities toward large abilities. “There is a tendency in human
nature, once we have learned to do something well, to take pride in that ability
and to rest on the laurels it wins us. Since each newly developed ability tends to
be learned in its simplest form, this tendency can result in individuals becoming
frozen into the lowest level of their potential performance. A skillful facilitator
of learning helps each individual to glimpse higher possible levels of performance
and to develop continually larger abilities.”
From few responsibilities toward many responsibilities.
13




From narrow interests toward broad interests. “Anything that causes an
individual’s field of interests to become fixated within a particular circle or to
recede to small circles is interfering with an important dimension of maturation.”
From focus on particulars toward focus on principles. “To a child’s mind each
object is unique and each event is unconnected with any other. The discovery of
principles enabling a person to group objects and connect events is the essence
of the process of inquiry. One of the tragic aspects of traditional pedagogy is
that it has so often imposed principles on inquiring minds and has therefore
denied them the opportunity to mature in the ability to discover principles.”
From the need for certainty toward tolerance for ambiguity. “The basic
insecurity of the child’s world imposes a deep need for certainty. Only as our
experiences in life provide us with an increasing sense of security and selfconfidence will we be able to move in the direction of a mature tolerance for
ambiguity – a prerequisite for survival in a world of ambiguity.”
From impulsiveness toward rationality. “True maturing toward rationality
requires self-understanding and self-control of one’s impulses.”
Self-Directed Learning: A Guide for Learners and Teachers
www.tobincls.com/responsibility.htm (partial excerpt)
Malcom Knowles
“The simple truth is that we are entering into a strange new world in which rapid change
will be the only stable characteristic. And this simple truth has several radical
implications for education and learning.
For one thing, this implies that it is no longer realistic to define the purpose of
education as transmitting what is known. . . . Thus, the main purpose of education must
now be to develop the skills of inquiry. When a person leaves schooling he or she must
not only have a foundation of knowledge acquired in the course of learning to inquire
but, more importantly, also have the ability to go on acquiring new knowledge easily
and skillfully the rest of his or her life.
A second implication sis that there must be a somewhat different way of thinking
about learning. . . . We must learn from everything we do; we must exploit every
experiences as a ‘learning experience.’ . . . Learning means making use of every resource
– in or out of educational institutions – for our personal growth and development.
A third implication is that it is no longer appropriate to equate education with
youth. . . . Education – or, even better, learning – must now be defined as a lifelong
process. The primary learning during youth will be the skills of inquiry and the learning
during you will be the skills of inquiry and the learning after schooling is done will be
focused on acquiring the knowledge, skills, understanding, attitude, and values required
for living adequately in a rapidly changing world.
To sum up: the ‘why’ of self-directed learning is survival- your own survival as an
individual, and also the survival of the human race. Clearly we are not talking here
about something that would be nice or desirable; neither is we talking about some new
14
educational fad. We are talking about a basic human competence-the ability to learn on
one’s own-that has suddenly become a prerequisite for living is this new world.”
“ . . .’self-directed learning’ describes a process in which individuals take the initiative,
with or thought the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating
learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and
implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes.”
“ . . . self-directed learning usually takes place in association with various kinds of
helpers, such as teachers, tutors, mentors, resource people, and peers.”
REFERENCED AND SELECTED REFERENCES
Ronald J. Areglado, R.C. Bradley, & Pamela S. Lane, Learning for Life: Creating
Classrooms for Self-Directed Learning
William J. Rothwell & Kevin J. Sensenig (editors), The Sourcebook for Self-Directed
Learning
Daniel R. Tobin, All Learning Is Self-Directed
Malcolm S. Knowles, Self-Directed Learning: A Guide for Learners and Teachers
Malcom S. Knowles, The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to
Andragogy
Self-Directed Learning (SDL)
http://www.selfdirectedlearning.com/
 while oriented towards primary education, has a strong self-assessment
section
Techniques, Tools, and Resources for the Self-Directed Learner
http://home.twcny.rr.com/hiemstra/sdltools.html
 learning contracts, self diagnostic forms, readiness scales, self
assessments, etc.
University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey: Center for Teaching Excellence
http://cte.umdnj.edu/active_learning/active_sdl.cfm
 general collection of articles & publications providing an introduction to
Self-Directed Learning as well as “Methods & Tools”
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Free Management Library
http://www.managementhelp.org/trng_dev/methods/slf_drct.htm
 primary article on developing SDL in the workplace, with handful of
supplemental, background, web links
http://www-distance.syr.edu/sdlhome.html
 general SDL information
Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations: Rutgers
http://www.eiconsortium.org/research/self-directed_learning.htm
 “Unleashing the Power of Self-Directed Learning,” Richard E. Boyatzis
(PDF version) from “Changing the Way We Manage Change”
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