Self-learning is defined as a method of garnering information and then processing and retaining it without the help of another individual. It is the responsibility of the learner to learn and hold on to the knowledge without the help of another human resource. It is a modern way of learning that helps a person to teach themself skills and knowledge that will prove relevant to their daily activities. It has not replaced the instructional learning process that has been used traditionally, and instead has become an extra key that opens the doors of knowledge for everyone who is interested in acquiring it.
Process of self-learning:
- Be clear in the objectives and goals
It is important for a self-learner to be clear in their mind about their objectives and goals. Remember they have to study and learn independently through intentional learning and thus they need to be clear in their perception from the beginning. Start the process of self-learning by setting up result-oriented and smartly formulated objectives. Define the topics and what needs to be covered so that learner can gather relevant information without wasting any time
- Finding a reliable source
With the advent of the internet, learners will find thousands of materials for any of the topics they want to pursue. Make sure that they have reached a reliable source that has credibility so that the information is correct and verified.
- Allow learners to be curious
If learners are curious then they will have to dig deep and this will uncover facts that will help them in their self-learning process. As per several medical journals, curiosity is a trait that makes life exciting and ultimately more productive.
- Motivate them and make the subject interesting
Try to understand if learners are going through the process of self-learning only because they have to or are they seriously interested in that subject? Remember disinterest will not take them far and hence we need to motivate learners early on if we want them to attain their learning goals. Learners can learn only what they want to learn, and hence make sure they have a viable reason to study.
- Importance of self-learning
Self-learning helps a person in understanding the basic concept of learning and it says that everyone has to learn by themself at the end of the day. As learners go deeper as they start exploring new horizons that might have been a taboo in traditional form of learning and this can open further doors. Actively pursuing goals single-handedly gives the learner the necessary confidence to deal with the eventualities of life by any means. Self-learning helps finding the ground and helps with foundation. It prepares them for the future where they have to work alone to reach a goal. The resilience that they gain are the key elements.
Self-learning is not time-bound and is dependent upon the person who wants to learn for whatever number of hours they feel like. It gives them the opportunity to set their own pace and remove frustration and boredom from the equation.
- Learning is without any restrictions
Self-learning is not subjected to location-constraint as an individual can make use of the learning process from anywhere they please. They do not need to travel to a particular place at a specific time and this works in their favour. It boosts the self-esteem of a person because they know that they have learned everything on their own. It also helps them to keep digging until they know all there is to know about the topic.
- Disadvantages
- Learners do not have ready-made material at their disposal and whatever they need will have to be acquired through additional effort.
- Teachers will have to verify the study materials whereas in traditional learning method these were already verified beforehand.
- Working with others help in brainstorming which is not possible during self-learning.
- Teamwork encourages open communication that is not seen during the process of self-learning.
- There is no face-to-face interaction during self-learning.
- The lack of transformational power is a serious limitation of self-learning.