You probably know at least one self-made person who stood out and made their abilities recognized and appreciated, like Steve Jobs or Nikola Tesla. Self-learning is no longer as difficult as it once was, despite the fact that it was once seen as a major accomplishment. All you need to do to learn something new is to invest a sensible amount of time and effort. There are a ton of free resources available, and you have access to hundreds of content sources and online courses.
In case you were wondering, here is the definition of self-learning:
Self-learning is anything you do outside of a classroom environment by yourself, without a set curriculum or examinations.
Your self-learning efforts are not evaluated by how well you do on a test, unlike traditional educational methods. With no formal assessment, self-learning enables you to evaluate and advance your knowledge through real-world applications. This makes it all about pure learning.
Besides the knowledge factor, self-learning also improves your skill levels and broadens your experience through practical applications.
Here are some reasons why you should consider self-learning:
- Self-learning helps you improve problem-solving skills.
- Self-learning is stress-free. There are no exams and no deadlines. Only pure satisfaction and curiosity are being answered.
- You acquire secondary skills that will help you progress your career.
- The motivation for self-learning is a personal desire to learn new things. As a result, you feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment.
- You can choose how you learn.You can effectively study using your preferred media, whether it is videos, texts, or other diverse mediums that can be efficiently used to learn.
Then, how can you start learning by yourself?
What makes self-directed learning effective?
The Association for Psychological Science asserts that the cognitive benefits connected to the self-directed learning method are largely responsible for its success.
Researchers Todd Gureckis and Douglas Markant from New York University discovered that cognitive psychology provides a number of explanations for the benefits of self-directed learning, according to an article they published in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. In order to "optimize our educational experience," for instance, self-directed learning "allows us to focus attention on important information that we don’t already possess and exposes us to information that we don’t have access to through passive observation." Self-directed learning is active, which helps us in the encoding and long-term retention of information.
Gureckis and Markant note that we aren't always the best at learning on our own. The information that we pay attention to and, ultimately, learn from can be influenced by the numerous cognitive biases and heuristics that we use to aid in decision-making. The researchers point out that computational models frequently employed in machine learning research can provide a framework for researching how humans evaluate different information sources and choose which information to seek out and pay attention to. Work in machine learning can also be used to identify the advantages and disadvantages of independent exploration as well as the circumstances in which it will be most advantageous for students.
Researchers will have a better knowledge of the mechanisms behind self-directed learning and may be able to close the gap between basic cognitive research and practical educational research by combining research from cognitive and computational perspectives. Gureckis and Markant are hoping that this integration will help in the development of assistive training techniques that may be applied to create learning experiences that are customized to take into account the unique requirements of the circumstance and the characteristics of each learner.
14 tips for effective self-learning
Consider the following tips for effective self-learning practices:
1. Determine your learning style.
People often prefer to learn new information or a new skill using varied approaches. You can discover the most practical approaches and tactics for you by understanding your own learning process.
Here are several types of learners to consider:
- Social learner.
- Solitary learner.
- Visual learner.
- Auditory learner.
- Verbal learner.
- Kinesthetic learner.
- Logical learner.
- Reading/writing learner.
2. Find a purpose.
Decide what you want to learn and why you want to be a self-learner. Having a growing interest in a subject can inspire one to start their own studies. Throughout the day, be conscious of the topics that fascinate you or choose a skill set you'd like to master. After that, think about how your life might be affected by this new information, both now and in the future. For instance, if you want to learn how to write fiction, you can choose whether you want to pursue a publishing career or keep it as a hobby.
3. Set reasonable goals.
To assist you in concentrating your efforts, set goals for your self-learning process. Making precise selections may be useful for streamlining your process's steps. For instance, if you are learning a computer language like HTML, you might set a goal to create your own website with specific features. Setting precise benchmarks for measuring your learning progress might be easier if you have a clear goal in mind.
4. Assess your core strengths.
Think about your fundamental talents, abilities, and capabilities. This procedure can assist you in Determining the various parts of a subject that most interest you. For example, it could be useful to think about what you already know about photography and any software products with similar user interfaces if you're learning how to utilize picture modification software for the first time. You may encourage yourself to keep learning and boost your overall confidence in your talents by identifying your foundational knowledge.
5. Determine a schedule.
It could be beneficial to make an agenda for your self-learning sessions in order to establish a successful plan. Give yourself a set of realistic due dates and make an estimation of how long it will take you to finish each assignment. You can schedule your sessions using a notebook, an informal to-do list, or spreadsheet software, depending on your preferences. To enhance your capacity to concentrate, if you schedule longer self-learning sessions, think about studying for 40 minutes at a time with breaks in between.
6. Study in a positive environment.
Select a learning environment that best suits your tastes and requirements. Choose a setting that promotes your desire to learn and helps you maintain focus. Try to bring tools that will help you learn and concentrate, including a computer, notebook, writing instruments, or a snack. Some people find more value in having a well-organized office at home, while others might prefer a public space like a park or library.
7. Read books and academic articles.
Find books and academic articles written by specialists to expand your knowledge of the fundamentals. Reading material from recognized authorities can give you an overview of the knowledge you need to have and your educational path if you're studying a new subject. Look up suitable book titles at your local library or free academic journal databases online. Make sure the information in your study materials is correct and current. It could be beneficial to get guidance from a librarian or other expert who can suggest the best sources to utilize.
8. Find educational media
Finding instructional media may be helpful if you learn best visually or aurally. Your topic may be covered by lessons and other videos on a variety of streaming sites, which you may bookmark in an organized playlist. Consider listening to podcasts as well, which you may do while commuting or engaging in other activities.
- Online lectures: Several streaming services feature lectures from specialists on a variety of topics.
- Interactive museum websites: A few museums offer online learning tools, such as three-dimensional tours of their spaces.
- Self-paced online courses: You can use the free courses offered by universities and educational websites to give your self-learning process more structure without enrolling in a class or formal institution.
9. Take notes while you study.
Many students might benefit from taking thorough notes while they learn new information because doing so can keep you focused and improve your comprehension. You could, for instance, underline key passages of a text, sum up what you've learned, or make a list of ideas or words you want to look up later. This method might be particularly useful for remembering material from podcasts or videos.
You can use the following note-taking techniques during a self-learning session:
- Mapping method: use drawn lines to connect ideas in a text or other piece of material to visually organize it. Depending on your tastes, you may even create a numbering system and color-code it.
- Outlining technique: To organize the finer details of larger issues, use indents or dashes starting on the left-hand side of the page or screen.
- Use categories and columns to record important information in a chart if the material is chronological. You can either use spreadsheet software to create the chart or draw it on paper, depending on your preferences.
10. Review materials on the same day.
Determine a time within the next 24 hours to evaluate the material and analyze the information you have gathered.By improving your memory recall, this technique can advance your self-learning trajectory. When you are in a waiting or transitional moment, such as while waiting for a bus to arrive or an appointment to start, it may be beneficial to review your content. Before tackling the next step of your objective, you can also reread the content from the previous evening before you go to sleep or the following morning.
11. Organize information
Create a method that works for you to organize your research and other useful items. While some people might want to use a computer-based resource, others might prefer to save information in a physical location like a file cabinet or folder. It's crucial to make sure that knowledge is accessible and organized logically while self-learning because you control your workflow and the material you study.
12. Apply your knowledge
Put what you've learned into practice, or use your knowledge to solve a problem in your daily life. You can gauge how much you've learned by immersing yourself in the material you studied, and you might remember more important knowledge in the future. For instance, you may practice with a coworker or friend who speaks the language more fluently if you're learning a new one. If you've been studying work productivity, you may start a little project by assisting a buddy in setting up their workspace.
13. Collaborate with others.
Consider connecting with others who are going through the same self-learning process as you if you're a social learner or you otherwise benefit from being in a group environment. By doing this, you can express your knowledge and viewpoint to another person, which may make it easier for you to recall important facts and gauge your development. Additionally, you can share any relevant resources and clarify any details with another individual. Finding a specialized community on social media or online forums could be useful for this.
14. Reflect on your progress.
It's crucial to provide yourself with the same feedback on your learning process that your professors in the classroom frequently provide. Set aside some time each week to evaluate your achievements and establish new process objectives. Additionally, you can determine whether the self-learning process is assisting you in achieving your goals and how you can use what you have learned in other areas of your life. For instance, mastering new computer software may boost your output while working on other administrative or academic tasks.
