Derek's Blog

Thanks to Jeremy Heibert for drawing my attention to a report from Australia titled Linking Thinking: Self-directed learning in the digital age (pdf) . It's a pretty big volume to download as the pdf (350 pages), so if you prefer a shorter read the executive summary may be more managable.

Written back in 2004 by Philip Candy, funded under the Research Fellowship Scheme
of the Department of Education, Science and Training, the report is in four main sections:

1. sets the scene by dealing with the dual themes of the digital revolution and self-directed learning
   
2. analyses the six major conditions that must be met in order for people to be able to participate in the digital world.
   
3. presents a six-part model of online learning, and concludes with an examination of the support that may be provided to self-directed learners in each of these various elements of the online learning process.
   
4. revisits the dual themes of self-directed learning and the digital revolution, and places them into the context of discourses about lifelong learning and the development of a Learning Society more generally.

Although the author is careful to say this report is not specifically intended to generate practical advice for government policy makers, administrators or even for teachers, trainers or educators, there is plenty here to inform the thinking of those who are in any of these roles.

Not sure why I haven't come across this before - but certainly still a relevant document with some very compelling analysis.

Download full report