editor The global workplace has undergone many changes over the past years. Integration of technology, automation and multigenerational workforce has contributed to reshaping the workplaces all across the globe. This change also requires a change in the employees. This is why many organisations implement reskilling, upskilling and continuous learning policies for their employees. One of the ways with which employees can enhance their skills in the workplace is known as Self-Directed Learning.
In these times, when employees are locked at remote locations, working from their homes, it might become difficult for them to progress through the corporate-mandated modules. They need something that gives them control over their learning. This where self-directed learning comes into the picture and proves to be the perfect model for learning in the remote workplace.
What is Self-directed Learning?
Self-directed learning involves transferring the responsibility of learning from the instructor to the learner. This means, with self-directed learning employees can make their own decisions about learning. So, instead of just flipping through the modules designed for your learning, you work and understand the mechanics of the task. Educational apps can help self-directed learners to explore their interests and learn at their own pace. You can choose what you want to learn, when you want to learn and why you want to learn.
The benefits of Self-Directed Learning in a Remote Workplace
- The employees get a chance to learn what interests them: Training is no more a standardised process for employees. With SDL or self-directed learning, employees can learn what interests them. They can choose their learning style and skills.
- It adjusts to the learning needs of the employees: Some employees might enjoy reading while others might prefer visual learning. With SDL, employees are given the freedom to choose their preferred learning medium.
- It promotes deep learning rather than surface learning: When employees are told to learn a particular skill just because the employer wants them to, there is no guarantee that the employees will learn the skills in depth. They might learn only what is necessary now or might not learn anything at all. With SDL, employees learn a skill in-depth because they want to learn it. Nothing is being forced upon them. Self-directed learning can open up new career paths by helping you develop the skills and knowledge that employers are looking for.
How to Implement Self-Directed Learning in the Workplace?
Self-directed learning is not just a training program but a culture or a work ethic that needs to be implemented in every workplace these days. Here are some strategies that can be used to implement self-directed learning.
- Give your employees some time: The first step that an organization should take to implement self-directed learning at their workplace is to allow their employees to learn something on their own once a week. This time should be utilised by them to learn a new skill or something that could help them in their work.
- Conduct meetings and initiate discussions: Ask your employees to hold meetings with their team members and discuss what they are learning. You never know what might initiate SDL through discussions. Moreover, it will give the employees a chance to feel free to express their opinions and ideas with each other.
- Provide them with the resources: Another way of implementing SDL in your workplace is by giving the necessary learning materials to your employees. You might allow your employees to access your training modules. If you do not have anything lined up for your employees, you can always outsource and buy training materials.
- Encourage social learning: Working remotely hardly gives your employees a chance to connect. But with the help of technology, you can allow your employees to connect over Facebook groups or discussion forums. You never know how informative these mediums can be for the employees.
Are there any challenges in Implementing self-directed Learning in remote Workplaces?
We have easily stated three strategies to implement SDL in a workplace. But, is it that simple? What could be the possible challenges faced by the employees and organisations while implementing self-directed learning? Let us check some of them.
- Not every employee can learn on their own: Some people need a system to be enforced on them. They cannot master the process all alone. They need someone to guide them through the concepts and help them in learning. In such cases, self-directed learning is of no use to them, especially if we are expecting them to learn a new skill from a remote workplace.
- SDL might offer too much freedom to the employees: Some employees might find it difficult to cope up with the freedom to learn anything that interests them. They might get confused about what to do. Some might start learning too much to succeed in their role.
- Self-directed learning might be influenced by biases: We all have some personal biases and that is okay. But when these biases will influence what we need to learn and whatnot, the problem arises. Personalized learning is a self-directed learning approach that tailors learning content and experiences to the individual needs and interests of each learner. Self-directed learning might not help an individual overcome their biases and grasp a concept as it is. Some employees might not extract the complete information from the learning module due to a lack of guidance or supervision.
Keep Encouraging Your Employees for Self-directed Learning
With changing times, workplaces need smart, efficient employees who are up-to-date with new technologies. But with organisations working remotely, it is hard to implement training and development like older times. Therefore, organisations should now focus on self-directed learning and encourage their employees to implement the same for the betterment of themselves and the organisation. Hope this article helped you in understanding apa referencing what self-directed learning is and why it is important in remote workplaces.
