P ROMOTING S ELF -D IRECTED L EARNING IN G RADUATE S TUDENTS Lisa Thomson University of North Carolina at Charlotte

I NTRODUCTIONS Who Am I? Practitioner UNC Charlotte – Belk College of Business Doctoral Student North Carolina State University Who is in the Audience? Name Institution Work with graduate students?

L EARNING O BJECTIVES Define self-directed learning How it relates to graduate students Apply concepts to practice

S ELF -D IRECTED L EARNING Linked to Malcolm Knowles’ (1970) term of andragogy Tough (1979) – distinct field of study Focused on adult students & adult learning Recent research Self-regulation Workforce development focus

K EY C ONCEPTS Control of Learning Student versus Teacher Novice versus Subject Matter Expert Role of Learner Learner knows own needs Personalized learning experience Reflective practice/self-evaluation Role of context Social environment Supportive structure

R ELATIONSHIP TO GRADUATE S TUDENTS Graduate Student Experience Specialized learning Individual motivation for education Facilitating learning in the classroom Goal setting and attainment Faculty Involvement Mentoring Individualized planning

S CENARIOS – T HEORY TO P RACTICE Career Counseling – job search Student Activities – event planning Classroom Teaching – syllabus/assignments What examples do you have from your institutions?

F INAL T HOUGHTS Promote reflective practice Offer experiential learning Incorporate learning contracts Provide support Serve as facilitators Increase meaningfulness of learning

R EFERENCES Brockett, R. G., & Hiemstra, R. (1991). Self-direction in adult learning: Perspectives on theory, research, and practice. London and New York: Routledge. Elias, J. L., & Merriam, S. B. (2005). Philosophical foundations of adult education (3 rd ed.). Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing Company. Garrison, D. R. (1997). Self-directed learning: Toward a comprehensive model. Adult Education Quarterly, 48 (1), Knowles, M. S. (1970). Self-directed learning. New York, NY: Association Press. Merriam, S. B., & Brockett, R. G. (2007). The profession and practice of adult education: An introduction. San Francisco, CA: Jossey –Bass. Tough, A. (1979). The adult’s learning projects: A fresh approach to theory and practice in adult learning (2nd ed.). Austin, TX: Learning Concepts. Weidman, J. C., Twale, D. J., & Stein, E. L. (2001). Socialization of graduate and professional students in higher education: A perilous passage? In A. J. Kezar (ed.). ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report, 28 (3). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Zimmerman, B. J. (1990). Self-regulated learning and academic achievement: An overview. Educational Psychologist, 25 (1), 3-17.

T HANK Y OU ! For Questions & Comments: Lisa Thomson