Student-directed learning is not a new phenomenon but has been around for quite some time. Surprisingly though, the struggle to implement it in the classroom continues as teachers must reorient what they have learned in their teaching programs to better fit the needs of their students.
What is Student-directed learning?
Student-directed learning is, essentially, student choice. It is presenting a task or activity and then allowing students to figure out how they are going to solve or learn from that task or activity. It is giving students some guidance and then allowing them not only to be free to discover but also you as the teacher becoming the learner.
It is worth mentioning, but student-directed learning is not the students running the show. They still have structure, still must follow class rules, but how they learn and present their material is in their hands.
Difference between student-directed and teacher-directed learning
Teacher-directed learning is what you would typically see in an average classroom: the teacher presents the material in their chosen method and then guides the students toward understanding the material. The students learn through reading textbooks, listening to lectures, and doing homework or worksheets.
The key difference between student-directed and teacher-directed learning is that one method allows the students to explore, discover, and even fail on their own, while the other is entirely guided by the teacher.
An example of this in my own classroom is how I do assessments. Instead of having students take a quiz to see how much they know, I present what I call a Musical Choice Board for them to show me how they have learned the material. If they have been learning ukulele chords, they can either draw out the chords they have learned so far, show me the chords on the ukulele, or play a song that uses the chords. This is very different than multiple choice or matching questions on a test, because not all students can thrive in a test taking environment. According to the website Scholars, students can have multiple issues that comes with taking tests, whether that be as simple as not studying or lack of organization, to deeper issues like a lack of confidence or anxiety when it comes to taking tests. Some students need longer, some can get there's done in a short amount of time, and some students have learning disabilities (whether discovered or not) that it makes it even more difficult to read a test and answer questions (Danielle, 2020).
Benefits of Student-Directed learning
With student-directed learning, "lessons are much more meaningful and students become personally involved in them (Checkley, 1995). They also have more opportunity to interact with peers and problem solve together. Additionally, as individual learning occurs, students are able to learn in a way that fits them, their personality, and ultimately their way of learning. Students who have previously not done well with certain academics may suddenly find themselves thriving and enjoying as they learn material in their own way. An example of this is a student who hated history and failed every quiz who finds himself loving history because they were able to write a short story about the Civil War and that they researched and drew pictures for. Or a student who struggled with math now thrives because they had the opportunity to work with partners in creating a classroom "bank".
Ideas for Student-directed learning in the music classroom
Assessment choice board, which essentially allows students to choose their method of demonstrating their understanding of the material. This could look like displaying a 2 x 2 grid with 4 choices for students.
Working together to create a song using the chords they have learned. Instead of the teacher directing them in a particular song, students can write out a song and label their chords. I have had some amazing songs produced whenever I have done this activity.
Resources:
Checkley, K. (1995, December 1). Student-directed learning. ASCD. www.ascd.org/el/articles/student-directed-learning
Danielle. (2020). 6 reasons your child does poorly on tests & how to help. Scholars. www.scholarsed.com/why-does-my-child-do-poorly-on-tests/
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