Originally published here.
How do you define independent learning (skills/characteristics)?
Independent learning can be defined in many ways, for different cultures and disciplines. It requires freedom to carry out the objectives and induces increased responsibility for students or learners on achieving objectives and goals. It may be a process, a method or a type of education in which a student gains knowledge by their own efforts and develops the ability for research and critical evaluation. Although the process seems to imply that the student would learn ‘independently’ of others, that may not be necessarily true as you may be aided by teaching staff or by methods of resources.
Can you learn to become a more in(ter)dependent learner?
Can you learn to be a more independent learner? Yes, I think that the most important methods of learning are through the teaching of others. Nobody is born perfect, therefore we have much to learn and gain from other people’s experiences, failures and accomplishments.
