Digital, self-directed allows to learn demand-oriented and to determine one’s own pace. Being able to work on learning programs from anywhere and at any time makes it easy to integrate learning into everyday life. At the same time, digital learning also challenges us in several ways:
- Organization: Integrating self-directed learning into your everyday work
- Prioritization: Taking time for learning-units without rescheduling them again and again
- Motivation: Staying motivated on your learning journey
Five tips for self-directed learning
1. Formulating a clear goalAsk employees why they want to develop in this field. What specific expectations do they have towards this new knowledge? It has been psychologically proven that goals help us channel our energy towards one target. If this target is also combined with a plausible reason and an expected impact, it will be even easier to maintain motivation. It is particularly helpful not only to formulate goals, but also to visualize them (for example, in a notebook or with colorful post-its).
2. Defining learning periodsWe carefully organize and plan many aspects of our work in our calendar. Tasks that are not listed here are often less highly prioritized. That is why it is best for learners to schedule learning times in their calendar. If they cannot keep them, moving the time slot instead of deleting it helps to stay committed.
3. Recognizing sources of energyQuestions that learners can ask themselves:
- At what time of day am I most receptive?
- What kind of environment do I need to concentrate well?
4. Increasing commitmentWe often neglect our personal projects because it is easier to negotiate delays with ourselves than with others. Learners can make use of this effect: Encourage your team to find a learning partner and schedule regular exchanges about what they learned. In this way, they create a greater commitment to their learning progress. In addition, the exchange can help to deepen the learning content.
5. RewardsEin einfaches Mittel zur Motivationsförderung ist die Belohnung. Lernende können sich zu Beginn des Lernprozesses eine Belohnung in Aussicht stellen. This can be highly individual. The only important thing is that it gives real pleasure.
Successful self-learning has a lot to do with the conditions learners create for themselves and how consciously and professionally they shape the learning process. Note that every person knows best which tips will help them. If you would like to learn more about the framework conditions for digital learning from an operational perspective, you might be interested in our whitepaper “Hacking digital learning”. Here we address the question of how digital learning projects can be successfully implemented in organizations and provide practical tips.You can find our free whitepaper here. You want to get started with digital self-learning and give our learning programs a try? Feel free to create a free trial account or contact us by email if you have any further questions.
