Over five years, the Collaborative studied how colleges and universities help students strengthen and apply self-directed learning skills. Understanding the current context across our partner institutions helped us design empirical studies to test what kinds of instructional strategies work best for which students.
Together, the contextual knowledge and study results informed the design of an evidence-based Self-Directed Learning Instructional Model. The instructional model offers college instructors a set of practical, easy-to-implement strategies designed to enhance students’ essential learning skills, including planning, reflection, help-seeking, and growth mindset. Instructors can adapt the strategies to easily integrate them into existing courses and systems.
- Study of institutional practices and policies. The Collaborative conducted in-depth qualitative research at nine partner institutions to understand how colleges and universities support student learning in online STEM courses. Through course observations, interviews, and surveys, the research team explored how faculty and administrators support students’ self-directed learning (SDL) skills and described the institutional resources, practices, and policies intended to improve outcomes in online courses. Learn More ▸
- Rapid cycle evaluations. In partnership with faculty members, instructional designers, and other staff at four partner colleges and universities, Collaborative researchers conducted rapid-cycle experiments (RCEs) to test and refine technology-enabled instructional strategies that can support students in strengthening self-directed learning mindsets and skills in online foundational STEM courses. Learn More ▸
- Pre-pilot and pilot studies. The Collaborative examined how a Self-Directed Learning Instructional Model, with three strategies structured to build and mutually reinforce skills over a term, can support students’ self-directed learning (SDL) skills in online and hybrid STEM courses. These studies worked to identify and refine practical, scalable ways to boost student success in digital learning environments. Learn More ▸