After everyone has completed high school or college, learning needs to continue throughout the life of the person. For the most part, people will not be able to classes or receive organized training on a regular basis. When an instructor is not there to help, learning can become inefficient, not retained, or lead to information overload. But, self-directed learning can, in fact, “be learned” according to these principles:
- The learner’s unique educational background and cultural differences need to be considered.
- The learner’s goals and purposes for learning need to be considered.
- Varying learning methods that are more active (e.g. project-based, games, simulations) instead of only passive methods (e.g. lectures, reading), need to be utilized.
This site is intended to be used schools (to introduce self-directed and learning), but it can also be used for workforce training, or for individuals wanting to learn on their own. There is a great need in the information age to learn throughout life. While formal classroom learning will always be a necessity, self-directed learning through educational apps that are readily available can also take on a much-needed role for “up skilling”.
For example, suppose a person is interested in programming, but feels like they don’t have the ability to attend a college program. That person could complete an educational technology app in robotics and coding to see how they feel about it. Since educational apps are designed for K – 12 students, a person can start at the level that is most appropriate for them. It is true that there currently exist many on-line learning programs available for people to attend. However, these programs are mostly directed to highly skilled professionals, leaving many learners, especially those who have been mostly unsuccessful within schools or colleges, with no ways to improve their skills. Educational technology (K – 12) apps that are categorized and explained on this site will allow for:
- self-selection of apps for use by individuals or groups of individuals for specific purposes.
- the awarding of certificates for coursework completed, or the awarding of badges for projects completed according to skills obtained from the apps, and allowing for personalized assessment.
You can view the Ed Tech Directory page to find educational technology apps according to your own needs. I hope you find this site useful.