Create course curriculum suited to individual learning styles. If self-directed learning is going to be fostered in the 21st century by educators, educators must recognize that students have learning styles that are uniquely their own. To inspire and motivate students to take charge of their own learning, educators will have to create curriculum that can easily be adapted to the individual styles of many different students. Provide students with a choice of assessment options, rather than forcing each student to take the same standardized exam. Some students can exhibit the same level of knowledge and proficiency in an academic discipline through research and writing, as much as they can from answering test questions.
Instruct students to create their own goals at the beginning of each semester of study. John Barell, of Monclair State University, notes that research suggests that students who set their own goals are more likely to actually work toward those goals on their own, rather than simply engaging in passive learning.
Teach students how to think about thinking. Maurice Gibbons notes that this process, known as metacognition, can help students learn to see the outcomes of the learning process as a result of their own effort rather than as random happenstance. Students who are able to recognize their own role in the learning process will be less likely to sit and wait passively for teachers to impart knowledge.
Create collaborative projects as a method to foster self-directed learning. Students are more likely to work toward their own educational goals and be self-motivated if they are under some level of peer pressure to do so. Students who are required to complete projects where multiple students contribute to the end product must be accountable to other students and will thus be self-motivated to do their part.