The Self-learning Method in the Universities - Essay Example

of Faculty of: Name of Tutor: University students in the 21st Century need to develop the skills, dispositions and abilities to become self-directed, independent and lifelong learners, who have confidence, experience and thinking skills to adapt to our ever changing world. Name of student: Date: Among several ways of studying that pre-exist, many university students chose the self learning method which basically can be classified as the crypt of the starting of a career. This process has much to teach the students as well as bring various reforms in their lives and as everyone is aware of the saying “Whatever happens, happen for the best”. Self-learning is very popular round the globe and students have differentiate between the good and the bad. It surely includes their teachers, however the latter plays a very minimal role in the student’s life. Learning by thyself can be defined as an active procedure whereby a person acquires knowledge throughout his life which makes him reflect more about any issues, promote wisdom and intelligence, motivation, inspiration and inhibits a lazy brain in a healthy body. This practice is helps students to accomplish many things in life. There exists several factors that influence the students’ dependency and they are mainly the teacher’s role, dependency of always having help from parents and tutors, always being surrounded by people who are ready to help, the school environment, peer group and the way the person was brought up as well as family background. The school in itself gives several characteristic features in helping the student to develop their attributes and some of them are the flexibility, the democracy and the responsiveness of the authorities to cater for the pupils’ needs. Tom Haward(2007) Every single student is an independent learner, but at times it depends on the pace of developing this ability, the field of specialization, the student’s ability of retaining memory and his willingness to study and time itself. Any person, if given extra time, would learn and discover something additional that would be beneficial and helpful to him. This is where the position of a teacher intervenes at the university level. Tutors are the ones who recognize most of the abilities that are inborn in a student and they try to bring them to the surface so that the students realize that they are talented and can learn independently. Ford, John(2002) A tutor is the trigger factor in initiating such habits in the students for, spoon feeding surely makes the student indolent and the opposite, encourages the learners to exploit the ground and unearth their own ideas. They handle more duties upon the students as they are aware that these students generate a level of ability to bear them, irrespective to their age. They also assist students in maintaining their pace in their studies which makes the students see their goal clearer and thus easier to reach it and support them in taking the right path. Principally, there are many positive aspects that enclose this way of learning. Learning by one’s own self is principally based upon being chiefly independent and it makes the person rely on himself and his judgment and knowledge to know about the right and the wrong and make a decision. Russell L. Ackoff and Daniel Greenberg(2006) The students are more curious and this is very important. The more curious one is, the more questions he will ask and he will learn and memorize better. A student who studies on his own can handle many responsibilities and adapt himself to this ever- revolving and evolving world. His brain will be able to adapt to more information, thus making him liable to improve in many ways and rationalize his mistakes. Independent studying does not target on the present life of the student, but also helps him achieve some other goals in his future life and career in decision making, tackling difficulties, overcoming difficult situation, focusing in attaining the correct goal in his life. He would also develop his duties and responsibilities as a citizen. Mario Minichiello and Andrew Selby (2003) The rule of adaptation to a fast developing world requires a healthy thinking which is to train someone in acclimatizing to the changes brought to him. After graduating from a university, each and every student has to start striving for a career, a home, a life and all the liabilities that would accompany it. Therefore, establishing such a guide in the student from the initial phase, guides him and prepares him psychologically, emotionally and physically to adapt to their new lifestyle. Routledge Falmer. Gilbert, I. ed (2006). A very good example will be the usage of a computer. At earlier times, there used to be no computer and a decade ago the pc boom has hit many so hard, that they had to have a crash course in this science while others manipulated it by themselves. Therefore the lesson that one can deduct here is that is that in case a person will learn by himself, it will save him time and gather extra knowledge. A person, who is an independent learner most often, takes the correct decision at the right time and in this society, such a person is highly valued. They gain popularity in a very affirmative way and also they radiate a level of confidence in themselves. Their local community would find it more beneficial for them to be associated with a person of importance and of wisdom since he would be able to advise them adequately and also fight to keep a order. Trusting this person’s mind and right attitude would not be a problem. An independent learner gains a lot of experience and as any wise person, he will learn from the mistake of others and avoid making them himself. A person who studies on his own does not necessarily mean that he is alone. On the contrary, such a person is always surrounded by friends who are keen to share and discuss their view with him. Group discussion sometimes makes the person to see clearer as well as ponder about the new aspects that he did not. Finally, it can be concluded that an independent learner has a lot to gain than to lose from his life achievements, though with every height he reaches, there will be an equal amount of responsibilities for which he would need to have a clear and unbiased mind to make up his decisions. Cottrell, Stella, (1999) Gloucestershire Students - Study Skills Ford, John(2002)- Independent Learning Mario Minichiello and Andrew Selby(2003)- Developing Independent Learning Styles Routledge Falmer. Gilbert, I. ed (2006)- The Big Book of Independent Learning. Russell L. Ackoff and Daniel Greenberg(2006)- Reinventing Learning for the Next Century: How We Can, and Why We Must Tom Haward (2007)-The Practical Guide to Independent Learning Skills  Read More