Self-directed learning in practise in formal and non-formal learning environments

Context and background: Self-directed learning is a process in which the individual learner takes the initiative, with the support of others to diagnose their learning needs, formulate learning goals, identify resources for learning (including the people that can support them in the process), select and implement learning strategies and evaluate learning outcomes. This learner directed approach is more and more common in non-formal and specifically youth in action learning activities but is much harder to find in the formal education systems. Youth workers, trainers and teachers who are interested or passionate about the approach are very often searching for tools and support that can help them to take those hard first steps towards self-directed learning in the training, youth club or classroom. With this training course we want to give educators from both formal and non-formal educationale setting the chance to explore SDL both as a learner, a supporter of learning and to practise how to implement it in a non-formal or formal context. By doing this we want to empower the educators to start using SDL as an approach in their own educational setting and to further themselves as SDL-practioners. The objectives of this course are: to offer educators in both formal and non-formal contexts the safe, transparant and supportive non-formal and self-directed learning environment to: - experience and explore the concept of self-directed learning as a learner - discover what it means to support and/or design self-directed learning processes as an educator an both formal and non-formal learning contexts - design and try out together with other participants an in the training course designed and developed self-directed learning activity (mini practise project)in a formal and/or non-formal context, to asses the outcomes, evaluate the process and learn from it for further application in the own educational context of the individual participants - exchange about the opportunties and challenges there are in the specific educational context of each participant to implement self-directed learning in some degree - develop (the beginning of) a practical manual of how to implement self-directed learning in the educational context of the indidvidual participants - spread the fire about self-directed learning in the partner organisations and schools where the educators work and continue to learn and grow as a practioner of self-directed learning together with others (from within and outside of this training course) What? A training course for educators to find out how to implement self-directed learning processes in non-formal and formal learning contexts by experiencing SDL as a learner, look at SDL as a supporter of learning and practise with a during the training developed self-directed learning activity as a start of developing an own manual and practise for implementing SDL in the own educational context. When? 31 August (arrival and intro) till 6 September (departure) 2014 Where? Oasecentrum Dilbeek For who? Educators who supports learning processes in their professional or volunteer activities, both in non-formal and formal educational contexts. Max 30 participants from 10 countries. Approach: a self-directed learning approach which means that the participants will be self-directed learners themselves, responsible for all steps of the self-directed learning process.