What is learner autonomy?

2. Motivates

The freedom attached to autonomous learning motivates your learners and increases their level of self-determination to succeed, further encouraging them to learn more.

3. Engages

Think of it as a grown-up way of learning. Your learners take responsibility for setting goals, scheduling and managing their learning. And, because they’re in charge, they develop a deeper interest and engage more with the content when compared with a conventional trainer-led environment.

4. Explores

If you think about it, it’s how humans naturally started learning in early childhood. We were given free rein to discover and explore before we started into formal education, where learning happens within the constraints of schools’ structures. Psychological research says that autonomy is a basic human need which motivates learners and nourishes their interest in the world around them. The same principle applies to when it comes to autonomous learning.

5. Prepares

Supporting employees to gain the knowledge they need to fulfill their role on their own terms, enabling them to be more successful.

6. Feel-good

As employees value the freedom and control this method provides, they benefit from the feel-good factor of learning instead of being taught.

7. Increases Return

Employees are more engaged with the material they’re consuming. As a result, learning is more efficient and effective, driving a better return on investment in training. This type of learning also encourages employees to demonstrate what they’ve learned by using it in day-to-day situations within your organization.

Facilitating Autonomous Learning

Now you know the benefits, let’s identify how to support your learners with the best ways to identify what will work for them when it comes to learning autonomously.
Share these with the audience you’re tasked with training to help them identify, develop, and take control of their own learning. Or even apply them to your own learning behaviors.