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Editor-in-Chief
Tommy Boone, PhD, MPH, MA, FASEP, EPC |
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Promoting Self-Directed Learning in
Exercise Physiology Students
Brian W. Findley1
and Lucy M. Guglielmino2
1Palm
Beach Community College and 2Florida Atlantic
University
“The main purpose of education
must now be to develop the skills of inquiry.” - Malcolm Knowles
According to Roger Moe, teaching is often
viewed as "a thousand years of tradition wrapped in 100 years of bureaucracy".
We agree. The bureaucracy that defines teaching often keeps it from
being what it should be. University teachers, in particular, have
the privilege and responsibility of making the greatest impact on their
students and how they view the emerging profession of exercise physiology.
It is crtical therefore that exercise physiology professors take time to
think about their role in helping students become self-directed learners.
In other words, higher education is more than the traditional mandate to
prepare for tests, regurgitate information, and similar daily tasks.
The academic degree should also be about preparing students with the skills
of "how to learn" versus "what to learn". Fundamentally, this means
giving students more freedom to make their own choices about learning based
on individual needs.
“Teaching is more difficult that
learning because what teaching calls for is this: to let learn. The real
teacher, in fact, let nothing else be learned than learning. His conduct,
therefore, often produces the impression that we properly learn nothing
from him, if by "learning" we now suddenly understand merely the procurement
of useful information.” - Martin Heidegger
Malcolm Knowles defines self-directed learning
as “a process in which individuals take the initiative, with or without
the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning
goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing
and implementing learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes"
(1). If university teachers are to foster the emancipatory learning
necessary for the graduates to develop professionalism within exercise
physiology, the teaching process must be transformed (2).
The Professionalization of Exercise
Physiologyonline journal has challenged
its readers to “think outside the box" (3) and to “develop a new paradigm
for teaching exercise physiology students" (4). These changes will
not be easy, but they must be done. The process of developing self-directed
learning can be both challenging and frustrating. In short, it means
that we must move from a teacher-centered method of instruction (which
is consistent with "instructor control") to a learner-centered model (which
gives the "learner more control" in what, when, and how he or she learns).
This view is in line with important educational research and how adults
learn and retain information. For university teachers who are interested
in developing self-directed learners, Knowles identifies three important
factors:
Initiative
“Only the curious will learn and
only the resolute overcome the obstacles to learning. The quest quotient
has always excited me more than the intelligence quotient.” - Eugene S.
Wilson
Self-directed learning requires the learners
to take responsibility for their own learning (1). Practicing exercise
physiologists have the opportunity to initiate their own learning through
continuing education activities (e.g., workshops, self-tests, and conferences).
Professors should allow (and, most certainly, encourage) students to initiate
self-directed learning processes in lieu of traditional teacher-directed
learning. Of this doesn't mean that the teacher should stop lecturing
or guiding his or her students throughout the course. In fact, many
students are very much interested in what the teacher has to say and what
they have learned from years of experience in the field. But, where
appropriate, students should be permitted to take the initiative to come
up with alternative assignments (such as submitting a publishable review
article for a professional journal vs. an paper that is turned in at the
end of the semester). The review article could be in addition to
or in place of other conventional assignments as discussed in the course
syllabus. Students should also be expected to seek out meaningful
field experiences and internship opportunities based on their interests
and needs.
Analyzing the Students' Needs
“Knowledge without know-how is
sterile. We use the word "academic" in a pejorative sense to identify this
limitation.” - Myron Tribus
As a healthacare profession, exercise physiology
is predicated on correctly "analyzing" the physiological needs of individuals
and prescribing an intervention strategy to enhance functional abilities
or reduce issues and concerns that distract from a healthy lifestyle.
However, this method of intervention is often lost in higher education.
Beginning with the traditional instructional approach to getting the material
across to students without first identifying the needs of the students
often leaves the students questioning the meaning of the content.
University teachers can be more productive if they take into consideration
the students' needs. There isn't anything about teaching that should
suggest to the university teachers that they can't be more flexible in
how they teach. Additionally, according to Terry O’Banion, President
and CEO of the League for Innovation in the Community College: “We
can’t say what we do is teaching unless students learn" (5).
Formulating Learning Goals
“In absence of clearly defined
goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia. “
- Unknown
Students should be encouraged to ask the following
questions: “What do I value?" "What are my strengths?" "What
are my professional goals?" "What do I want to do with my degree,
and what do I need to know to get there?" (6) Student should be encouraged
to ask themselves these questions in order to establish the goals of their
learning experience. The American Society of Exercise Physiologists
has
outline the competencies required for board certification as an Exercise
Physiologist (7). Students should be encouraged to review the guidelines
required to sit for the exam. They should be encouraged to analyze
their academic, personal, and professional needs based on present knowledge
and career goals. University exercise physiologists should be encouraged
to work on behalf of their students, not just in the classroom but in planning
for a career in exercise physiology. Otherwise, sitting in course
after course becomes "daily acts of trivia" that distract from the path
of professionalism.
Identifying Human and Material Resources
“The greatest achievement of the
human spirit is to live up to one's opportunities and make the most of
one's resources.” - Vauvenargues
Today, the availability of learning resources
in society is unprecedented. Programs and/or discussions within the
classroom settings in which the students are provided information on how
to identify different resources are critical to helping students become
better "thinkers" and especially enhance their problem-solving skills.
In particular, university exercise physiologists should encourage students
to use professional organizations such as ASEP as a major resource, both
through the use of the available periodical and networking opportunities.
Students should be encouraged to read the ASEP Code of Ethics, Standards
of Professional Practice, and many other important professional documents
on the home page [http://www.asep.org/].
Choosing and Implementing Learning Strategies
“Perception is strong and sight
weak. In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were
close and to take a distanced view of close things.” - Miyamoto Musashi
“What do you want to learn today, and how
do you want to learn it?” Just imagine how many students dumbstruck
when they are asked these question for the first time in class. In
other words, "to be an effective teacher, students must be learning something".
Teachers should not be guided by a method of instruction that feels comfortable
but is relatively useless. Instead, why not find the method that
helps the students learn better? The truth of the matter is everyone
learns differently. So, shouldn't teachers take what they know from
brain-based research and multiple intelligences and apply them to exercise
physiology curriculum and instruction? Since most students learn
best by doing, shouldn't there be more laboratory experiences as part of
every course? In other words, every opportunity the teacher gets,
he or she should link an important concept from class to a hands-on opportunity
to feel, to touch, and sense the essence of the what is important.
Evaluating Learner Outcomes
“To sum up the ‘why’ of self-directed
learning is survival – your own survival as an individual, and also the
survival of the human race.” - Malcolm Knowles
In the classroom, alternative assessments
such as portfolio assignments are considered useful in determining learner’s
outcomes. But the bigger picture of educating (and/or mentoring)
exercise physiologists who are self-directed is that these professionals
will develop an integrated, global knowledge-base that will lead to significant
contributions in professional practice (8). This is an extremely
important reason to consider self-directed learning experiences.
In time, more university teachers will think similarly. The future
of exercise physiology as a profession lies squarely on the shoulders of
those who teach in our colleges and universities. If exercise physiology
is to survive and thrive, university exercise physiologists must cultivate
a generation of self-directed learners. This means equipping students
with the skills of inquiry and the ability to take responsibility for their
own learning.
“Develop a passion for learning.
If you do, you will never cease to grow.” - Anthony J. D'Angelo
References
1. Knowles, M. (1975). Self-Directed
Learning: A Guide for Learners and Teachers. Parsippany, NJ: Globe
Fearon.
2. Merriam, S.B. & Caffarella, R.S.
(1999). Learning in Adulthood: A Comprehensive Guide. San Francisco,
CA: Josey-Bass.
3. Boone, T. (2002). Exercise Physiology
of the Future: Thinking Out of the Box. Professionalization of Exercise
Physiologyonline, Vol. 5 (No. 11), 9 pages.
[Online]. http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/ThinkingOutsideTheBoxExercisePhysiology.html
4. Boone, T. (2002). A New Academic Paradigm
for Exercise Physiology Teachers. Professionalization of Exercise Physiologyonline,
Vol. 5 (No. 9), 11 pages. [Online]. http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/TeachingWithINTEGRITY.html
5. O’Banion, T. (1997). A Learning
College for the 21st Century. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press.
6. DiMaurro, N. (2000). Continuous Professional
Development. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing,
31(2):59-62.
7. American Society of Exercise Physiologists
(2003). Information for EPC Candidates: A Guide. [Online]. http://www.asep.org/epcmanual/
.
8. Daley, B.J. (2001). Learning and Professional
Practice: A study of Four Professions. Adult Education Quarterly.
52(1):39-54.
Please send correspondence to:
Brian W. Findley, Palm Beach community College, 300 Saint Lucie Avenue,
Boca Raton, FL 33333
(561)-862-4449, findleyb@pbcc.edu
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