Self-directed learning has been a central part of the Ohio Science and Engineering Talent Expansion Program (OSTEP) and the Pre-Freshman and Cooperative Education (PREFACE) program. Through various activities and assignments, students are challenged to be actively involved in their own learning. For example, an independent research project allowed students to design their own experiments and report their results. This way students did not learn their knowledge from books or professors. Rather, they gathered knowledge on their own, which could help improve retention. As you read the literature on this type of learning, it becomes clear that many people believe that self-directed learning is a better approach than traditional teacher-directed learning. However, this approach isn't necessarily right for everyone. Self-directed learning is better for students who are willing to take initiative and are interested in the subject, while traditional learning is better for people who are not interested in learning a subject. In the traditional approach to teaching, teachers are the only source of knowledge. They decide what students need to know and communicate that knowledge from books and their own experience. They also explain to the student how to learn the material and decide how to test the students' understanding of the topic. The student's responsibility is to absorb all of these materials and then demonstrate their understanding in the manner directed by the teachers. Students are externally motivated, for example, by grades and other rewards. Furthermore, the approach assumes that students have less experience or that their experiences are less important because the core part of the task is directed by the teacher. What and how students study depends mainly on teachers. The approach works well for beginners and people who are not interested in the topic. The self-directed learning approach, in contrast, revolves around the students. It is best for people who are interested and willing to take charge of their own education. Rather than deciding which approach is best overall, teachers and students should decide which approach is most beneficial in their particular situation. Works Cited Merriam, Sharan B. “Andragogy and Self-Directed Learning: Pillars of Adult Learning Theory.” New Directives for adult and continuing education 2001.89: 3-14. Wiley Online Library. Network. July 24, 2011. ."Self-Directed Learning by Malcolm Knowles." 1975. PDF file.