Independent Study
Faculty provided opportunities for students to independently study or analyze a topic of their own choosing.
About
Independent study is an activity that Bucknell faculty use at a moderate rate, as the autonomy provided can increase student motivation, engagement, and deepen their learning. Faculty whose classes only meet once a week are most likely to use Independent Study, possibly due to to the long period of time between classes, and the desire to keep students engaged in the interim.
The original study's data and analysis for "Independent Study" can be found on this link.
What Faculty Have To Say
Strengths (7)
- Autonomy increases motivation for and responsibility to the learning
- Improved engagement:
- Connects to personal interests
- Deeper reading
- Strengthens their self-reliance
- Provides them with the opportunity to practice real research
- Helps them become critical thinkers, interpreters, and problem solvers
Weaknesses (4)
- Requires advanced skills and fortitude that students may lack
- Can produce (and reward) varied results, including book-report level work
- Hard to assess
- Can be a bit nerve-wracking for some students
Pedagogy Usage
Bucknell faculty was asked their best estimate for how often in the semester they used Independent Study and the average class time it took.
Average Duration: 18 min (mode N/A)
Remote Suggestions
Remote learning is very well suited to independent work, so contiue to construct these as you see fit.
Resources for Additional Learning
Articles & Books
- Independent Study for Freshmen. C. Robert Haywood
- Toward a Theory of Independent Learning and Teaching Michael Grahame Moor