Learning and Growth through Self-Assessment “Lifelong Learning is Good for Your Health, Your Wallet and Your Social Life,” reads the hopeful header of a 2017 Harvard Business Review article, and more recently, “opportunity to learn” has been rated as among the top reasons for accepting a new job. Learning is a lifelong journey to become our best selves, seeking and mastering new challenges that fulfill both our curiosity and our potential. In addition, while we are transforming ourselves, we are transforming society through our interaction with each other. For health professionals, lifelong, practice-based learning is a professional competence and component of professionalism. Self-directed learning (SDL) as a tool for lifelong learning introduces the processes that allow us to take control of our own learning, such as, e.g., how to set our own learning goals, locate the appropriate resources, decide on which learning method to use, and evaluate their progress. As reviewed in Brandt (2020), SDL signifies a “process of learning that is individual, purposeful, and developmental. The individual nature of self-directed learning emphasizes autonomy, choice, and self-actualization.” SDL is an essential concept that is fundamental to health professions education. In self-directed learning, we, the learners, direct strategies to manage the learning tasks. As a meaningful and worthwhile approach to self-directed learning, (1) self-management (= contextual control) may be integrated with (2) self-monitoring (= cognitive responsibility) and (3) motivation. We steer the ship for our own learning as meaningful preparation for continuing education and lifelong learning. Metacognition refers to thinking about thinking and learning to enhance one’s own learning process, which is vital to gauge our actual mastery of a task. Together with reflection – reviewing an experience – metacognition allows us to self-assess our learning and helps us see our behavior and learning needs and wants in new ways. Consequently, understanding and applying your own learning needs is fundamental for lifelong learning, as well as safe, effective, and knowledge-based health professions practice. Self-assessment is a necessary component of self-directed learning and the maintenance of competency and self-improvement. So, what strategies can you implement to steer effective self-assessment? 1. Know your learning objectives and ask the right questions. Clarity precedes competence and mastery. As your own assessor, make sure that your desired objectives (learning outcomes) or desired final goals are clear. Ideally, your objectives are SMART, as in Specific, Measurable, Attainable (realistic), Relevant, and Time-based. Oftentimes, these objectives are educational intents or productivity targets set by the school or the employer. It helps to frame these objectives as questions. Asking questions on progress of professional development, such as, e.g., self-management, team building or developing empathy, may be a bit trickier, but once tied to a visible action, you will obtain a clearer picture. You could ask:
2. Determine your personal metric: Your assessment criteria. In order to arrive at an accurate assessment of your desired abilities, you need to set standards and determine values that indicate successful achievement. Sometimes, your target is clear, such as, e.g., correct answers on a self-quiz. Other outcomes may be measurable on a sliding scale. You may develop your own numeric rating scale to indicate the degree or frequency of a desired behavior or skill you want to obtain. Ideally, you always want to have a clear sense of progress. Frequent measuring and tracking are also great ways to obtain clarity – just think about using a Fitbit to track steps. Finally, I encourage you to be creative. Ask yourself, is there a positive role model who inspires a certain value and behavior? As you assess your progress, what would your role model advise or do? 3. Start feedback-seeking behavior. To support your continuous growth, don’t go it alone. Ideally, in a culture that supports learning, feedback-seeking behavior (FSB) is a proactive way to step out of your own mindset and look at your learning journey through a different lens. Save, actionable feedback conversations may surprise you, and they will also deepen your commitment to change and improve the likelihood of achieving your goals. Best practices include having collaborative and constructive dialogue to obtain timely, constructive feedback. One more secret – receptivity to feedback from peers, colleagues, and mentors – also creates strong relationships and trusting communities of practice. 4. And finally: Supporting a growth mindset. Initially, we talked about setting goals and objectives to obtain clarification on what to achieve and measure. Applying a growth mindset elevates goal setting to another level and adds the kick of design-thinking. American psychologist Carol Dweck is known for her fundamental work on the mindset affecting a student’s performance in the classroom. Adopting a growth mindset includes a readiness to take on challenges and learning from them – which, in return, increases the ability for achievements. Carol Dweck identified the word “yet” as a valuable tool to signify that an action was not finished, and growth was still possible. Opening our minds to the possibilities of new insights will enable us to master the challenge and enjoy the achievement. So, you might not be able to speak French fluently … yet (but, at one point in the future, you will succeed). Investing in lifelong learning elevates your ability to lead and help others, independent of your profession. As you continue to grow and develop, measure your progress, and seek feedback with an open mind, you will become a role model and mentor for other lifelong learners. Don’t forget, assessment must be followed by reflection and action – in an ongoing loop – for mastery. Enjoy the challenge! References
Andreatta, B. (2016). Wired to grow: Harness the power of brain science to master any skill. 7th Mind Publishing. Bailey, J. (2022, August). August 2022 #MedEdPearls: What is Self-Directed Learning, Exactly? [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://harvardmacy.org/index.php/hmi/mededpearls-august-2022 Boyer, S. L., Edmondson, D. R., Artis, A. B., & Fleming, D. (2014). Self-directed learning: A tool for lifelong learning. Journal of Marketing Education, 36(1), 20-32. Brandt, W. C. (2020). Measuring student success skills: A review of the literature on self-directed learning. National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment, Dover. Coleman, J. (2017). Lifelong learning is good for your health, your wallet, and your social life. Harvard Business Review. Dweck, C. S. (2010). Even geniuses work hard. Educational leadership, 68(1), 16-20. Dweck, C.S. (Sept. 2014). The power of yet. TEDxNorrkoeping. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-swZaKN2Ic Evans, A. W., Mckenna, C., & Oliver, M. (2002). Self-assessment in medical practice. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 95(10), 511-513. Kennedy, G., Rea, J. N. M., & Rea, I. M. (2019). Prompting medical students to self–assess their learning needs during the ageing and health module: a mixed methods study. Medical education online, 24(1), 1579558. Lu, F. I., Takahashi, S. G., & Kerr, C. (2021). Myth or Reality: Self-Assessment Is Central to Effective Curriculum in Anatomical Pathology Graduate Medical Education. Academic Pathology, 8, 23742895211013528.
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