The Institute for Self-Directed Learning

Overview

We are actively building a self-directed math program for learners in 2nd-12th grade. Our goal is to codify a robust approach to math learning that fosters 1.) autonomy in leaners, 2.) agility in number sense and math fluency, 3.) real-world relevancy for upper-level math skills, and 4.) equitable learning outcomes by empowering all learners to build math-mastery at their own pace.  

Problem

Traditional education has led to an epidemic of what Zaretta Hammond calls "dependent learners." Hammond (2014) argued that dependent learners “struggle because we don’t offer them sufficient opportunities in the classroom to develop the cognitive skills and habits of mind that would prepare them to take on the more advanced academic tasks” (p. 13). The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent disruptions to in-person education showed how "dependent" students had become — many learners were unprepared to complete task without explicit instruction on what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. As a result, many learners experienced deep learning loss, especially in core math competencies.

The Audience

The Institute for Self-Directed Learning is hosted in a lab school, The Forest School, located outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Our target beneficiaries will be the students of The Forest School — a learner-led micro-school that is diverse by design. 

The Project

At The Forest School, learners from grades 2-12 learn math at their own pace, mediated by a combination of e-learning platforms, peer support, and real-world projects that infuse math skills. We conducted an external audit of our math approach during the 2021-2022 school year. We would love to partner with LEAP for support in researching our revised approach and building our math program to scale so that we can share with our global network. 

We founded The Forest School in 2018 and the Institute for Self-Directed Learning in 2020.

Our Theory of Change:

Activities

Embedded and interdisciplinary approaches to math education that 1.) center the learner, 2.) connect theory and practice to real-world problem solving, 3.) provide a menu of resources to each learner, 4.) cultivate peer-to-peer mentoring, and 5.) support learning through Socratic tutoring.

Outputs

Learners gain deep knowledge of math skills and concepts by showing mastery and real-world application.

Short-term Outcomes

Learners gain grow in math confidence, number sense, computational skills, and quantitative reasoning. 

Long-Term Outcomes

Learners grow into adept and collaborative problem solvers, able to take the initiative in solving a problem, employ the correct mathematical approach, evaluate their own learning, adjust their work as necessary, and critically reflect on their experience.

Our math program would currently be rated a a Level 2, according to Nesta's Standards of Evidence. We currently employ a battery of diagnostics to measure a learner's growth in math skills and competencies, including but not limited to: the IOWA Test of Basic Skills, Khan Academy, ALEKS Quicktables, and Zearn.

Our goal is to build more robust measurements around self-efficacy, math confidence, agileness in learning, learning growth in neurodiverse learners, more equitable learning outcomes for all learners, and the ability to give and receive peer mentoring.

We are tracking data across a number of standardized tests and e-learning platforms. The IOWA Test of Basic Skills is a national standardized tests that provides data as to how learners measure against their peers nationwide in terms of "grade level equivalent." We do not put a lot of stock in standardized testing and see this as one data point among many on a learner's progress. Learner's have their progress tracked through daily use of e-learning platforms, including Khan Academy, ALEKS Quicktables, and Zearn.

What if every learner were given the freedom, resources, and support to teach themselves whatever they needed to know?

We have a strategic bet: that every learner can teach themselves math. From basic addition to calculus, we hold that all levels of math can be mastered in a learner-led school model. We need more evidence to support this belief.

So, possible research questions:

1. What are the biggest obstacles to learning math in a self-directed learning environment?

2. What resource or intervention best improves math mastery in a self-directed learning environment?

3. What are authentic and useful assessments to showcase where a learner is on their math journey?

4. How might this approach vary by age level (prek to high school)?

Deliverables:

• Qualitative data: a written "case study" featuring observation notes, interview data, etc. that offers insight into the math program at The Forest School.
• Quantitative data: helping build an authentic instrument for measuring math growth in a self-directed learning environment.
• Recommendations: what should we keep doing, stop doing, or change in our approach?

Impact:

This project would accelerate 1.) the codification of our math program at The Forest School, and 2.) the ability of the Institute for Self-Directed Learning to lead the sector in sharing resources in learner-led education.

We believe that building up agentic, self-directed learners is imperative. A research-backed math approach that enables learners to close learning gaps *on their own* would be instrumental to realizing that vision.