Independent study is a form of education offered by many high schools, colleges, and other educational institutions.[1] It is sometimes referred to as directed study, and is an educational activity undertaken by an individual with little to no supervision.[2] Typically a student and professor or teacher agree upon a topic for the student to research with guidance from the instructor for an agreed upon amount of credits.[3] Independent studies provide a way for well-motivated students to pursue a topic of interest that does not necessarily fit into a traditional academic curriculum.[4] They are a way for students to learn specialized material or gain research experience.[5]
Independent studies provide students opportunities to explore their interests deeper and make important decisions about how and where they will direct their talents in the future.[6] Another way to understand independent study is to understand learning from a distance. Learning from a distance is a theory in which the student is at a physical or a mental distance from his or her teacher. The student and the teacher are connected by something such as a worksheet, an essay, or through a website on the internet.[7]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
HendersonNathenson1984was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Moore2009was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Winebrenner2012was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Independent Study". Retrieved 13 March 2014.
- ^ Hacker. "Using a Blog in an Independent Study". Chronicles of Higher Learning. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
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Fetterman1988was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Moore, Michael Grahame (1973). "Toward a theory of independent learning and teaching". The Journal of Higher Education: 661–679.