Learning to self-learn: L2SL

The NEP 2020 at para 4.6 states that its thrust will be to move the education system towards real understanding and learning how to learn – and away from the culture of rote learning. Its goal will be to create holistic and well-rounded individuals equipped with key 21st-century skills. Self-Learning is perhaps the most important 21st Century Skill. Once a person has ‘learnt how to learn’ the person is on the way to become a self- learner. Robert Frost, the famous poet and Professor said “ I am not a teacher, I am an awakener”. And Richard Feynman in his famous “ Lectures on Physics” quoted Edward Gibbons ‘ and the power of instruction is of little efficacy except in those fortunate dispositions, where it is almost superfluous’.

This course begins with drawing attention to the significance of self-learning, describes the attributes of successful self-learners, illustrates how technology in general, and AI in particular can help in making a better self-learner, and concludes with sharing the techniques ( or you may call them the toolkit) for becoming a successful self-learner.

The methodology:

This is a one month ( 4 weeks) program with approximately one hour sessions from Monday to Friday every week, a total of 20 sessions. There are suggestions for activities to be carried out by the learners during each of the four weeks. The weekends are for reflection and practicing the principles, practices and techniques shared during the week. Guidance is also provided for weekend activities for three weekends. The fourth weekend may be used to peruse additional resources, and develop a personal learning plan and “to learn” lists for the future.

Course access and delivery process:

1. A WHATSAPP group will be created for each edition of the program. The group formation is not contingent on a minimum number being enrolled. The program will be delivered, even if there is only one participant, enrolled, for a particular week.

2. At a time that will be announced in the WhatsApp group, I will be posting content. The posts may consist of of text, images of PowerPoint slides, my audios, videos or curated videos.

3. If any course participant has a query, question or observation, and if it concerns the whole group, (s)he may raise it, instantly, within the Group.

4. However, if it is meant as a message to the Course Administrator only, please prefer sending a direct message, rather than posting it in the group.

5. If I can make a quick, short and effective response, without losing the thread of the conversation, I will respond immediately, else I will pool such responses and make a special additional post.

6. All the posts and conversations (including audio) will remain with you until you consciously and deliberately delete them. This is the greatest advantage of this method.

Program structure:

Week 1: Self-learning: the most important 21st Century skill?

L2SL1: Drivers of self-learning

L2SL2: Examples of well known self-learners

L2SL3: Mindsets and other barriers to self-learning

L2SL4: Self-learning as a vaccine against ‘uselessness’

L2SL5: Range : Why generalists succeed ? David Epstein

Week 2: Attributes of a successful self-learner

L2SL6: Motivation

L2SL7: Overcoming Procrastination and efficient time-management L2SL8: Angela Duckworth: Grit: Focus, perseverance and persistence 

L2SL9: Tony Buzan’s Mind-mapping to enhance understanding

L2SL10: Paul Tough : How children succeed? Habits fostering success

Week 3: Techniques to become a better self-learner

L2SL11: A stepwise approach to self-learning and The Feynman technique to learn anything

L2SL12: Scott Young : Ultralearning

Third Weekend

L2SL13: Switching between social learning and individual learning

L2SL14: Guy Claxton: Building Learning Power

L2SL15: Learning while asleep

Week 4: The 21st Century Learner’s Toolkit

L2SL16: Learning from WhatsApp, other mobile apps, Internet and MOOCs

L2SL17: Speech to text, and Text to Speech

L2SL18: Using Automatic Machine Translation

L2SL19: Duolingo for language learning : AI powered apps for learning

L2SL20: Learning Prescriptions

• Fresh batches of this 4 week program begin on the first Monday of every month. The next begins on Monday 1st November 2021. 

• In order to enroll for the Programme, please send a WhatsApp message, with

the following text: ‘L2SL’ to +91 98100 73724.

• Please do mention your name and WhatsApp mobile number on which you would like to pursue the programme through WhatsApp

• You will be included in the cohort beginning from the nearest Monday to your request date.

• The Programme Fee of Rs. 5000/– (Rupees Five thousand only) may be remitted by PayTM to mobile number 9810073724 or deposited into the following Bank account:

• Name: Madan Mohan Pant

• HDFC Bank Account No. : 26451000000301*

• *(The account number is 26451 followed by six zeroes followed by 301)

• IFSC: HDFC0002645

• Address: HDFC Bank, Unitech Cyber Park, Sector 39, Gurgaon

• Should you desire to know more, please WhatsApp, your query to :

• Prof. M. M. Pant at +91 98100 73724