Explore practical tools and approaches to support student independent learning

Much has been written about independent learning over the last couple of decades, but in the context of contemporary UK higher education, a key work is Thomas, Jones and Ottaway’s 2015 Effective practice in the design of directed independent learning opportunities (full and summary versions) and the companion Compendium of effective practice in directed independent learning.

This overview and the accompanying resources draw on these and other recent works, aiming to complement them by offering academic staff and mentors a brief introduction to current thinking around DIL, as well as a practical set of ‘tools’ and approaches that they can deploy when designing interventions to support their students as developing independent learners.