Role of self-directed learning in pedagogy – Current scenario of competency-based medical education

Self-directed learning (SDL) is a learning procedure among participants where they understand their learning goals, formulate them, and identify resources for learning. There are four key steps of SDL. SDL allows learners to be more effective learners and social beings through peer group discussions. Hence, it helps develop innovative ideas and valuable insights. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant paradigm shift in teaching–learning methods. The self-paced online courses are appeared to be a crucial part in learning during the pandemic. Those courses are somehow interlinked with the principles of SDL, thus SDL can be a boon in the current scenario with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, lack of independence and self-motivation forms a major barrier to SDL learning. The lack of a healthy relationship between the teachers/instructors and students and adequate technology might also affect the adoption of SDL. SDL will attain a massive success with the availability of adequate resources and technology and their effective utilization.