ABSTRACT

This is the first book to provide a detailed overview and analysis of autodidactism, or self-education. Autodidacts' strong preference for teaching themselves is likely to manifest itself, in childhood, as a pronounced resistance to formal schooling. However, in later life, an autodidact's passion for learning will emerge as they participate in open or distance learning or even take responsibility for devising, structuring and following their own programme of education.
Beginning and ending with comprehensive and stimulating discussions of learning theories, The Passion to Learn includes fourteen case studies of autodidactism in informal learning situations, all written by authors with specialised knowledge. These wide-ranging case studies reflect the inherent diversity of autodidactism, yet four common themes emerge: emotional/cognitive balance; learning environment; life mission; and ownership of learning. The final chapter addresses the implications of autodidactism for educational theory, research, philosophy and psychology.
This inquiry into autodidactism provides fresh insight into the motivation to learn. It shows how closely cognition, emotion and sensory perception act together in learning processes and draws upon memory studies, neurobiology, complexity theory and philosophy to illuminate the findings. At a time when such issues as participation in education, lifelong learning and alternative, non-formal modes of teaching and learning are in the forefront of international educational discourse, this fascinating, inspiring and timely book will be of great interest to anyone involved in the practice or policy of teaching and learning.

chapter |2 pages

Introduction

chapter 1|20 pages

Theories of learning and the range of autodidactism

ByJOAN SOLOMON

chapter 2|8 pages

Are autodidacts creative?

ByMARGARET BODEN

chapter 3|12 pages

Children in an interactive science centre

ByHELEN BROOKE, JOAN SOLOMON

chapter 4|8 pages

Do autodidacts have EBD?

ByPAUL HOWARD

chapter 5|10 pages

Homo Ludens

ByROBIN HODGKIN

chapter 6|10 pages

Learning to be a genetic counsellor

chapter 7|12 pages

Apprenticeship and lifelong learning

chapter 9|8 pages

The scientist as autodidact

ByJOHN ZIMAN

chapter 10|10 pages

The autodidactic museum in France and other countries

ByPAUL CARO

chapter 11|8 pages

The useful arts

ByTIM HUNKIN

chapter 12|12 pages

Indian market women and their mathematics

ByANITA RAMPAL

chapter 13|12 pages

How does resource-based learning help the self-directed learner?

ByEILEEN SCANLON

chapter 14|12 pages

Learning through project work at the University of Roskilde

ByALBERT PAULSEN

chapter 15|6 pages

A long life of learning

ByJACK DIAMOND

chapter 16|18 pages

Common features

ByJOAN SOLOMON

chapter 17|22 pages

Useful theories, great and small

ByJOAN SOLOMON