A capacity for self-directed, life-long learning is often cited as a critical skill for tomorrow's engineers. The student response to high levels of self-directed learning, however, is not always positive, particularly in introductory level courses. Some students enthusiastically embrace the control over their learning in open-ended situations. Other students, however, become frustrated and disheartened, and ask to be returned to a comfortable state of structure, guidance, and traditional learning. The self-directed knowledge acquisition in technical disciplines has historically been a controversial approach that deserves our close examination, as some students cite self-direction as a positive contributor to learning, while others report decreases in learning due to student control. In this paper, we explore the issues surrounding student directed learning in a project-based introductory materials science course. We present preliminary data on the student responses to open-ended projects and self-guided learning, with particular emphasis on the development of and changes in attitudes and self-perceptions of learning throughout the semester. Possible causes of student responses to self-directed learning are considered, and particular attention is focused on student comfort in self-directed environments and its relation to learning processes. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2006.
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