Lifelong learning in otolaryngology: self-directed learning.

Although nothing in didactic form approaches the learning experience of the real world, the educational process up to graduation is based on a teacher-directed model of learning. Active engagement in self-planned learning activities tends to be more effective than passive learning. Lifelong learning involves finding and implementing solutions to everyday problems encountered in the clinic, emergency room, and operating room and on the wards. The process by which much of this education occurs is via self-directed learning, in which learners challenge themselves to pursue activities that arise from their own experiences using their own emerging styles. The acquisition of self-directed learning is a complex process that involves numerous skills and competencies relied upon to complete challenges.