Learning to Learn University
Self-Directed Study through University of the Wild
For more information about self-directed learning through the University of the Wild, contact Dr. Larry Buell at Larry@UofWild.org or (978) 724-0412-(O), (978) 855-1420 (Cell/Text)
Step 1 – Decide What You Want To Learn
Develop a plan for a 10-week or longer, college-level, independent study project about a topic you want to study. The project can be just for you or for a group.
Ideas for Areas of Study
• Food, Nutrition, & Gardening
* Shelter & Alternative Energy
* Natural & Cultural History
* Building Community & Networks
* Indigenous Wisdom & Culture
* Social and Environmental Justice
* Personal & Planetary Healing
Step 2 – Work with a Mentor
You will meet once a week with a mentor as you work independently on your project according to the plan developed by you with help from your oversight team.
Step 3 – Credit or Certificate?
Learning for Your Own Purpose?
If you need a Certificate of Completion for your work or if you want to learn for your own interest, submit your plan to UofWild: we will help you find a mentor. Contact Larry Buell for details: larry@uofwild.org or 978 724-0412
Want College Credit for Your Project?
Submit your project plan to Learning to Learn University: they will help you find a mentor and develop a final presentation product or process. When you have completed your project, UMass can grant you 1-3 transferable credits. Go to www.ltlu.org to apply.
UofWild Partnership with
UMass/Amherst’s University Without Walls
and Learning to Learn University
Conventional learning, in the classroom or online, does not work for many students. Learning to Learn University (LTLU), a new collaborative of selected partners, will offer a for-credit learning experience designed for students whose experiences, goals, and lifestyles are not conducive to conventional schooling.
LTLU helps non-traditional self-motivated learners, from high school juniors through graduate students, access alternative, relevant educational opportunities centered around the learner’s own interests.
When LTLU approves a UofWild project, it is then eligible to earn 1-3 credits from UMass’s University Without Walls. One credit is about 45 hours of work over a 16-week semester; 10 weeks of independent, mentored, self-directed study plus time for reflection and evaluation of your project as well as a special mentor to help you pull together everything you’ve learned and prepare a final presentation of a product or learning process to show your work.
You work via Zoom with your LTLU oversight team on the operational part of your project: developing a suitable project plan with appropriate targets and keeping your project on track. You work via Zoom with a mentor (who is experienced in the subject matter of your project) on the content part of your work: asking questions, suggesting sources, helping you evaluate your work, think critically and creatively. You and your project are monitored and mentored online, but the majority of your time will be spent on your independent study.
There is no limit on how many projects you can do through this program.
You do not have to take any other courses through UMass in order to get credit for the successful completion of your LTLU project.
For more information and to apply for the program, visit www.ltlu.org