Distinguishing Self-directed and Self-regulated Learning and Measuring them in the E-learning Context

Self-directed (SDL) and self-regulated learning (SRL) skills are important, increasingly in e-learning, but the terms are not clearly distinguished in literature having led to tangled understandings and complications measuring SDL and SRL. The aim of the study is to further explore the similarities and differences between the terms and their usage. Consequently, two research questions were posed: whether and how are SDL and SRL distinguished in empirical studies? What kind of research methods and instruments are used for studying SDL and SRL in e-learning context? To answer the questions the literature review of 30 empirical studies was conducted to compare them on SDL and SRL in the context of e-learning to find overlappings and differences between the concepts and research methods. The studies were compared on the basis of the use of terms, approaches, methods, instruments and analysis.