Students in introductory STEM courses encounter challenges in online environments that frequently manifest as low student engagement. This session will present a set of instructional resources designed to strengthen students’ self-directed learning (SDL) skills, boost their motivation and engagement, and help them manage their learning in online courses. STEM faculty participants will: a) increase their knowledge of an evidence-based SDL framework and a set of three mutually reinforcing processes that help students stay motivated, set goals, plan their approach to learning, and follow-through on that plan, b) learn about instructional strategies that support SDL and how they can be embedded in online courses, c) gain access to an innovative SDL Instructional Model that faculty can embed in online courses to support student learning and success.