The conference ‘Efficacité des dispositifs de formation ouverte et à distance’, which was held at Le Mirail University, Tolose (15th -16th January 2009) focusing on the technologies needed to support self-directed learning processes and practices, officially opened a new horizon in the educational research concerning self-training. Anyway it doesn´t coincide neither with digital literacy nor with the acquisition of digital skills. Self-directed learning activities achieved thanks to the use of technologies have to be distinguished from the consciousness of each subject involved as main actor in the learning process and in the different training contexts, activating this way deep motivation processes.