College learning in Asian countries has been highly structured and mandated. For example, students are asked to complete a series of required courses, attend weekly face-to-face lectures, and take summative midterms and finals. However, traditional practices are unlikely to prepare self-directed learners to meet future challenges. Partly supported by the Ministry of Education's Higher Education SPROUT project (HESP), faculty members from foundational science departments at National Chiao-Tung University (NCTU), Taiwan, have developed a Self-Active I-Learning (SAIL) Program. This article describes the practices of academic coaches, tools that promote self-directed learning skills, and coaching activities associated with SAIL.