With the rapid development of Internet technology, the Internet is playing an increasingly important role in various industries and has also become an important trend in the development of the education field. The self-directed learning mode relying on the Internet has gradually emerged. Higher vocational education is an important part of higher education, undertaking the important task of cultivating high-quality technical and skilled talents. The online self-directed learning mode provides new paths for vocational college students’ learning, but it also faces many challenges. How to effectively integrate online resources and improve students’ self-directed learning ability has become an important topic in the educational innovation and reform of higher vocational colleges. Against this background, this paper takes college students in higher vocational colleges as the research object, exploring how to improve the effectiveness of online self-directed learning. Starting from the basic concept of online self-directed learning, it gradually delves into the practical dilemmas restricting college students’ online self-directed learning in higher vocational colleges, and finally explores relevant specific paths, aiming to improve the quality and effectiveness of online self-directed learning and provide strong support for the educational innovation and reform of higher vocational colleges.