Reading Reflection # 3

Reading Reflection on Healey (1999)

Healey, D. (1999). Theory and Research: Autonomy in Language Learning. In J. Egbert & E. Hanson-Smith (Eds.). CALL Environments: Research, Practice and Critical Issues. (pp. 391-402). Alexandria VA: Teachers of English to speakers of Other Languages, Inc.

Healey begins the chapter by an attempt to define the term autonomy. After providing of the ‘connotations’ of the term and distinguishing it from other related concepts, Healey follows Dickinson (1987) in usng the term self-direction to refer to learners’ attitudes and autonomy to refer to the instructional framework. Self-direction is then defined as “the degree of independence the learner is given in setting language learning goals, the path to the goal, the pace of learning, and the measurement of success” (p. 391). Healey moves on to review some of the research done with an agenda to pinpoint ways to encourage self-directed learning and the role of such a technique in language teaching. Healey mentions some of the factors that Candy (1991) point out in the ‘recent surge’ in the ‘popularity’ of self-directed learning. Such factors include the democratic ideal, the ideology of individualism, the concept of egalitarianism, subjective or relativistic epistemology, etc.

Interestingly, Healey brings two significant factors into the discussion: learners’ ages, and background culture. It is hinted at that not only adults that need to be encouraged to learn autonomously, but also children. Learners’ background cultures are equally significant, according to Healey, and convincingly enough. Healey points out that ESL/EFL professionals need to keep in mind that autonomous learning and individualism are specially US-based concepts. Healey then discusses the various settings for autonomous learning as well as the various related factors. Interestingly, settings are mapped on a grid based on the source of structure (teacher-learner) and the content (whether thi is fixed or variable).

Next, Healey discusses the various conditions that are thought to ‘enhance’ autonomy and learning. Two main elements are provided in this context: (1) Learner issues (i.e., self-motivation, independent style, knowledge of how one learns, and knowledge of target area) and (2) content issues (i.e., clear path to the goal, clear explanations of the target area, and resources available). In each of these items Healey provides useful suggestions as well as results of previous research.

It is the last section of the chapter that deals with technology and learning autonomy. Here some five ‘preconditions’ for motivation that ‘must’ be set by the teacher-facilitator in classroom learning are spelt out. The discussion provided on such preconditions are useful and interesting.

Healey’s is rich and interesting. The author is able to load the material here with lots of information based on previous research as well as personal experience. After reading the chapter one can grasp a really useful overview of the concept of autonomy and can have quite sufficient resources referred to in the content to go back and check for further readings. Treatment of various issues related to such varied disciplines as educational psychology, philosophy of education, etc. is skillfully weaved into a technical discussion of issues related to instructional technology. Interesting, rich, varied, and comprehensive is Healey’s treatment.
Bibliography

Candy, 1991. Self-direction for Lifelong Learning. California: Jossey-Bass.

Dickinson, L. (1987). Self-instruction in language learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Prometeus - The Media Revolution part 2

Prometeus - The Media Revolution

Web2.0 Explained

Future of Web2.0

Definitions of Learner Autonomy

Here's how some scholars define learner autonomy: http://cyclops.shu.ac.uk:8080/ramgen/archive/lits/LTI/lias.rm. ("Here are the staff who are in the video; in order of appearance:Serena Bufton, Sue Bamford, Richard Lynch, Anthony Rosie, Chris Hopkins, Mike Bramhall, Mike McManus, Nick Nunnington, Ranald Macdonald, Christine O'Leary and Richard Pountney. Please note you will need Real Media Video(.rm) to view the streaming video on this site.

Use the following link to obtain the appropiate plugins if necessary: Get RealOnePlayer" (material between quotes comes from: http://www.shu.ac.uk/cetl/autonomy/what.html")).

Learner Autonomy

Autonomy can be defined as learners’ ability to benefit from a learning experience that achieves their (learning) goals, conforms to their views about themselves and the world, and in which the distinctions between ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ instruction are blurred.

Here's how some scholars define learner autonomy: http://cyclops.shu.ac.uk:8080/ramgen/archive/lits/LTI/lias.rm. ("Here are the staff who are in the video; in order of appearance:Serena Bufton, Sue Bamford, Richard Lynch, Anthony Rosie, Chris Hopkins, Mike Bramhall, Mike McManus, Nick Nunnington, Ranald Macdonald, Christine O'Leary and Richard Pountney.
Please note you will need Real Media Video(.rm) to view the streaming video on this site.

Use the following link to obtain the appropiate plugins if necessary:
Get RealOnePlayer" (material between quotes comes from: http://www.shu.ac.uk/cetl/autonomy/what.html")).


I do not teach right now, but I can describe the way I intend to encourage learner autonomy in the future. I will be teaching college students and thus will focus on methods that will best suit such learners.

Course Goals will be described and students will be encouraged to discuss them and adaptations of such goals can be made based upon student propositions. Students will be encouraged to relate course goals to their overall learning goals. Ways in which learning goals relate to his/her philosophy, ideology, view about self and others can also be discussed and built upon. Students will learn most when they feel they are in real need of a certain skill/certain skills that the course offers. Attempts to motivate students will be made. 'Showing', not 'telling' will be used to motivate students, just to borrow from literary criticism terminology. what this means is that students will have the chnce to see the advantages of possessing the skills, meet (or watch videos of) pioneers in the target fields, etc.

Course resources and curriculum should be varied and flexible. There should be a number of segments that students can choose from. For a course requiring 8 segments I will introduce at least 12 segments for students to select from. Students will end up working on segments that they like most. In addition, students will be given the chance to propose at least one third of the segments and I will help them, if they ask me, to propose resources that can be used to pursue the segments they propose. The segments offered will be compared to segments of other similar curses in other places and refinements will be continuously made. There will always be a segment in which students are required to relate the knowledge they get from the course to their daily life activities and/or future careers, plans, etc.

Descriptions of ways to accomplish required tasks will be provided, but students will be encouraged to come up with their own views and incorporate new (potentially innovative) ways. At least one third of a certain way to accomplish a certain task will be up to learners. Learners will be encouraged to find unique ways of accomplishing tasks. Students will be encouraged to submit all required work in different forms and formats. Both soft and/or hard submission will be allowed, different programs that students can need for soft submission will be either made available to them, or descriptions of how they can get these will be provided.

Time required for accomplishing tasks will be negotiated and students will be allowed to ask for extensions under certain circumstances. Suggestions for evaluations will be provided and students will be encouraged to suggest evaluation techniques. Students will be required to provide self-evaluations after showing them the importance of such a procedure and how it can be best made. Objectivity will be encouraged.

Post-course activities will be encouraged. Different follow-up activities will be provided and students will be encouraged to suggest more activities or adaptations to the already-suggested ones. These can include regular meetings in which students gather with their classmates and/or teacher, social network activities, etc. Students will be encourages to reflect upon the different ways they have used skills derived from the course and how it is that they plan to build upon such skills.

Teacher-student relationships will be based upon mutual respect. I will downplay power relations and will see students as future peers. Knowledge acquisition will be two-way. My role will be of a guide and facilitator.
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--For a very interesting article by Dimitrios Thanasoulason ways to foster learner autonomy access: http://iteslj.org/Articles/Thanasoulas-Autonomy.html. Article author reviews the three approaches, or philosophies, to learning—positivism, constructivism, and critical theory—and relates them to learner autonomy. Also offered in the article are ‘conditions for learner autonomy’. I specially liked the sectons dealing with both cognitive and metacognitive strategies.

--For a bibliography of learner utonomy see: http://www.hayo.nl/autonomybibliography.php.