INDEPENDENT LEARNING
IN YOUR CLASSROOM
Jo Mynard & Robin
Sorflaten, Learning Enhancement Center Coordinators, Zayed University, UAE
|
'Do you want me to underline the date?' 'Why did I fail? I learned all the words off by heart.' 'Tell me what I have to memorize for the test.' 'Why didn't I get an A, don't you like me?' 'Why did you fail me?' |
Teachers may be familiar with questions like the ones above from their students. Learners who frequently ask such questions are often extremely dependent on their teachers and expect constant instructions, feedback and reassurance from them. Educators working with such students may wish to change this pattern and learn more about helping students to think more for themselves and to be more self-reliant. This article examines ways in which teachers can build learner training into regular classroom practice in order to develop learner independence in their students.
What is
learner independence?
Learner independence is also known by a number of other terms: learner autonomy,
independent learning, lifelong learning, learning to learn, thinking skills
(Sinclair, 2001). All these terms refer to a concept where learners
are involved in their own learning process. By being involved in this
process, they start to make meaningful connections with the world outside
the classroom. Instead of relying on the teacher to do the thinking
for them, they take responsibility for thinking and learning themselves.
Learning then becomes more than the rote memorization of a series of facts
and continues even after the learner has completed full time education.
One accepted understanding of learner independence is that it ranges across
a continuum (Figure 1). At one end there are dependent learners who
have had little opportunity to develop independent learning skills, and
at the other end of the continuum there are learners who are self-directed,
self-motivated and capable of learning without a teacher. Good learners
will move gradually along the continuum with the help of peers, parents,
teachers and appropriate learning experiences.
Figure 1
- The Learner Independence Continuum
Dependent Learners ________________________Independent Learners
Figure 2 below has been compiled from a number of sources (Holec, 1981; Little, 1991; Dickinson, 1987; Broady & Kenning, 1996; Oxford, 1990; Barnett, 1993) and shows some of the characteristics of dependent learners and independent learners. Most learners would be somewhere in between the two extremes.
Figure 2
- characteristics of dependent and independent learners
| Dependent learners | Independent learners |
| rely heavily on the teacher | are self-reliant |
| cannot make decisions about their learning | can make informed decisions about their learning |
| do not know their own strengths and weaknesses | are aware of their strengths and weaknesses |
| do not connect classroom learning with the real world | connect classroom learning with the real world |
| think that the teacher is wholly responsible for their learning | take responsibility for their own learning· know about different strategies for learning |
| do not know the best way to learn something | plan their learning and set goals |
| do not set learning goals· will only work when extrinsic motivators such as grades or rewards are offered | are intrinsically motivated by making progress in learning |
| do not reflect on how well they are learning and the reasons | often reflect on the learning process and their own progress |
People often assume that independent learning means that a student needs to work alone. Working alone does not automatically develop independent learning skills in students, equally importantly, independent learning can also take place in the classroom. (Broady & Kenning, 1996).
Why do teachers
need to promote independent learning?
Most teachers would agree that independent learners are much more likely
to succeed with their studies than those students who are heavily dependent
on the teacher. If students are to achieve maximum success and
cope with a world which is ever changing, They need assistance in acquiring
skills which will help them to be more independent.
How can
teachers promote independent learning in classrooms?
There are a number of ways that learner training can be weaved into regular
classroom activities in order to promote more independence in learners and
to help them along the continuum described in Figure 1. This section will
discuss ten ways in which teachers can assist with this process and promote
lifelong learning skills.
1.
Give choices
Giving students regular opportunities to make choices will encourage them
to reflect on their own interests and preferences. It will also make
them start to take responsibility for learning. Examples of choices
could be 'Choose activity A or B for homework' or 'Choose someone to work
with' or 'Answer 3 out of the 5 questions' or 'Choose one of these two essay
topics.' The teacher could take the opportunity to reflect with the
students on why the choices are there and why students made certain choices.
2.
Encourage group work
Group work is beneficial in that it provides learners with an opportunity
to learn from each other in an active, involved way. In addition, it temporarily
takes the control away from the teacher and gives it to the learners-- thus
encouraging independence.
3.
Encourage learners to predict how well they did on tests
Before teachers return a test paper to their students, they could encourage
the students to consider how well they did. One example could be to give
a blank copy of the test paper to students to review in groups. This
will start them reflecting about their strengths and weaknesses and the
progress they are making. The reflective aspects of this process could
help the students make an appropriate learning plan. It will also
help learners see that they are responsible for their learning.
4.
Set some learning goals
The students may have never had the opportunity to set learning goals. Initially
setting learning goals will require a lot of help from teachers but it is
a worthwhile exercise which encourages students to reflect and self-evaluate.
The learning goals should be visited regularly and re-assessed. An
example of a learning goal chart is given in Appendix i.
5.
Use authentic texts
Authentic texts are materials which were not originally designed for learning
purposes. They might include newspaper or magazine articles, TV, radio
recordings and so on. These materials can be motivating as they connect
the classroom with the outside world and make the students see that learning
does not take place only in the classroom. Teachers can encourage
students to bring in their own authentic texts to contribute to classroom
activities in order to make them more meaningful.
6. Involve
learners in lesson planning
Teachers could invite their students to help plan the lesson from time to
time. This will ensure that the lesson is interesting and relevant for them.
In addition, it involves the students in the learning process gives them
the opportunity to reflect on their needs.
7. Encourage
learners to keep learner diaries
These diaries can form a dialogue between the teacher and the learners which
is mutually beneficial. It is an opportunity for teachers to see which
areas students find interesting and where they might be having problems,
and also it is a vehicle for students to reflect and write (or draw) honest
comments about their learning. The diaries can be semi-guided initially
but gradual ownership will give learners a sense of responsibility (Dam,
2002).
8. Build
reflection and extension into activities
Traditional classroom activities often require students to examine a text
in order to answer factual, closed questions. The following text is
taken from Little Women:
Chapter
4
Visit to Laurie
One afternoon Jo came back early from Aunt March because it had been snowing
heavily. She did not feel like sitting by the fire, so she took a brush
and began to make a path through the snow so that Beth could walk through
the garden. She watched old Mr. Laurence drive away from the house next
door; and then, as she was brushing away the snow near the wall which separated
the two houses, she saw an unhappy-looking Laurie through one of the windows.
"Poor Laurie," thought Jo, "he`s all alone. He needs a lot of friends to
make him happy."
(Taken from Longman Classics, Grade 4: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott)
The passage yields itself to both closed and open questions. An example of a closed question would be 'Why did Jo leave Aunt March`s house early?' and the answer would be 'because of the snow'. Such a question establishes a basic understanding of the text but does little to promote independent thought. Open questions are generally more thought-provoking meta-questions. An open ended question from the same text could be 'What kind of person is Jo. Support your answer with some examples.' This question could be answered collaboratively in pairs or groups and a discussion could ensue. A possible answer could be - 'Jo was a caring person who liked to keep herself busy. We know she was caring because she was worried about Laurie being unhappy. We know she was an active person because didn't feel like sitting by the fire and decided to sweep snow instead.'. Such a question might inspire some students to read the whole story or to apply this kind of thought when reading other texts.
9.
Encourage self and peer editing
Before students hand in their work for marking, teachers could encourage
them to check it carefully with a friend. Teachers could help them
to make an editing checklist which encourages students to check for errors
that they frequently make. Appendix ii is an example of an editing checklist.
10. Create
a self-access facility in the classroom
A self-access facility can be as simple as a cupboard or shelf containing
activities that students can do on their own in order to give them extra
practice or extension to what they do in class (Baba, 2001).
Materials could include: magazine articles with questions and answers; puzzles;
quizzes; graded readers and so on. Students could even
be encouraged to bring in and or produce materials for the self-access facility.
Self-access materials have the advantage of allowing the learners to work
at their own pace on an activity targeted to their needs which is not always
possible in a regular classroom. If students finish their class work
early or want to work on something during their free time, they can choose
something from the self-access facility. As learners become more self-aware
they will recognize that they need extra practice in certain areas and this
facility will make sure that teachers assist them with finding appropriate
activities.
Conclusions
This article has attempted to emphasize the importance of developing learners'
independence and has highlighted ten ways in which a teacher can incorporate
learner training into a regular classroom. Developing independent
learning abilities is not about letting students work alone, it is about
assisting students to develop skills which will help them to become good
learners; to take responsibility for learning and to be able to apply these
skills to any new learning situation. The road towards independence
is often a long and rocky one and learners need considerable support.
Teachers should not to try to achieve too much too soon and should not be
too hard on themselves if they don't see an immediate change in their students.
References
Baba, H. 2001. Self-access on a Shoestring. Presentation at TESOL Arabia
Abu Dhabi Branch Conference, Abu Dhabi Model School, United Arab Emirates.
Barnett, L. 1993. Teacher off: computer technology, guidance and self-access.
System. (21) 3 pp295-304.
Broady, E., & Kenning, M. 1996. Learner autonomy: an introduction to
the issues. In Promoting learner autonomy in university language teaching.
The Association for French language Studies (AFSC) with the Center for Information
in Language Teaching Research. London: Middlesex University Printing.
Dam, L. (2002). Workshop given at the annual IATEFL conference, York, UK.
Dickinson, L. 1987 Self-instruction in language learning. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Holec, H. 1981. Autonomy and foreign language learning. Oxford:
Pergamon.
Little, D. 1991. Learner autonomy 1: definition, issues and problems. Dublin:
Authentik.
Oxford, R. 1991. Language learning strategies: what every teacher should
know. New York: Newbury House.
Sinclair, B. 2001. What do we mean by learner independence? &
Wrestling with a jelly: the evaluation of learner autonomy. Workshops
given at the Higher Colleges of Technology, United Arab Emirates.
Appendix
i - Independent Learning in Your Classroom, Jo Mynard & Robin
Sorflaten 2002
Setting Learning Goals
Think about what you need to improve and complete this chart with your teacher.
| What do I need to improve? | How will I do this? | How and when will I follow this up? |
| My vocabulary | I
will read one Graded Reader each week at home I will read one newspaper article every day I will keep a vocabulary notebook when I read I will ask my friend to give me quizzes |
Next month I will talk to my teacher about how much I have done and which things helped me. |
| OTHER | - | - |
| OTHER | - | - |
Appendix ii - Independent Learning in Your Classroom, Jo Mynard & Robin Sorflaten 2002
Editing checklist
Have
you finished your work? Are you sure?
This checklist will make sure that you are handing your best work into
the teacher.
| ITEM | Y/N |
| 1. Did you check your spelling carefully?Use a dictionary for words you are not sure about. | Y/N |
| 2. Did you use a capital letter at the beginning of each sentence? | Y/N |
| 3. Did you put a full stop at the end of each sentence? | Y/N |
| 4. Are you sentences clear and easy to read? Perhaps you need to make them shorter and less complex. | Y/N |
| 5. Do you have the heading, date and your name on the paper? | Y/N |
| 6. Is your handwriting neat? Perhaps you should re-write it. | Y/N |
| 7. Did you answer the questions fully? | Y/N |
| 8. Did you use your own words? If you copied something, re-write it your own way. | Y/N |
| 9. Did you finish everything you were asked to do? | Y/N |
| 10. Is your work organized? Make sure that your teacher will be able to correct your work easily. | Y/N |
| 11. What other mistakes to do you often make? Write one here: | - |