scholarly journals Students’ Self-directed Learning in the Context of Industrial Challenges: Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies Case

Author(s):  
Baiba Briede

Students’ self-directed learning (SDL) is analysed as a means to promote the development of professionals who are active life-long learners, ready to complex problem solving, leadership and flexible adaptation to social and economic situations. That is why the aim of the study was to analyse the components of SDL essential for nowadays socio-economic situation and to find out SDL results from the students of Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LLU). The method of questionnaire was used to investigate the students’ self-assessment on their SDL focusing on purposefulness, motivation for knowledge, implementation of effective learning strategies, responsibility, control assessment of learning progress, importance to express one’ s view and time management. The results of the study were obtained from 305 first-year students of LLU. Medium results dominate in relation to implementation of effective learning strategies, importance to express one’s view and time management. It means that preferably an electronic aid on learning strategies and more flexible learning environments for the first year students is necessary. The study results also indicate that more teaching methods promoting views expression are of high importance and should be included in further education courses for teachers. Keywords: Self-directed learning; university students; professionalism.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Līga Beļicka ◽  
◽  
Tatjana Bicjutko

The fast transition to fully online studies due to the pandemic made the universities around the world question many of their accepted notions on teaching foreign languages in general and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) methodology in particular. Putting stress on the synchronous remote teaching and learning has proven to yield a reductionist perspective missing asynchronicity, the dimension which makes reconsider the whole educational process. With its shift from the sole focus on learning terminology to training skills in authentic professional contexts, the task-based approach has long excelled in meeting the diverse needs of students. Thus, the research question is how well task-based teaching (TBT) solves the problems raised with asynchronous learning in a university ESP course. The research of available literature on TBT yielded the framework for constructing an extended task applicable in the advanced medical English. The case study with 120 first-year students of medicine organised around an informational interview with health professionals demonstrated easy adaptability of the task to the asynchronous nature of the educational process. Personal observations by the course instructor, summaries of student-conducted interviews, and student written feedback proved the responsiveness of the method to the learners’ needs and the potential of the approach in terms of motivation. The emphasis on self-directed learning, however, threatens the systematicity of the acquired language skills, as a more controlled teaching environment would not allow “skipping” any learning step. Additionally, TBT does not solve the problem of the voluminous teaching load.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elsa Mentz ◽  
Sukie van Zyl

This article reports on research that aims to enhance self-directed learning by introducing cooperative learning strategies. The two-fold aim of this research was firstly to determine whether the implementation of cooperative learning in a Computer Application Technology class of first-year students contributed to positive attitudes towards learning, and secondly, whether students’ attitudes towards learning, after completion of the cooperative learning intervention, related to their self-directedness. We conclude that the implementation of cooperative learning in a Computer Application Technology first-year class positively contributes to students’ attitudes towards learning and their attitudes towards learning related to their perceived self-directed learning (SDL) readiness.


Author(s):  
Gunārs Strods

<p>This article presents results of promotion of students self-direction in cooperative learning in teacher training. The purpose of the study was to work out and implement an cooperative learning model for promotion of student self-directed learning skills in teacher training in university, and explore the relationships between the cooperative learning process and self-directed learning development. Empirical data were collected through self-directed learning-eadiness tests (SDLRS/LPA) and interviews at the beginning and the end of the semester. The data of experiment group were compared with control group data, and 170 students were involved in the study. Results indicate that self-directed learning readiness improves through cooperative learning processes for students of all levels, while in traditional process below average and average level students’ readiness improves, and above average level students’ readiness expressions are limited and readiness for self-direction decreases.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-76
Author(s):  
P. Sinnayah ◽  
A. Salcedo ◽  
S. Rekhari

The amalgamation of educational technologies in higher education is widespread and has become essential for contemporary practice on a large scale. Foundational anatomy and physiology knowledge is integral to all courses in health education. To tackle the volume and complexity of the content taught at the foundation level, the incorporation of online tools embedded within curricula provides a unique opportunity to engage students through active learning strategies in a blended design (Means B, Toyama Y, Murphy R, Baki M. Teach Coll Rec 115: 1–47, 2013). This article reports on the use of H5P as a platform to foster self-paced and self-directed learning, critically outlining the developmental process involved in scaffolding activities to learning outcomes. The H5P activities were embedded within the online learning management system, which enabled tracking of student access to these resources. Students were asked to complete an online survey about their perspectives on the effectiveness of H5P activities. This work is part of a comprehensive study evaluating the blended design for delivery of first-year physiology subjects.


2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (8-9) ◽  
pp. 80-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Borzova

The quality of professional education depends on the effectiveness of educational technologies. The Flipped Classroom technology is being  successfully tested at the Russian Language Department of Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service within the “Russian Language and  Culture of Speech” course. The article analyzes the experience of teaching with the use of the Flipped Classroom technology; it discusses the  special features of teaching first-year students, and the principles for  organization of self-directed learning process. In flipped learning, self- directed learning is the dominating type of educational activity. Teachers  must prepare their students for self-directed learning in the Moodle electronic educational environment, they must motivate them to independently master  the theoretical material and to do the practical and controlling assignments  and tests. In mixed education, self-directed learning helps to intensify the  educational process; forms first-year students’ self-education skills; develops  such important personal qualities as independence, activity,  consciousness and responsibility. When organizing self-directed learning of students, special attention should be given to the development of practical assignments for testing and control. In teaching the “Russian Language and  Culture of Speech” course, the following interactive and electronic tasks are  used to form skills and abilities in a reproductive, reconstructive, and creative performance: essays, glossary, mutual reviews, business games, projects, etc. Active methods of control and an electronic survey at the end  of the course facilitate the optimization of the self-directed learning process. Considering the special features of mixed education of first-year students,  the author defines the main principles for organizing self-directed learning.  They are continuity and systematicity; regularity and rhythm; intensity and  optimality of workload; interactivity, individualization, feedback and control;  effectiveness of activity; development of self-educational skills and such personal qualities as independence, activity, consciousness and responsibility. 


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (06) ◽  
pp. 896-902
Author(s):  
Faiza Samad ◽  
Zeba Saeed ◽  
Zainab Hasan ◽  
Muhammad Faisal Fahim

Objectives: Evaluate perception and barriers of practice of Evidence basedMedicine of first and third year medical students of Jinnah Medical and Dental College Karachi.Study Design: Descriptive, cross sectional. Setting: Department of Medicine, Jinnah Medical andDental College Karachi. Period: Dec 2013 to Oct 2014. Subjects & Methods: Of 100 students,response rate was 71% in each year, first year males were n=20 (28.2%) females n=51 (71.8%)in third year males were n=17 (23. 9%) and females n=54 (76.1%). A student based medicineEBM curriculum was imparted to the first and third year medical students in each of 2 semestersof 18 and 16 weeks duration. A Questionnaire based on Likert scale comprising of 10 questionswas filled out at the end of the course of the first and third years during October 2014. Result:Response rate was 71%, on Likert scale 4 and 5 First year students interest in EBM Classeswas n=61(89.5%) as compared to n=36(50.8%) in third year students. Importance of stepsof EBM for practicing clinical medicine was appreciated by n=60(84.5%) of first year studentsversus 47(66.2 %) in third year students. EBM course helped in understanding importance ofarticles in practice of medicine articles in n=44(61.9%) of first year students as compared to39(54.9%) of third years. Barriers perceived were practice of EBM in the institution was lackingas reported by n=35(49.3%) of first year students and n=47(66.2%) in third year students, alonger duration of course was desired by n=41(57.8%) of first year students the respondentsagreed versus=35(49.3%) of third years, and the course was considered more theoretical thanpractical n=35(48.3. %)by first years and n=48(67.6%) by third year students, p values were notsignificant. Conclusion: More Pre-clinical as compared to clinical medical students recognizedEBM as an important component of undergraduate education. This positive attitude needs tobe nurtured for self-directed learning as is evident in their realization of articles being importantfor clinical practice. The declining interest is due to EBM not being an examination subject,lack of practice of EBM in the institution, and poor electronic resources and lack of vision of theinstitution to embed EBM in the curriculum in to sustain interest as students moved to higherlevels and will remain a barrier till senior faculty give way to innovations in the field of medicaleducation.


Author(s):  
R.W. Brennan ◽  
M. Eggermont ◽  
W. Rosehart ◽  
A.K. Deacon ◽  
N. Larson ◽  
...  

This paper reports on a pilot study of theassessment of CEAB (Canadian EngineeringAccreditation Board) graduate attribute 3.1.12 “life-longlearning” in a first year design course. We proposeequating life-long learning with self-directed learning,and use the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale(SDLRS) developed by Guglielmino. The results of oursurvey show our first year students’ readiness for selfdirectedlearning is very consistent with the adult averagereported by Guglielmino and that the SDLRS instrumentappears to be a good choice for the assessment of lifelonglearning.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meina Zhu ◽  
Curtis J. Bonk

This study investigates the design and delivery of MOOCs to facilitate student self-monitoring for self-directed learning (SDL) using mixed methods. The data sources of this study include an online survey with 198 complete respondents, semi-structured interviews with 22 MOOC instructors, and document analysis of 22 MOOCs. Study results indicated that MOOC instructors considered self-monitoring skills critical for SDL. To foster students’ self-monitoring, MOOC instructors reported that they facilitated students’ self-monitoring by helping students with internal feedback and providing external feedback. Students’ internal feedback includes cognitive and metacognitive processes. To facilitate cognitive processes, MOOC instructors provided quizzes, tutorials, learning strategies, learning aids, and progress bars. For metacognition, these instructors provided reflection questions and attempted to create learning communities. In addition, MOOC instructors, teaching assistants, and peers provided external feedback for students’ self-monitoring. Across these findings, technology played a central role in supporting student’s self-monitoring.


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