Self-directed e-learners and their social relations

The Open University's Institute for Educational Technology

Self-directed e-learnersand their social relations

Perry Williams


Self-directed learners:the next generation?

Anticipated since at least Knowles 1970!

for reasons of educational effectiveness, psychological and political maturity, economic preparedness

Enabled by technology?

A world of learning from which to choose

Creating a paradox for learning design

The “tension between personally meaningful interaction and guidance by a structured curriculum” (Carroll 1990)

How are our efforts to encourage and enable self-directede-learning actually experienced by learners?


Discourse analysis and e-learning

Theoretical alignment of this research

social, situated, discourse analytical (rather than individualist, rationalist, cognitive)

Discourse analytical approach means here:

NOT use of conversation model (Laurillard, Pask)

NOT focus on collaborative learning or ALNs

treating talk as accomplishing social actions,co-constructing meaning, negotiating relations

treating technology as mediator of human discourse and relations


Who or what does the e-learnerexperience?

Interface IT system Content Agency Socialstructures

Controls


Investigating learners’ experience ofe-learning

Criteria for data collection method

Situated (not abstract)

Sequential (not synoptic)

Authentic (not artificial)

Method – ethnographic, “observation plus”

Audio-recording of “think-aloud”, reconstructions, reflections

Observational notes of screen content and action

Interviews


Case studies

Pilot study

Software courses (postgraduate students)

Higher education (The Open University)

Study skills resources (first-time students)

Postgraduate course on educational technology(e-learning professionals)

Workplaces (two large public sector organisations)

People management courses

Health and safety management course


Construction of a subject:“What do ‘they’ want?”

“It wants me to put the cursor in there”

“This little guy’s telling me to go on”

“Right, I’m going to do exactly what they say”

“Is that what they want me to do?”

(Who is “they”?)


Negotiation

“What should I be doing this week”

“Where am I supposed to be”

“No, I don’t follow what [my tutor] says, but it’s good

to know; you do need that sort of sense where you

should be.”



Resistance

If you actually do it wrong, it doesn’t give you an optionsaying, “oh you did it wrong, do you want to know how youshould have done it.”

It’s like: “this is how you should have done it.” “No!” (Laugh.)

So I’m really conscious of the fact now if I (laughing) makea mistake it’s just going to: “Ochhhh! This is how youshould have done it.” “No, no, no, no! I want another go!”

You learn by your mistakes. (Laugh) Stupid thing! And, andhis voice is very annoying! (Laughs) (Whispering) Sorry!


Trust - losing it

“This is now really not worth my while now. Because I’m,

I’m thinking that this facility is just not that useful for me to

spending this much sodding time on it. You know, this is

something I could do in my free time, now and I can piss

about when I’ve got free time. But I’m in work, and I don’t.

I’ve got better things to do, is what I’m feeling.”



Trust - gaining it (1)

Although I’ve got through the first two weeks, I’ll just have aquick look at this tip to see how what I’ve achieved fits inwith these ideas.

(5 secs silence)

Right.

(4 secs silence)

That’s right. The course study guide book was very useful.



Ah. The First Class conference. I’ve been through to FirstClass conference, um, and read about it, and received anymessages that were already there. Er. What I have to dowith that now is, to learn how to, um, converse with otherstudents, through the, um, First Class conference facilities.

Right. Yeah. I’m working on a diary. Yeah. Yeah. Certainlymy family know what I’m up to and, er, they’re trying tokeep out of my way!

(4 secs silence)



Yeah-um. Probably I have asked too much of myself in theinitial two weeks, but now I’ve sort of got into a, a regularroutine. Er, I don’t think I’ll bother with the electronicplanner. Um, I’d rather do it manually.

(He clicks on the sidebar title ‘Keeping your momentumgoing’.)

Keeping your momentum going. Yeah, I would agree withthat sentiment. Planning is one thing, getting going isanother. Um.

These hints and tips look very useful. Yeah.


Conclusion

We are in a social relationship with our learners

They have their construction of “us”

With which they negotiate their actions

Push them too hard, and they will resist

We may lose their trust

… but we can also gain it.


Perry Williams

[email protected]

http://iet.open.ac.uk/pp/perry.williams/

Documents

Self-directed e-learners and their social relations