A survey of 139 faculty at a Canadian university concerning support for self-directed learning (SDL) found the majority did not support SDL. Among those who were fully supportive, instructional practices did not always exemplify their convictions. Implications for the ways in which SDL is conceptualized in the adult education literature and…

Examines the effectiveness of active learning implemented in two undergraduate programs at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Discusses student attitudes and the Study Process Questionnaire that measured student approaches to learning and reports that active learning helped in the development of independent learning skills and the ability to…

Provides an interactive model of faculty development which draws from research on adult education and staff development. Argues that in order to improve the quality of undergraduate education college administrators can no longer assume that faculty will learn their craft on their own; they must provide time, opportunity and support. Contains 1…

Describes a study that analyzed how students in three different Swedish university programs conceived of the meaning of problem-based learning and how they experienced their studies within a problem-based learning program. Discusses learning in context, social interaction, meta-cognitive reasoning and self-directed learning, and academic cultures.…

Reports on a classroom-based project exploring the learning experiences of 30 Japanese English-as-Second-Language (ESL) exchange students in an environment highlighting learner autonomy and the use of technology. Describes a model that was implemented in three multimedia lab classes of two content-based language courses in a sheltered immersion…

Four experiments tested the self-teaching hypothesis of word learning. Findings indicated that: (1) minimizing phonological processing significantly attenuated orthographic learning; (2) reduced orthographic learning was not attributable to alternative factors; and (3) contribution of pure visual exposure to orthographic learning is marginal. It…

Explores the problematic issues, deficits, and open questions that have received little attention in the discussion on self-controlled learning although they arise in both theory formation and research practice. Discusses perspectives for a further development of both theory and research practice and of the practice of self-directed learning in…

The Federation of Worker Writers and Community Publishers was set up in 1976 by a number of independent writing and publishing groups to support and develop the writing of working class and other marginalized people. Focusing on the development of individuals within a collective organization over the previous three decades provides important…

This article's main claim is that to support individuals' development toward becoming self-regulated learners requires certain amounts of other-regulation, i.e. scaffolding. Starting from this assertion, we discuss 6 issues that surfaced in the 5 articles of this special issue. First, we argue that designers need good reasons for taking freedom…

In this article we bring together experiences from two international research projects: the Kaleidoscope ERT research collaboration and the VO@NET project. We do this by using a shared framework identified for cross-case analyses within the Kaleidoscope ERT to analyse a particular case in the VO@NET project, a training course called "Green…

Using an academic library has always been a crucial part of studying in higher education, but this has presented problems for independent learners taking distance education courses. In the past, Open University (UKOU) students were provided with almost everything needed to successfully complete any course. Nowadays, growth in Internet use enables…

The introduction of seminars to university teaching marks the onset of a new teaching philosophy and practice in which writing is used to make students independent learners and researchers. Although the beginnings of writing pedagogy at American universities are well documented, little is known about its origins in Germany. The article tracks the…

Self-access centres (SACs) are playing an increasingly pivotal role in supporting the (self-) study of languages. Selecting suitable resources thus becomes more and more important. At the selection stage, identifying problems with available resources is not an easy task, and is made more difficult by a lack of published guidelines. Linked with…

This paper reports on teachers' perceptions of the educational affordances of a handheld application called Participatory Simulations. It presents evidence from five cases representing each of the populations who work with these computational tools. Evidence across multiple data sources yield similar results to previous research evaluations of…

The goal of this exploratory research study was to use the self-directed learning framework in a nonformal learning environment to determine how an underserved community would use technology. The factors that support self-directed learning in a nonformal learning environment were the ability to communicate, access information, and acquire…