A Self-Access Center’s Response to COVID-19: Maintaining Stability, Connectivity, Well-being, and Development During a Time of Great Change

Huw Davies,Yuri Imamura,Phillip A Bennett,Rob Stevenson,Rumi Terao,Curtis Edlin,Satoko Watkins,Dominique Vola Ambinintsoa,Isra Wongsarnpigoon

doi:10.37237/110304

Huw Davies, Yuri Imamura + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.37237/110304

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Abstract

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic created disruption in many of the institutions we regularly rely on, including universities. While disruption may often bring with it a myriad of possible pitfalls, it affords potential opportunities for change and development by reflecting on and modifying practices. In this article, a group of learning advisors and administrators from a self-access center at an international university in Japan reflect on the ruptures we experienced as a result of changes due to unexpectedly working remotely and our attempts to find stability, the pitfalls we sought to avoid, and the opportunities that we found amidst the disruption. Specifically, we illustrate our experiences related to student-led learning communities, self-access curricula, and learning advising, considering the effect on students and advisors alike. We advocate that self-access practitioners actively promote the use of language, encourage the development of communities of learners who focus on their interests, offer full online services even when the center is open, and use the same effective practices whether supporting learners online or offline. Our intention is that this article will help others to support stability, connectivity, and positive development in their own contexts.

Highlights

This paper contains reflections written by a group of eight learning advisors (LAs) and one administrator on practices at a self-access learning center (SALC) in a mid-sized university in the Greater Tokyo area of Japan
Two areas of the SALC curriculum we focus on are an elective class for upperclassmen which requires students to reflect on the use of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) of their choice and the self-directed learning modules, which are open to all members of the university
Defined as “the process of helping someone to become an effective, aware, and reflective language learner” (Kato & Mynard, 2015, p. 1), advising promotes well-being by fostering personal development and supports language learning by promoting learner autonomy (SALC, 2020)

Summary

Introduction

This paper contains reflections written by a group of eight learning advisors (LAs) and one administrator on practices at a self-access learning center (SALC) in a mid-sized university in the Greater Tokyo area of Japan. We focus on three of the services offered when the SALC was moved online, namely student-led learning communities (LCs), modules and elective classes, and the booked advising service. Two areas of the SALC curriculum we focus on are an elective class for upperclassmen which requires students to reflect on the use of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) of their choice (see Edlin, 2018; Stevenson & Davies, 2019) and the self-directed learning modules, which are open to all members of the university (see Curry et al, 2017; Morrison, 2011).

Results

Conclusion