Abstract
The research question for this study was: ‘Can the provision of online resources help to engage and motivate students to become self-directed learners?’ This study presents the results of an action research project to answer this question for a postgraduate module at a research-intensive university in the United Kingdom. The analysis of results from the study was conducted dividing the students according to their programme degree – Masters or PhD – and according to their language skills. The study indicated that the online resources embedded in the module were consistently used, and that the measures put in place to support self-directed learning (SDL) were both perceived and valued by the students, irrespective of their programme or native language. Nevertheless, a difference was observed in how students viewed SDL: doctoral students seemed to prefer the approach and were more receptive to it than students pursuing their Masters degree. Some students reported that the SDL activity helped them to achieve more independence than did traditional approaches to teaching. Students who engaged with the online resources were rewarded with higher marks and claimed that they were all the more motivated within the module. Despite the different learning experiences of the diverse cohort, the study found that the blended nature of the course and its resources in support of SDL created a learning environment which positively affected student learning. Keywords: self-directed learning; online resources; postgraduate teaching; higher education; prior knowledge (Published: 17 March 2016 Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2016, 24 : 29366 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v24.29366 Supplementary files : To access the supplementary material to this article, please see Supplementary files under ‘Article Tools‘.
Highlights
Postgraduate cohorts are diversifying as a result of changes in the UK higher education, shifting priorities of universities and changing training requirements of students
There is a clear link between selfdirected learning (SDL) and scientific teaching, as to succeed in science, students must engage in learning
This study analysed whether the provision of online resources could help to engage and motivate students to become self-directed learners
Summary
Postgraduate cohorts are diversifying as a result of changes in the UK higher education, shifting priorities of universities and changing training requirements of students. The proposal explored here is that students will benefit more from, and engage more deeply with, their training if they are supported in the acquisition of any required prior knowledge for the modules. There is a clear link between SDL and scientific teaching, as to succeed in science, students must engage in learning. They must identify their goals, the strategies to be employed and the methods to be used, and must be able to evaluate their decisions and outcomes. The module received students from other three Masters programmes, the PG-level MSc and MRes programmes in Post-genomic Sciences (PGS) and the Integrated Masters (IntMaster). Further student diversity resulted from the enrolment in the module of both native British and international students, some English native speakers (ENS), others speaking English as second language (ESL)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
