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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 152 ( 2014 ) 272 – 277
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
1877-0428 © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the Organizing Committee of the ERPA Congress 2014.
doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.09.194
ScienceDirect
ERPA 2014
Students’ self-education: learning to learn across the lifespan
Rimma Sagitova
a
*
a
Kazan (Volga region) Federal University, Pushkina str. 1, Kazan 420008, Russia
Abstract
A successful learner in the modern society should be able to integrate knowledge from different sources, educate and self-educate
throughout the life in order to be competitive in an increasingly globalized labor market. To involve students in self-education
process and encourage their independence in learning we have developed an elective course for students “Learning to learn
across the lifespan”. It involves studying three modules: designing students’ individual educational route; designing European
Language Portfolio; developing students’ ability to work with different sources of information.
© 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the Organizing Committee of the ERPA Congress 2014.
Keywords:international integration; self-educational paradigm; learning to learn; an individual educational route; European Language Portfolio
1. Introduction
The major task of modern education is to actively involve students in self-education process and encourage their
independence in learning process. A successful learner in the modern society should be able to integrate knowledge
from different sources, educate and self-educate throughout the life in order to be competitive in an increasingly
globalized labor market.
Today we observe a shift from teacher-centered education to student-centered learning that actualizes the
necessity to develop students' ability to learn and self-educate. The term student-centered learning describes learning
situations in which learners are expected to take responsibility for identifying and agreeing objectives, planning and
implementing their own learning activities. We consider that student-centered learning is focused on each student's
interests, abilities, and learning styles; it allows them to actively participate in discovery learning processes from an
autonomous viewpoint. Weimer (2002) identifies learner-centered teaching as encompassing five changes to
practice: shifting the balance of classroom power from teacher to student; designing content as a means to building
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +79172864303; fax: 8(843)2922090.
E-mail address:sag-rimma@yandex.ru
© 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).
Peer
-review under responsibility of the Organizing Committee of the ERPA Congress 2014.
273
Rimma Sagitova / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 152 ( 2014 ) 272 – 277
knowledge rather than a 'knowledge end' in itself; positioning the teacher as facilitator and contributor, rather than
director and source of knowledge; shifting responsibility for learning from teacher to learner; and promoting
learning through effective assessment. Learner
-centered education is directly related to the concept of self-directed
learning which means that teachers meet the needs and aspirations of students at all levels, from elementary to post
-
graduate and throughout their lives, in developing their cognition, emotions, behaviors, life skills, and citizenship
qualities (Serdyukov and Hill, 2013).
The essence of self
-education is regarded from different perspectives. According to Moore (1984) self-education
is the extent to which in the teaching
-learning relationship, it is the learner rather than the teacher who determines
the goals, the learning procedures and resources, and the evaluation decisions of the learning program. Brockett and
Hiemstra (1991) consider that self
-directed learning activities cannot be divorced from the social context in which
they occur because the social context provides the arena in which the activity of self
-direction is played out. They
call for more attention to the way in which global and cross
-cultural factors frame this activity. Huey B.Long (1992)
in turn believes that successful, self
-directed learners can be described by two psychological attributes. The first,
personality traits, is associated with personality: self
-confidence, inner directed, achievement motivated. The second
psychological attribute Huey B.Long relates to cognition. Assuming the individual has a moderate allocation of the
identified personality attributes, at least six kinds of cognitive skills appear to be particularly important in successful
self
-directed learning. They are as follows: goal setting skills; processing skills; other cognitive skills; some
competence or aptitude in the topic or a closely related area; decision making skills; self
-awareness. Knowles (1975)
put forward three immediate reasons for self
-directed learning. First he argued that people who take the initiative in
learning (proactive learners) learn more things, and learn better, than do people who sit at the teachers’ feet
passively waiting to be taught (reactive learners). He underlined that they enter into learning more purposefully and
with greater motivation, tend to retain and make use of what they learn better and longer than do the reactive
learners. A second reason is that self
-directed learning is more in tune with natural processes of psychological
development. An essential aspect of maturing is developing the ability to take increasing responsibility for our own
lives
- to become increasingly self-directed. A third immediate reason is that many of the new developments in
education put a heavy responsibility on the learners to take a good deal of initiative in their own learning (Knowles,
1975).
Analysis of modern Russian pedagogical literature allowed us to identify several approaches to the concept of
self
-education:self-education in the context of lifelong learning theory; self-education in the theories and concepts of
personnel training and professional development; self
-education in sociological research; self-education in the context of
pedagogical and social psychology (Sagitova, 2010). Having analyzed different definitions of the term "self
-education"
in Russian and foreign pedagogical references and encyclopedias it can be summarized as a purposeful cognitive
activity, managed by the learner himself/herself and aimed at achieving certain personal and socially significant
educational goals.
2. Self
-education in the context of lifelong learning
We live in a global world where knowledge and work is changing so rapidly that people have to learn
continually. Self
-education is one of the most important conditions of lifelong learning and has become a real need
of each person.
The role of students’ self
-education has become stronger since the realization in the Russian higher educational
system the main provisions of the Bologna Process, which have led the transition from educational paradigm to self
-
educational paradigm. Today in the Russian system of higher education there is the process of establishing a multi-
level (three-cycle) system by the formula “bachelor-master-doctorate”. The Dublin Descriptors presented in 2003
and adopted in 2005 (the Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area), offer generic
statements of typical expectations of achievements and abilities associated with awards that represent the end of
each of a (Bologna) cycle or level. The descriptors are phrased in terms of competence levels enable to distinguish
in a broad and general manner between the different cycles. A level descriptor includes the following five
components: knowledge and understanding; applying knowledge and understanding; making judgments;
communication; lifelong learning skills. Thus in the last component
- lifelong learning skills we can see the
following differentiating between cycles (Bologna Working Group on Qualifications Frameworks, 2005):
Learning skills:
274 Rimma Sagitova / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 152 ( 2014 ) 272 – 277
1. (Bachelor) have developed those learning skills that are necessary for them to continue to undertake further
study with a high degree of autonomy.
2. (Master) have the learning skills to allow them to continue to study in a manner that may be largely self
-
directed or autonomous.
3. (Doctorate) expected to be able to promote, within academic and professional contexts, technological, social or
cultural advancement in a knowledge
-based society.
We can see that in programs of a bachelor degree there has to be a balance between special knowledge and
general skills with the emphasis on further studies with autonomy. In magistracy programs it is underlined that
students must have the learning skills that allow them to continue to study in a manner that may be largely self
-
directed or autonomous. And at a doctorate level students are expected to be able to promote, within academic and
professional contexts, technological, social or cultural advancement in a knowledge
-based society (Bologna
Working Group on Qualifications Frameworks, 2005).
3. The concept of the course learning to learn across the lifespan
We are keen to talk to students about the importance of becoming autonomous learners. But just telling students
that autonomy is in some way a good thing will have little effect unless it is a part of wider course design
– and
unless we find ways of helping students to become more independent (Harmer, 2007). One of the ways of helping
students to become more independent is an elective course called “Learning to learn across the lifespan” which we
have developed for the students of International Relations Department at Kazan Federal University.
The elective course includes studying three modules: designing students’ individual educational route; creating
European Language Portfolio; developing students’ ability to work with different sources of information. The main
aim of the elective course is to develop students’ ability to self
-educate and to learn across the lifespan. While
studying this course students have to learn to organize their self
-education, manage the effective ways and methods
of self
-education, design an individual educational route, create the European Language Portfolio and work with
different sources of information. The course includes 36 hours of teaching, consisting of 8 hours of lectures and 16
hours of practical classes, and 8 hours of individual tutorial.
The first module of the elective course is focused on the designing student’s individual educational route as one
of the forms of student’s self
-education. We are convinced that designing student’s individual educational route
promotes students to learn forms and methods of self
-education: students acquire the ability to design their
educational and self
-educational activity, properly manage their time, productively work with educational material
and monitor the results of work. We regard individual educational route as purposefully planned individual
educational program which provides students with the subject position of educational activity and promotes the
formation of their self
-education on the basis of psychological and pedagogical support (Sagitova, 2011). Designing
individual educational route includes several stages. At the first stage students get acquainted with a discipline and
its topics. At this stage, students present their trajectory in the form of a graph with the starting point of their level of
competence in this discipline. On the same graph students indicate the desired level which they want to achieve
while studying the discipline. This level should not be lower than the baseline of the discipline stipulated by the
program. At the next stage of designing individual educational route students consult their lecturer (tutor), make a
plan, choose the form of individual learning strategies, think over their final educational products and forms of
presentation, establish a system of monitoring and evaluation of their activities. Together with their lecturer (tutor)
they develop “Individual technological map of a discipline” (Appendix 1) which reflects individual educational
route designed for study of the discipline. At the third stage of designing individual educational route students carry
out individual tasks using different means, training materials, facilities of resource centers, laboratories, computer
classes and Internet. At this stage the role of a lecture (tutor) is particularly important. He/she helps students to
organize their activities, choose appropriate literature, techniques and methods of work, and also promotes the
development of their ability to self
-analysis and self-esteem. The last stage of designing individual educational route
includes summarizing of students’ work on the studied discipline. Students together with their lecturer (tutor)
analyze and evaluate their work, identify errors and omissions. At this stage, indicators of individual educational
route which has been designed at the beginning of the studied discipline are mapped with the actual indicators
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Rimma Sagitova / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 152 ( 2014 ) 272 – 277
obtained by students at the end of the course. Thus, we believe that individual educational route in terms of
international educational integration is one of the forms of students’ self
-education development which will help
them properly organize their lifelong learning.
As most of the students of International Relations Department have been studying two or more foreign languages
and have expressed their willingness to design language portfolio the second module of our elective course is
devoted to the European Language Portfolio. The European Language Portfolio is connected with the Common
European Framework (CEF, 2001) as a pedagogical language learning and reporting instrument. It allows students
to maintain a record of their language learning experience, both formal and informal. According to the Principles
and Guidelines accepted by the Educational Committee of the Council of Europe, the European Language Portfolio
is a tool to promote learner autonomy (Council of Europe, 2006). We are convinced that language portfolio offers
new possibilities for supporting self-directed language learning by providing tools for evaluating the learning
processes and outcomes. While studying this module students are introduced with the structure of the European
Language Portfolio which consists of three parts: the language passport, the language biography and the dossier. The
Language Passport section provides an overview of students’ proficiency in different languages at a given point of
time, evaluated according to the skills and the levels of proficiency in the Common European Framework. Here
students record formal qualifications, language competences and significant language and intercultural experiences.
This part of language portfolio includes information on partial and specific competence (e.g. spoken language skills,
or specific content areas). The Language Biography facilitates the students’ involvement in planning, reflecting
upon and assessing their learning process and progress. It encourages learners to state what they can do in each
language and to include information on linguistic and cultural experiences gained in and outside formal educational
contexts. It is also organized to promote plurilingualism, i.e. the development of an underlying unified competence
in a number of languages. Here we include a list of assessment of language skills in relation to global descriptors
(Appendix 2) for self-assessment, teacher assessment. The Dossier offers students the opportunity to select materials
to document and illustrate achievements or experiences recorded in the Language Passport or Biography. In this part
students are invited to select samples of their own work to show growth and learning over time. Each selected work
is usually accompanied by a brief commentary and analysis, identifying its positive and negative sides. We believe
that language portfolio will help students to manage their own learning, to support learning how to learn, and thus to
foster the development of lifelong learning skills.
The third module of the elective course includes techniques of working with different sources of information
which will help students to develop more independence and become more effective learners. Today, there is an open
access to many educational websites where students can find the best audio and video materials for their education
and self
-education. Modern students have an opportunity to listen to lectures of the best university scientists all over
the world, which certainly promotes effective development of their self
-education. Successful students should
possess modern methods and techniques of searching, collecting, information processing; students should be able to
use reference materials of different types (dictionaries, encyclopedias), catalogs in libraries and compile
bibliographic records and lists. That’s why the main task of this module is to equip students with different self
-
education techniques on working with educational information, IT technologies and multimedia resources.
4. Conclusion
At the end of the elective course students should be able to demonstrate self
-education skills and abilities which
can be formed into three basic groups:
1. The first group consists of skills and abilities of independent learning activityorganization: ability to identify
educational needs, define appropriate tasks according to self
-education activities and draw up a program (plan) of
self
-education; rationally organize education and self-education activities, manage time and place; choose the
appropriate learning materials, methods and techniques of self
-education; carry out self-control and self-esteem.
2. The second group contains skills and abilities of getting information from different sources: ability to search,
analyze, select, organize, process information; use reference materials of different types, catalogs in libraries,
compile bibliographic records and lists; read professional terms.
276 Rimma Sagitova / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 152 ( 2014 ) 272 – 277
3. The third group includes skills and abilities related with cognitive activity: ability todefine logical,
chronological sequence of facts; reproduce information, make comparison, analysis, synthesis, summarizing, and
classification
; carry out interdisciplinary communication and systematize them; integrate knowledge.
We believe that this elective course will effectively prepare students for further self-education and lifelong
learning and help them be competitive in an increasingly globalized labor market.
Appendix A.
Individual technological map of a discipline
Student’s name __________________________________________________________________________
Department _____________________________________________________________________________
Course _________________________________________________________________________________
*URXSʋ_______________________________________________________________________________
Name of Course (Discipline) _______________________________________________________________
Level of Education (Bachelor, Master) _______________________________________________________
Numberofcredits________________________________________________________________________
Compulsory modules Forms of work
Dates of studying a
module
Independent
work
Control / Self
-
control
Module 1 “Theme”
Theme 1 “Title”
Theme 2 “Title”
Theme 3 “Title”
Group work/Team work (project)
Report presentation development
Press review
Compilation of test questions
Individual homework
Written work (classroom)
Testing
Individual consultation time:
Lecturer’s e
-mail:
Additional modules Forms of work
Dates of studying a
module
Independent
work
Control / Self
-
control
Module 1
Theme 1 “Title”
Theme 2 “Title”
Theme
3 “Title
”
Group work (project)
Report presentation development
Press review
Compilation of test questions
Individual homework
Written work (classroom)
Testing
Individual consultation time:
Lecturer’s e
-mail:
Conclusion about the effectiveness of student development of individual educational route:
Progress _______________________________________________________________________________
_
Failures and problems _____________________________________________________________________
Causes of problems _______________________________________________________________________
Recommendations for adjustments of individual educational route: __________________________________
Lecturer’s name: _________________________________________________________________________
Approved at the department meeting // date// month//year //
Department chair ________________________
277
Rimma Sagitova / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 152 ( 2014 ) 272 – 277
Appendix B. Assessment of language skills in relation to global descriptors
A1
(Breakthrough)
A2
(Waystage)
B1
(Threshold)
B2
(Vantage)
ɋ
(EffectiveOperational
Proficiency
)
With
a lot
of
help
With
a
little
help
With
no
help
With
a lot
of
help
With
a
little
help
With
no
help
With
a lot
of
help
With
a
little
help
With
no
help
With
a lot
of
help
With
a
little
help
With
no
help
With
a lot
of
help
With
a
little
help
With
no
help
2013– 2014(Self Assessment)
Listening
Reading
Spoken
interaction
Spoken
Production
Writing
2013-2014 (Teacher’s Assessment)
Listening
Reading
Spoken
interaction
Spoken
production
Writing
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