Tag Archives: Independent Learning

‘SmartSkills’ and ‘Protonomy’: scaffolding the start of a transition to learner autonomy in a blended learning environment by encouraging Independent Learning and pro-active autonomy

University of Southampton SmartSkillsThis month’s blogpost is from Vanessa Mar-Molinero, Senior Teaching Fellow / Independent Learning Co-ordinator, and Chris Lewis, Teaching Fellow / Independent Learning Deputy Coordinator, in the Department of Modern Languages:

The importance of the role of independent learning with its emphasis on student-centredness has been recognised as an integral part of higher education programmes. However, many students, both home and international, struggle with the transition to learner autonomy. In Modern Languages at the University of Southampton, we have developed a range of scaffolded courses with compulsory and non-compulsory elements designed to support this transition and equip different cohorts of students with skills, strategies, techniques and tools, or ‘SmartSkills’, that are vital for success in not only their language learning, but also for their academic achievement and professional skills. The courses are scaffolded through a blended / flipped learning environment whereby students use vidcasts, podcasts and interactive quizzes to achieve learning objectives before attending workshops with an Independent Learning Facilitator.

Our research focuses on data collected from a case study of the pedagogical development of ‘SmartSkills’ Independent Learning blended learning modules for international students. The approach is largely a qualitative one, supported with some quantitative data. We aim to show how the conceptual framework of scaffolding transition to more autonomous learning using different methods, including digital literacies, contributes to the transition for international students into a learning environment emphasising development of learner autonomy in a UK university.

We explore the concepts of autonomy, defined by Race (2002) as a process in which a student is equipped with the tools, techniques and strategies which over time empower an individual to learn for themselves (see also Broad, 2006). The module that has been designed to help with this transition uses Vygotsky’s concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and the pedagogical concept of scaffolding the learning process. We refer to the ZPD as the space in which are students find themselves when we facilitate blended learning workshops where they engage with SmartSkills to develop their learner autonomy.

Data was collected from c.600 students during the Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programme held over eleven weeks. It included reflective student blogs, open interviews and feedback questionnaires involving students and staff, statistical data of attendance at non-compulsory elements of the module and final grades attained by students. In this ongoing study, we are examining the attitudes and changes in learning over the eleven weeks and the progress of our students. This is arrived at by comparing language level assessments in the students’ first week; data collected during the programme, and the students’ grades in their final assessments.

Findings are currently restricted to this early data collection but look exciting. For example, we have begun to see a significant statistical correlation between the students in the Zone of Proximal Development who first chose to attend non-compulsory elements of the course and then continued to do so. Their grades and learning in general indicate a greater improvement than those students who did not attend the non-compulsory elements. We refer to this as the process of ‘protonomy’ or ‘pro-active autonomy’, as the student begins to recognise the importance of autonomy in this particular form of learning, and applies skills, tools, techniques and strategies to meet the expectations of the programme.

In carrying out this research and discussing our preliminary findings we hope to contribute to the wider area of research into the impact on international students’ integration into UK Higher Education through learner autonomy and independent learning.

Posted in Uncategorized