INDEPENDENT LEARNING IN YOUR CLASSROOM
Jo Mynard & Robin Sorflaten, Learning Enhancement Center Coordinators, Zayed University, UAE
'I have finished the first question, Miss. Can you check it?'
'Do you want me to underline the date?'
'Why did I fail? I learned all the words off by heart.'
'Tell me what I have to memorize for the test.'
'Why didn't I get an A, don't you like me?'
'Why did you fail me?'
Teachers may be familiar with questions like the ones above from their students. Learners
who frequently ask such questions are often extremely dependent on their teachers and
expect constant instructions, feedback and reassurance from them. Educators working with
such students may wish to change this pattern and learn more about helping students to
think more for themselves and to be more self-reliant. This article examines ways in which
teachers can build learner training into regular classroom practice in order to develop learner
independence in their students.
What is learner independence?
Learner independence is also known by a number of other terms: learner autonomy,
independent learning, lifelong learning, learning to learn, thinking skills (Sinclair, 2001). All
these terms refer to a concept where learners are involved in their own learning process. By
being involved in this process, they start to make meaningful connections with the world
outside the classroom. Instead of relying on the teacher to do the thinking for them, they
take responsibility for thinking and learning themselves. Learning then becomes more than
the rote memorization of a series of facts and continues even after the learner has completed
full time education.
One accepted understanding of learner independence is that it ranges across a continuum
(Figure 1). At one end there are dependent learners who have had little opportunity to
develop independent learning skills, and at the other end of the continuum there are learners
who are self-directed, self-motivated and capable of learning without a teacher. Good
learners will move gradually along the continuum with the help of peers, parents, teachers
and appropriate learning experiences.
Figure 1 - The Learner Independence Continuum
Dependent Learners ________________________Independent Learners
Figure 2 below has been compiled from a number of sources (Holec, 1981; Little, 1991;
Dickinson, 1987; Broady & Kenning, 1996; Oxford, 1990; Barnett, 1993) and shows some of
the characteristics of dependent learners and independent learners. Most learners would be
somewhere in between the two extremes.
Figure 2 - characteristics of dependent and independent learners
Dependent learners
Independent learners
rely heavily on the teacher
are self-reliant
cannot make decisions about their learning
can make informed decisions about their
learning
do not know their own strengths and weaknesses
are aware of their strengths and
weaknesses
do not connect classroom learning with the real
world
connect classroom learning with the real
world
think that the teacher is wholly responsible for
their learning
take responsibility for their own learning·
know about different strategies for
learning
do not know the best way to learn something
plan their learning and set goals
do not set learning goals· will only work when
extrinsic motivators such as grades or rewards
are offered
are intrinsically motivated by making
progress in learning
do not reflect on how well they are learning and
the reasons
often reflect on the learning process and
their own progress
People often assume that independent learning means that a student needs to work
alone. Working alone does not automatically develop independent learning skills in students,
equally importantly, independent learning can also take place in the classroom. (Broady &
Kenning, 1996).
Why do teachers need to promote independent learning?
Most teachers would agree that independent learners are much more likely to succeed with
their studies than those students who are heavily dependent on the teacher. If students are
to achieve maximum success and cope with a world which is ever changing, They need
assistance in acquiring skills which will help them to be more independent.
How can teachers promote independent learning in classrooms?
There are a number of ways that learner training can be weaved into regular classroom
activities in order to promote more independence in learners and to help them along the
continuum described in Figure 1. This section will discuss ten ways in which teachers can
assist with this process and promote lifelong learning skills.
1. Give choices
Giving students regular opportunities to make choices will encourage them to reflect on their
own interests and preferences. It will also make them start to take responsibility for
learning. Examples of choices could be 'Choose activity A or B for homework' or 'Choose
someone to work with' or 'Answer 3 out of the 5 questions' or 'Choose one of these two essay
topics.' The teacher could take the opportunity to reflect with the students on why the
choices are there and why students made certain choices.
2. Encourage group work
Group work is beneficial in that it provides learners with an opportunity to learn from each
other in an active, involved way. In addition, it temporarily takes the control away from the
teacher and gives it to the learners-- thus encouraging independence.
3. Encourage learners to predict how well they did on tests
Before teachers return a test paper to their students, they could encourage the students to
consider how well they did. One example could be to give a blank copy of the test paper to
students to review in groups. This will start them reflecting about their strengths and
weaknesses and the progress they are making. The reflective aspects of this process could
help the students make an appropriate learning plan. It will also help learners see that they
are responsible for their learning.
4. Set some learning goals
The students may have never had the opportunity to set learning goals. Initially setting
learning goals will require a lot of help from teachers but it is a worthwhile exercise which
encourages students to reflect and self-evaluate. The learning goals should be visited
regularly and re-assessed. An example of a learning goal chart is given in Appendix i.
5. Use authentic texts
Authentic texts are materials which were not originally designed for learning purposes. They
might include newspaper or magazine articles, TV, radio recordings and so on. These
materials can be motivating as they connect the classroom with the outside world and make
the students see that learning does not take place only in the classroom. Teachers can
encourage students to bring in their own authentic texts to contribute to classroom activities
in order to make them more meaningful.
6. Involve learners in lesson planning
Teachers could invite their students to help plan the lesson from time to time. This will ensure
that the lesson is interesting and relevant for them. In addition, it involves the students in
the learning process gives them the opportunity to reflect on their needs.
7. Encourage learners to keep learner diaries
These diaries can form a dialogue between the teacher and the learners which is mutually
beneficial. It is an opportunity for teachers to see which areas students find interesting and
where they might be having problems, and also it is a vehicle for students to reflect and write
(or draw) honest comments about their learning. The diaries can be semi-guided initially but
gradual ownership will give learners a sense of responsibility (Dam, 2002).
8. Build reflection and extension into activities
Traditional classroom activities often require students to examine a text in order to answer
factual, closed questions. The following text is taken from Little Women:
Chapter 4
Visit to Laurie
One afternoon Jo came back early from Aunt March because it had been snowing heavily. She
did not feel like sitting by the fire, so she took a brush and began to make a path through the
snow so that Beth could walk through the garden. She watched old Mr. Laurence drive away
from the house next door; and then, as she was brushing away the snow near the wall which
separated the two houses, she saw an unhappy-looking Laurie through one of the windows.
"Poor Laurie," thought Jo, "he`s all alone. He needs a lot of friends to make him happy."
(Taken from Longman Classics, Grade 4: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott)
The passage yields itself to both closed and open questions. An example of a closed question
would be 'Why did Jo leave Aunt March`s house early?' and the answer would be 'because of
the snow'. Such a question establishes a basic understanding of the text but does little to
promote independent thought. Open questions are generally more thought-provoking metaquestions. An open ended question from the same text could be 'What kind of person is
Jo. Support your answer with some examples.' This question could be answered
collaboratively in pairs or groups and a discussion could ensue. A possible answer could be 'Jo was a caring person who liked to keep herself busy. We know she was caring because she
was worried about Laurie being unhappy. We know she was an active person because didn't
feel like sitting by the fire and decided to sweep snow instead.'. Such a question might
inspire some students to read the whole story or to apply this kind of thought when reading
other texts.
9. Encourage self and peer editing
Before students hand in their work for marking, teachers could encourage them to check it
carefully with a friend. Teachers could help them to make an editing checklist which
encourages students to check for errors that they frequently make. Appendix ii is an example
of an editing checklist.
10. Create a self-access facility in the classroom
A self-access facility can be as simple as a cupboard or shelf containing activities that
students can do on their own in order to give them extra practice or extension to what they
do in class (Baba, 2001). Materials could include: magazine articles with questions and
answers; puzzles; quizzes; graded readers and so on. Students could even be encouraged
to bring in and or produce materials for the self-access facility. Self-access materials have the
advantage of allowing the learners to work at their own pace on an activity targeted to their
needs which is not always possible in a regular classroom. If students finish their class work
early or want to work on something during their free time, they can choose something from
the self-access facility. As learners become more self-aware they will recognize that they
need extra practice in certain areas and this facility will make sure that teachers assist them
with finding appropriate activities.
Conclusions
This article has attempted to emphasize the importance of developing learners' independence
and has highlighted ten ways in which a teacher can incorporate learner training into a
regular classroom. Developing independent learning abilities is not about letting students
work alone, it is about assisting students to develop skills which will help them to become
good learners; to take responsibility for learning and to be able to apply these skills to any
new learning situation. The road towards independence is often a long and rocky one and
learners need considerable support. Teachers should not to try to achieve too much too soon
and should not be too hard on themselves if they don't see an immediate change in their
students.
References
Baba, H. 2001. Self-access on a Shoestring. Presentation at TESOL Arabia Abu Dhabi Branch
Conference, Abu Dhabi Model School, United Arab Emirates.
Barnett, L. 1993. Teacher off: computer technology, guidance and self-access. System. (21) 3
pp295-304.
Broady, E., & Kenning, M. 1996. Learner autonomy: an introduction to the issues. In
Promoting learner autonomy in university language teaching. The Association for French
language Studies (AFSC) with the Center for Information in Language Teaching Research.
London: Middlesex University Printing.
Dam, L. (2002). Workshop given at the annual IATEFL conference, York, UK.
Dickinson, L. 1987 Self-instruction in language learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
Holec, H. 1981. Autonomy and foreign language learning. Oxford: Pergamon.
Little, D. 1991. Learner autonomy 1: definition, issues and problems. Dublin: Authentik.
Oxford, R. 1991. Language learning strategies: what every teacher should know. New York:
Newbury House.
Sinclair, B. 2001. What do we mean by learner independence? & Wrestling with a jelly: the
evaluation of learner autonomy. Workshops given at the Higher Colleges of Technology,
United Arab Emirates.
Appendix i - Independent Learning in Your Classroom, Jo Mynard & Robin Sorflaten 2002
Setting Learning Goals
Think about what you need to improve and complete this chart with your teacher.
What do I need
to improve?
My vocabulary
How will I do this?
How and when will I follow this up?
I will read one Graded
Next month I will talk to my teacher about
Reader each week at home
how much I have done and which things
I will read one newspaper
helped me.
article every day
I will keep a vocabulary
notebook when I read
I will ask my friend to give
me quizzes
OTHER
-
-
OTHER
-
-
Appendix ii - Independent Learning in Your Classroom, Jo Mynard & Robin Sorflaten 2002
Editing checklist
Have you finished your work? Are you sure?
This checklist will make sure that you are handing your best work into the teacher.
ITEM
Y/N
1. Did you check your spelling carefully?Use a dictionary for words you are not sure
Y/N
about.
2. Did you use a capital letter at the beginning of each sentence?
Y/N
3. Did you put a full stop at the end of each sentence?
Y/N
4. Are you sentences clear and easy to read? Perhaps you need to make them
shorter and less complex.
Y/N
5. Do you have the heading, date and your name on the paper?
Y/N
6. Is your handwriting neat? Perhaps you should re-write it.
Y/N
7. Did you answer the questions fully?
Y/N
8. Did you use your own words? If you copied something, re-write it your own way. Y/N
9. Did you finish everything you were asked to do?
Y/N
10. Is your work organized? Make sure that your teacher will be able to correct your
Y/N
work easily.
11. What other mistakes to do you often make? Write one here: