Roles of Teachers in Online Autonomous Learning Based

Roles of Teachers in On-line Autonomous Learning Based on Learner’s Expectation By Sheng Min & Che Yu

Abstract l Abstract: On-line autonomous learning of College English is l Key words: on-line English teaching one of the important reforms in colleges recently. This paper aims to explore the changes of teachers’ role in the new on-line setting. The author first reviews theoretical study of learner autonomy, then makes a practical investigation into the attitude and expectation learners have on teachers through a selfdesigned questionnaire, and explores that teachers should make an adjustment to their role orientation and changes their roles into motivators, evaluators and resources suppliers in the new on-line setting. role orientation of teachers expectation analysis

Contents l l l 1. Introduction 2. Literature Review 3. Research Method 4. Result and Discussion 5. Conclusion

1. Introduction “A new teaching mode which is backed up by on-line techniques should be established, with the purpose of building learner's individuality and autonomy……. ” ---Requirements for College English Courses (Probationary Version) by National Educational Bureau in 2004 180 universities nationwide (including swufe) has been choosed to try out the College English on-line Teaching System since Sep, 2004.

2. Literature Review Autonomous language learner are those who initiate the planning and implementation of their language program. （Gardner & Miller，1990: 6） However, l “the fully autonomous learner is an ideal, rather than a reality” （Nunan，1997: 193). l Learner Autonomy originates from western countries, associated with individualism; Asian collectivism has developed dependence between teachers and learners （Littlewood 1999： 72）.

3. Research Method l l 3. 1 Object: 　 430 students in Southwest University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, Sichuan. 3. 2 Method: 5 -point Likert-type scale questionnaire analysis Learner’s attitude; Learner’s autonomous learning ability; Learner’s expectation on teachers; 　　　　　　 Learner’s expectation on teachers’ assistance.

3. Research Method l 3. 3 Data collection and data analysis ： 　 430 questionnaires have been send out, with 412 collected and 408 being valid. 　 　 Percentile and weighted Mean are used for illustration.

4. Result and Discussion l 4. 1 Learner’s attitude toward autonomous learning; l 4. 2 learner’s autonomous learning ability; l 4. 3 learner’s expectation on teachers; l 4. 4 learner’s expectation on teachers’ assistance.

4. 1 Learner’s attitude toward autonomous learning Questions Weighted Mean A% B% C% D% E% 1. I like the traditional teaching method which is popular in high school. 2. 46 6. 7 18. 7 36. 9 28. 7 9. 0 2. I hope teachers could direct and supervise my study. 2. 25 5. 4 24. 4 27. 2 34. 1 9. 0 4. I think teachers should be focus of the class. 2. 73 4. 4 16. 7 34. 9 39. 5 4. 6 8. I think on-line autonomous learning is of openness and creativity. 3. 80 17. 2 54. 4 21. 5 4. 9 2. 1 11. I think on-line autonomous learning is recommendatory. 3. 68 16. 2 48. 7 23. 8 9. 2 2. 1 13. I feel relaxed in on-line autonomous learning. 3. 31 7. 7 11. 5 3. 3 33. 8 43. 6

4. 1 Learner’s attitude toward autonomous learning l Summary: Object traditional teaching method; Recognize on-line autonomous learning;

4. 2 Learner’s Autonomous Learning Ability Questions Weighted Mean A% B% C% D% E% 24. I make a plan of studying English and frequently check it to 3. 04 4. 9 29. 5 33. 6 28. 7 3. 3 25. I can constrain myself to keep up with the self-study plan. 3. 03 4. 9 29. 2 35. 6 26. 4 3. 8 26. I can preview and review the lessons learned from the selfaccess center regularly. 2. 96 3. 6 24. 6 28. 2 3. 6 27. I’m aware of my strength and weakness in my self-study of English. 3. 33 5. 6 41. 5 34. 9 16. 7 1. 3 see if I keep up with the plan. 40.

24. I usually make a study plan and frequently check it to see whether I keep up with the plan.

4. 2 Learner’s Autonomous Learning Ability l Summary: l Western learners and Asian learners will behave differently in autonomous learning setting (Littlewood 1999): l Western learners will make their own study plans and manage their time independently, they are of Proactive Autonomy; l while Asian learners intend to study according to the plan stipulated by teachers, they are of Reactive Autonomy.

4. 3 Learner’s Expectation on Teachers Questions Weighte d Mean A% B% C% D% E% 21. teacher’s assistance give a great impact to my autonomous learning. 3. 26 5. 9 32. 3 44. 4 16. 4 1. 0 23. teacher’s concern and encouragement acts as motivation for my autonomous study. 3. 36 9. 0 35. 6 40. 0 13. 3 2. 1 28. I hope teachers could give us a study plan in detail. 3. 39 11. 8 38. 2 30. 8 15. 6 3. 6

Histograms of question 21, 23 and 28

4. 3 Learner’s Expectation on Teachers l l Summary: Learners ideas towards teachers’ roles conflict. l Inspirations: l Teacher shouldn’t babysitter the learners, nor release the management and direction. l Teachers should offer distinctive assistance to different learners.

4. 4 Learners’ Expectation on Teachers Assistance Questions Weighted Mean A% B% C% D% E% 29. I hope teachers could give us lectures on how to carry through autonomous learning. 3. 88 21. 0 51. 3 23. 1 4. 1 0. 5 30. I hope teachers could give us instructions of learning strategies. 4. 10 27. 9 57. 2 12. 10 0. 8 31. I hope teachers could understand our needs and create learning activities. 4. 19 34. 4 52. 3 11. 0 1. 3 1. 0 32. I hope teachers could provide different kinds of learning materials, especially materials about cultural background, social events and latest news. 4. 41 50. 3 42. 1 6. 4 1. 0 0. 3 33. I hope teachers could pay attention to my autonomous study as well as my life and give me suggestions. 3. 97 27. 2 43. 8 24. 4 2. 8 1. 8

4. 4 Learners’ Expectation on Teachers Assistance l Summary: Learners hope teachers could provide learning strategies, learning materials, technological and emotional support to direct their on-line autonomous learning.

5．Conclusion Teacher Motivator Evaluator Resources Supplier

Motivator l Due to learners Reactive autonomy, teachers should: l prescribe the learning plan and direction for the learners; arise learners’ learning autonomy; maintain learners’ motivation; provide technological and emotional support. l l l

Evaluator Evaluation self evaluation supervise self evaluation teachers’ evaluation make evaluation peer evaluation encourage peer evaluation

Resources supplier provide selected resources supplier provide learning strategies

5. Conclusion l On one hand, English learners are dependent on teachers’ assistance. On the other hand, they are eager to get ride of dependence from teachers and develop their autonomy. l Roles of teachers in On-line English Teaching requires transformation. l Teachers should changes themselves into motivators, evaluators and recourses suppliers in on-line setting.

References l l l l Bostock, S. J. Peer Assessment: principles, a case, and computer support [A], Computer Assisted Assessment to support the ICS disciplines. [M] University of Warwick, 2000. Gardner, David & Miller, Lindsay: Establishing Self-access Learning: From Theory to Practice [M]. Cambridge” Cambridge University Press, 1999. Holec, H. Autonomy and Foreign Language Learning [M]. Oxford: Pergamon. First published 1979. Srtasbourg: Council of Europe, 1980. Littlewood W. Defining and developing autonomy in east Asian contexts [J]. Applied Linguistics, 1999, (1): 71 -94 Ryan R M: The nature of the self in autonomy and relatedness [A]. In J Strauss et al. (eds. ). The Self Interdisciplinary Approaches[C]. New York: Springer, 1991. 大学英语课程教学要求（试行）[M]. 北京：高等教育出版社： 2004： 6 郝钦海. 影响学习者自主的社会文化因素及其启示[J]. 外语界，2005，（6） ： 39 -45 兰昌勤、曾洁. 对培养我国外语学习者学习自主性的思考[J]. 外语界， 2004，（4）： 24 -30

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