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Are you on Facebook? The Impact of Facebook on

Learner Autonomy

Cem BALÇIKANLI

University of Florida

Center for European Studies

E-mail: balcikanli@ufl.edu

International Conference for Academic

Disciplines, 2009

Orlando, USA

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MAP OF THE TALKMAP OF THE TALK* Learner Centeredness

* Learner Autonomy in ESL/EFL Settings

* Facebook! Is it a reality?

* Observation 1: My experiences as a language learner

* Observation 2: My students’ experiences as language learners

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Learners inevitably must be at the center of teaching pedagogical

practices.

Norman, D. A. and Spohrer, J. C. (1996). Learner-Centered Education. Communications of the ACM. 39 (4). 24-27

Learner-centeredness

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ESL/EFL

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* Holec published his first report on autonomy in 1981.

* In recent years, the educators have produced a great many works on learner autonomy in

the field of foreign language learning/teaching.

Benson, P. (2001). Teaching and Researching Autonomy in Language Learning. London: Longman.

A brief history

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• “the ability to take charge of one's own learning” (Holec 1981)

• “a capacity – for detachment, critical reflection, decision-making, and independent

action” (Little 1990)

• “recognition of the rights of learners within educational systems” (Benson 2001)

Definitions

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“the capacity to think, learn and behave autonomously is often claimed as an outcome for students in higher

education”

Stephenson, J. and Laycock, M. (1993). Using Learner Contracts in Higher Education. London: Kogan Page.

Necessity

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* set his/her learning goals and develop learning strategies

* develop study plans

* reflect on his/her learning

* identify and select relevant resources and the necessary support

• assess his/her own progress and define his/her own criteria

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Chan, V. (2001). Readiness for learner autonomy: What do our learners tell us? Teaching in Higher Education, 6 (4). 505-519

Characteristics

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MAP OF THE TALKMAP OF THE TALK* Learner Centeredness

* Learner Autonomy in ESL/EFL Settings

* Facebook! Is it a reality?

* Observation 1: My experiences as a language learner

* Observation 2: My students’ experiences as language learners

Do you know who he is?

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A quick survey

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Facebook, the largest social network on the Web as of April

2008, is one of the fastest-growing and best-known sites on

the Internet today.

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About how many total Facebook friends do you have at MSU or elsewhere?

151-200 In the past week, on average, approximately how many minutes per day have you spent on Facebook?

31-60Facebook is part of my everyday activity. 72 %

I am proud to tell people I'm on Facebook. 63 %

Facebook has become part of my daily routine. 57 %

I feel out of touch when I haven't logged onto Facebook 45 %

I feel I am part of the Facebook community 80 %

I would be sorry if Facebook shut down. 74 %

Ellison, N.; Steinfield, C; and Lampe, C. (2006). Spatially Bounded Online Social Networks and Social Capital: The Role of Facebook. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the International Communication

Association (ICA), June 19-23. in Dresden, Germany

Student has only a Facebook account 281 54.35 %

Student has only a MySpace account 10 1.93 %

Student has both a Facebook and MySpace account 210 40.62 %

Student has neither a Facebook or Myspace account 18 3.09 %

Social Network Participation Rates among University of Florida Students

Martin, K. And Schemeisser, H. (2008). Emerging Trends in Youth Voting Behavior. Social Networking Websites and The 2008 General Election

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A 2006 survey of academic community members found that 90 % of the

undergraduates participated in a social network community, primarily Facebook

and MySpace.

Stutzman, F. (2006). An evaluation of identity-sharing behavior in social network communities. Paper presented at the iDMAa and IMS Code

Conference, Oxford, Ohio.

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“social networks are themselves the gradual outcome of a materials

and teacher-encouraged process of cultivating and exploiting

learner autonomy”

Candlin, C. & F. Byrnes (1995). Designing for open language learning – Teaching roles and learning strategies. In S. Gollin (ed.), Language in distance education: How far can we go? Proceedings of the NCELTR

conference. Sydney: NCELTR, 126–141

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Observation 1- My experiences as a language learner

24cherubic

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Holding down the fort

26In the middle of shooting the breeze

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Observation 2- the experiences of my students in learning Turkish

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THANK YOU