Week 7

Week 7.

The issue of Learner Autonomy raised this week is a very topical for me as a university teacher. In the article “Interconnections: Learner Autonomy Teacher Autonomy” it is stated that learner autonomy is dependent on teacher autonomy. If teachers in educational institutions are not autonomous to decide on the content, methods of teaching and forms of assessment, there is little room for learner autonomy. In Ukraine there are comparatively not strict restrictions in universities what subjects to teach, how long the courses should be, what textbooks to use etc. Of course there are guidelines and recommendations of Ministry of Education and university authorities. There are obligatory subjects, set hours for obligatory disciplines, the accepted system of assignment, but there is a variable part where the departments and even the chairs can autonomously decide on the disciplines to teach, their content and forms of their presentation. In this respect teacher autonomy is preserved. But another issue bothers me. I have presented it in my fist post to Nicenet. Due to the historical peculiarities of my country’s development, the necessity to be lead and governed by the authority is deeply rooted in many people. Fortunately, younger generation is more free to decide on their own and reflect critically, to be discerning citizens. But still some of them (not all!) are reluctant to accept new ways of teaching, where they are provided with the responsibility for their learning. This problem is very vital, both our teachers and students are to be shown the ways how to become autonomous and self-directed (I understand this as being motivated to learn something on one’s own, carry out independent research, do more than it is prescribed, but not simply doing a set of drilling exercises at home as an individual assignment). But it is easier said than done, and on finishing this course, next academic year I want to start with myself and reorganize my courses, implementing the principle of autonomous learning.

This week I am working on my Project Plan as  I am currently not teaching. This is due to the objective reason: this year my country hosts Euro2012, a football championship, and the terms of the academic year have been shortened. My students are having summer holidays now. I am working on implementing technology and web resources into developing critical thinking in EFL course.