Speaker
KEYWORDS
Learner autonomy, lifelong learning, motivation, test preparation course
ABSTRACT
A test preparation course usually entails solving practice test questions and listening to the instructor’s lecture. In such classes, learners can be mere receivers of the information, rather than engaging actively to construct their own learning.
A more active and self-fulfilling way to reach learners’ ideal test score is to become the agent of their learning—by designing their learning content based on their needs and interests, becoming aware of what suits them and what does not, and managing their fluctuations in motivation. Learners can also establish and maintain supportive relationships with the learning community as agents of their own learning. In this presentation, the presenter will share a series of activities she has developed to provide learners with opportunities to explore themselves as agents of their own learning. The activities are integrated into and run in parallel to the aims and content of the test preparation course set by the university. The presenter will highlight how, by engaging in these activities, learners developed an increased sense of fulfillment, self-reported self-efficacy, and self-reported sense of belonging. Learners have also reported after the course ended that skills learned in this course are applicable and useful in other areas of their lives.
| TITLE | Engaging students as agents of their learning in a test-preparation course |
|---|---|
| RELEVANT SIG | Learner Development |
| FORMAT | Research-oriented Oral Face-to-face presentation (25 minutes, including Q&A) |
| First-time presenter? | First-time presenter |
