Students' Approaches to Learning in an Indonesian EFL online Learning Context

Students’ Approaches to Learning
in an Indonesian Online
EFL Learning Context
Made Hery Santosa
info@mhsantosa.com
Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha

Presentation Outline
TEFLIN 2014 - UNS - Indonesia 10/7/2014
2
Aims
Let’s Start
with
Questions
How?
What and
Why?

Presentation Aims
Investigation:
SAL
Intervention:
Learning
Outcomes
3

Let’s Start with Questions
4
What happens to our
university as an
institution now?
• commodification
• profit-oriented
• source of knowledge?
What does our
curriculum say?
• autonomous learning?
• 21st century learning skills?
How teaching and
learning activities are
carried out?
• traditional/conventional – one-way?
• interactive and engaging?
• learning approach?
How students’
learning is evaluated?
• process-oriented?
• product-oriented?

5
A Changing Direction…
A
Changing
Direction
Graduates ready
to meet the
needs of the
jobs market
Directions in the
global economy
Human
resources
quality
Digital Natives
vs. Immigrants
Bigger class size
= varied learning
attributes
Rich information
(Google) vs.
reliability
Technology
(Ubiquitous)
Question: How all these components assist learning achievement?

6
Challenges to Face
High achievement
Centralized Mechanism, Teaching Practices, Learning Behaviors,
and Socio-cultural Contexts (see Cronjé, 2011; Hofstede, 1980,
1986, 1991, 2001, 2011; Signorini, Wiesemes, & Murphy, 2009;
Thowfeek & Jaafar, 2012) (c.f. Asian, Javanese & Balinese)
BUT… Rote-learning; Memorization;
Didactic; High respect to Teachers;
Passive; Compliant (Cheng, 2000; On,
1996; Watkins & Biggs, 1996); (Emilia
& Mulholland, 1991; Ismail, 2009;
Santosa, 2013; Watkins, 1996;
Ananda, 1997; Dardjowidjojo, 2001,
2006; Elsegood, 2006; Hadisaputra &
Santosa, 2008; Iftanti, 2012;
Masduqi, 2011; Nilan, 2003; Pikkert
& Foster, 1996; Putrayasa, 2001;
Santosa, 2008, 2012; Suharmanto,
2003)
21st Learning Skills
(National Research Council,
2012):
• Critical Thinking
• Problem-solving
• Decision Making
• Team Work
• Collaboration
• Engagement
• Effective communication
• Own voice
• Argument
• Research skills

Importance of SAL as a Learning Attribute
7
Source: Santosa (2013)

8
The Need to Aligned Learning:
Deeper Learning Approach
Understanding
of concepts
Deeper Learning (Beattie, Collins, &
McInnes, 1997; Biggs, 1987, 1989a,
1989b; Boyce, Williams, Kelly, & Yee,
2001; Case & Marshall, 2004; Case &
Marshall, 2009; Choo, 2005;
Cuthbert, 2005; Emilia et al., 2012;
Emilia & Mulholland, 1991;
Entwistle, 1991, 2004, 2009;
Entwistle, Hanley, & Hounsell, 1979;
Entwistle & Ramsden, 1983;
Entwistle & Tait, 1990; Lucas, 2001;
Lucas & Mladenovic, 2004; Marton
& Säljo, 1976, 1984; Richardson,
2005; 2011; Taher & Jin, 2011)
Application in
different
contexts
Generic skills
(soft skills;
graduate
attributes)
Dynamic
engagement
learning process

9
Deeper Learning and Technology
• How to combine these?
Deeper
Learning
Approach
Technology
HOTS
(Bloom’s vs.
SOLO
Taxonomies)
Learning Emphasis: HOTS

How?
• Mixed-methods research studies (Creswell, 2009; Creswell &
Clark, 2011; Greene, Caracelli, & Graham, 1989; Teddlie &
Tashakori, 2003)
• Concurrent triangulation strategy (Cohen, Manion, &
Morrison, 2011; Creswell, 2009; Creswell & Clark, 2011;
Greene et al., 1989; Teddlie & Tashakori, 2003)
10
Semi-structured
Interviews
• Focus-group
interviews (n = 2
lecturers & 15
voluntary students)
EFL Learning
Post-test
•Written responses
of one cohort of
students (n = 162)
R-SPQ-2F
Survey
Distribution
• n = 162
Reflective
Journals
• Fortnightly written
responses to
previously learned
topics (n = 74 )
EFL Learning
Pre-test
•Written responses
of one cohort of
students (n = 162)
R-SPQ-2F
Survey
Distribution
• n = 162

11
The Design
• Relational
• Extended
Abstract
• LMS (Moodle)
• Evaluation
• Analysis
• Synthesis
• Inquiry-based
Learning (Justice
et al., 2007;
Sincero, 2006)
Student-centered
Learning
HOTS in
Bloom’s
Taxonomy
SOLO
Taxonomy
Technology

What and Why?
• Students’ Approaches to Learning (SAL)
Table 1: Students’ approaches to learning score
Tests Pre-test Post-test
Learning Approaches Deep Surface Deep Surface
tdap
(10–50)
tdapr
(10–50)
tsap
(10–50)
tsapr
(10–50)
tdapp
(10–50)
tdappr
(10–50)
tsapp
(10–50)
tsappr
(10–50)
N Valid 162 162 162 162 162 162 162 162
Mean 35.42 35.00 22.51 22.56 36.18 35.86 23.46 23.27
Std. Dev. 5.242 5.426 5.799 6.244 5.098 5.412 5.743 6.322
SAL tended to be deep 12

What and Why?
• Students’ Learning Outcomes
Independent-samples t-test: to compare the mean
score of learning outcomes in the experimental and
control groups
 Pre-test: There was no significant difference between the
experimental group and the control group students, for having
only 6% of the variance explained.
 This shows that the groups were similar before the study was conducted.
Post-test: a statistically significant difference benefited the
experimental group in the present study was found with a
large (.78) effect size
13

What and Why?
Paired-samples t-test: to compare the mean score of
learning outcomes within the experimental groups
There were statistically significant differences in
the students’ learning outcomes on the pre- and
the post-tests with a large effect size (70%) in the
mean difference benefiting the students in the
experimental group.
However, the t-tests indicated the existence of
additional variables.
14

What and Why?
Two-way ANCOVA: The pre-test was treated as a
covariate to control for individual differences between
the groups. In this way, error variance is reduced and
the significant difference between groups is increased.
 Pre-test: There was no significant interaction effect: F (4.90) =
3.78, p > .05, with a small effect size (partial eta squared =
.003).
Post-test: There was a statistically significant difference
where F (181.78) = .000, p < .05, with a large effect size
(partial eta squared = .56).
15

What and Why?
16
• Speculative
• Raised questions: Was the students’ deep learning at the
beginning really true?

What and Why?
• Interview Results
 Face-saving (Fang, 2003; Yorra, 2012)
 Previously, I did not understand the questionnaire, Sir. So, I answered [to
show] a good image [of myself]. (Student 1; Male)
 I want to appear good in front of other people. (Student 2; Female)
 ‘Cultural Assumptions’ (Bhabha, 1983; Said, 1977)
 I know from the information from the Internet that English culture is
normally direct, critical, and open. I see some survey items ask this kind
of learning. (Student 6; Male)
 Power Distance Index (Hofstede, 1980, 1986, 2011; Lewis & George,
2008; Dardjowidjojo, 2001; Hofstede, Hofstede, and Minkov (2010)
 [I am also] worried with how my friends might respond, scared to be told
wrong, to be mocked. For me personally, I was shy. Also, I wasn’t used to
speaking well so whatever came into my head I just said it so I couldn’t
control the grammar. (Student 10; Female)
17

Challenges and Solutions
Learning Approach: Memorizing, Passive Learning, Power
Distance
• I like grammar, to learn the pattern, so I tried to memorise some words first.
…. and now I realise that it was wrong because in communication what’s
important is the meaning. (Student 3; Male)
• I tended to use search engine, like Google, also Wikipedia, but I found out
that Wikipedia is not reliable, so I focussed more on Google. If there’s
information in a video, I’d look it up in YouTube. In Google, I looked for
information in documents, more like an article in pdf. (Student 4; Female)
• The students tended to be umm…. teacher-oriented. It’s only when the
teacher asked the students or provided them with something then they
started to work. Otherwise, they would be relaxed. (Lecturer 1; Female)
• What often happened, …, that sometimes we wanted to speak up, …, the
lecturer tends to object and judge the students’ opinion. So the students
later felt reluctant to speak up again. …, so what’s the point of sharing
opinion if it was never accepted? (Student 13; Male)
18

Increased Awareness
• The topics that being discussed were very interesting
and made me realise that there are many things that I
need to learn and know. (Student 3; Male)
• By using the many kinds of topic of writing, the learning
activities in the class were very interesting and
challenging. The students can improve their critical
thinking and their ability in writing. (Student 14; Male)
• I now realise that understanding research components
can help me to do research next semester. (Student 5;
Female)
19

ICT Influence
•The strength of using E-Learning for me is I can practise my English by using E-learning.
I can share some activities and comment on my friend’s post. By using E-Learning,
I am able to understand information that the lecturer give to me and
my friend. (Student 14; Male)
•From my perspective, I found that this course has a good influence on my writing
skill. I personally think that Moodle is a good medium for my writing skill. I can
see the improvement in myself now; I have become more confident in arranging
my ideas in writing. (Student 9; Female)
•By using the Moodle website, the students can study everywhere at any time.
(Student 12; Female)
• … I like use E-learning as a medium to learn language but, there are many
weaknesses in using E-learning especially in Indonesia. …. If I want to access this
web, I have to wait for a long because the loading is very slow. The other
weakness is spending a lot of money. (Student 15; Female)
• … and maybe my obstacle was the connection and the place where I live and the
internet café. (Student 10; Female)
•Solutions: Computer centre, working at own pace
20

Academic Misconduct
•No clear guidelines on academic writing and academic misconduct
• I don’t think there’s ever been any emphasis or rules about academic dishonesty [from the
institution]. Maybe [dependent on] the lecturers, are they strict or not. …. But so far I don’t
think there’s a specific rule about what punishment for students who cheat. (Student 15;
Female)
• …, I always did copy-paste and the lecturers didn’t seem to care about the references. …. So
after your class, I realised that we have to be more aware of academic honesty, as a
student. So now, there’s a bit of a change in me. (Student 5; Female)
• Before this class, I thought academic dishonesty was something common, …. And
something I copied from, especially if was really good, I would use it to get maximum
grade. After this class, I realised that academic dishonesty is very unfair…. (Student 9;
Female)
•Solutions
•Clear guidelines, proposed plagiarism detection tools and procedure
•Note taking, creating tables, highlighting and mind/concept mapping, peer-support
process in dealing with information
21

Conclusion and Implication
Shaping ‘how much’ and ‘how
well’ learning is done by each
individual.
Learning activities that support
higher-order thinking processes
can direct students’ learning
approaches towards deeper
learning and can thus minimise
the gap between lower and
higher cognitive ability.
Effective face-to-face and online
learning can provide improved
interaction, collaboration and
continuous feedback
opportunities for students,
helping them to reflect on their
learning.
Potential cultural influences
should also be considered
carefully
Providing skills necessary for life
after graduation.
‘a golden generation’
characteristics (Year 2045) should
be pursued.
Urgency in shaping pedagogical
practice into the global economy
orientation
Combining with local wisdom to
nurture potential students in the
context of learning orientation
and performance in Indonesia
and the wider economic context.
22

23
Questions, Comments, Suggestions?
Contact Email: info@mhsantosa.com
Website: http://mhsantosa.com/
Twitter: @mhsantosa
Thank you ^_^

24
Bloom’s Taxonomy (Benjamin Bloom)

25
Source: Chan (2010)

26
Inquiry-based Learning
Take responsibility for learning

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