1. The Impact of Facebook on Learner Autonomy
Are you on Facebook?
The Impact of Facebook on Learner Autonomy
Cem BALÇIKANLI
University of Florida
Center for European Studies
International Conference for Academic
Disciplines, 2009
Orlando, USA

2. MAP 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

4. Learner-centeredness
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)

6. ESL/EFL

7. * Holec published his first report on autonomy
A brief history
* 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.

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

9. Necessity “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.

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

11. MAP 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

12. Do you know who he is?

15. A quick survey

16. 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.

17. A 2006 survey of academic community members
A study with 800 Michigan State University undergraduate students
A study with 519 University of Florida undergraduate students
A 2006 survey of academic community members

18. About how many total Facebook friends do you have at MSU or elsewhere?
In the past week, on average, approximately how many minutes per day have you spent on Facebook?
31-60
Facebook is part of my everyday activity %
I am proud to tell people I'm on Facebook %
Facebook has become part of my daily routine %
I feel out of touch when I haven't logged onto Facebook %
I feel I am part of the Facebook community %
I would be sorry if Facebook shut down %
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 in Dresden, Germany

19. Social Network Participation Rates among University of Florida Students
Student has only a Facebook account % Student has only a MySpace account % Student has both a Facebook and MySpace account % Student has neither a Facebook or Myspace account %
Martin, K. And Schemeisser, H. (2008). Emerging Trends in Youth Voting Behavior. Social Networking Websites and The 2008 General Election

20. 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.

22. “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

23. Observation 1- My experiences as a language learner

24. cherubic

25. Holding down the fort

26. In the middle of shooting the breeze

27. Observation 2- the experiences of my students in learning Turkish

30. THANK YOU