Directing Learning

4.4.4.1 Meaning Structure

In this category cooperation in learning is perceived as a means of directing learning:

a learning process in which students take control of their own learning and engage in

learning with others in an online learning community. The term ‘community’ here is

seen as a group of students who are connected by a particular subject or topic. The

following quotations illustrate the meaning associated with this perception:

“Cooperation in learning is about participating in a learning community that focuses on a particular subject such as a course. It allows community members helping together to explore and discuss the subject. This form of learning may help to understand the subject better.”

150 Social media appeared to be important for exchanging and sharing knowledge within

an online learning community:

“We organised a group on Facebook that encouraged members in participating in discussions by posting information or ideas on Facebook so everyone could read, answer and comment on the posts.”

“We created a learning community on Facebook in order to discover a subject together. Facebook offers an opportunity to connect with each other on the subject.”

“An online learning community is a virtual place where we can share, exchange and discover the subject together. For example, someone found a good article; he/she might share this article to each other by posting it to the Facebook.”

What was distinctive about this category was that participants took the initiative to

address their learning needs and identify resources for learning:

“I am interested in participating in online learning communities if they have relevance to my interests or my subjects of study.”

“My reasons for learning with others in online communities are opportunities for participating in discussions, and sharing information and ideas.”

Those responses indicating this category valued learning with others in an online

learning community because they believed that this form of learning might bring more

benefits to them than learning alone:

“We could benefit when exploring diverse viewpoints from others with varied backgrounds.”

151 4.4.4.2 Structure of Awareness

Directing learning was the distinctive characteristic of this category. Participants’

attention was directed towards learning with others in online learning communities:

“My reasons for learning with others in online communities are opportunities for participating in discussions, and sharing information and ideas.”

The thematic field of awareness for this category was learning needs. Awareness

concerning learning needs referred to an aspect related to the theme but not in focus. In

this category, the learning needs could be described as, for example “sharing information”, where participants used an online community to share information and ideas, or “discussion”, where participants perceived an online community as a means of a virtual space for discussing a given subject. The following quotations illustrate the

meaning associated with this point:

“An online learning community is a virtual place where we can share, exchange and discover the subject together.”

“My reasons for learning with others in online communities are opportunities for participating in discussions, and sharing information and ideas.”

The structure of awareness of directing learning is presented in Figure 4.12.

152 4.4.4.3 Dimensions of Variation

1. Learning context

This dimension of variation concerns a learning context in which a student sets out

learning goals and identifies an online learning community familiar to them:

“My reasons for learning with others in online communities are opportunities for participating in discussions, and sharing information and ideas.”

2. Learning outcomes

Those responses indicating this conception valued learning with others in an online

learning community:

“We could benefit when exploring diverse viewpoints from others with varied backgrounds.”

“We organised a group on Facebook that encouraged members in participating in discussions by posting information or ideas on Facebook so everyone could read, answer and comment on the posts.”

“We practise communication skills in English in a learning community.”

3. Role of teachers

Participants took the initiative to learn with others independently, without the

assistance of the teacher:

“We organised a group on Facebook around a particular subject.”

“My reasons for learning with others in online communities are opportunities for participating in discussions, and sharing information and ideas.”

153

4. Role of students

The role of the student here was to take the initiative to engage in learning with

others in an online learning community such as a group of students on Facebook

(either related to course materials or related to similar interests). Those responses

indicating this conception understood their learning needs and sought interactions

with other members on the online learning community. “Participating in

discussions” or “we can share, exchange and discover the subject together.” are

examples that illustrate this point.

Students described engaging in learning with others in online learning communities

such as:

“We practise communication skills in English in a learning community.”

“My reasons for learning with others in online communities are opportunities for participating in discussions.”

4.4.4.4 Summary

The category of description directing learning is summarised in Table 4.10.

Directing Learning

Meaning Structure Key quotes

A learning process in which individuals take control of their own learning and engage in learning with others in online learning communities.

We organised a group on Facebook that encouraged members in participating in discussions by posting information or ideas on Facebook so everyone could read, answer and comment on the posts.

Cooperation in learning is about an interest group on Facebook.

Structure of Awareness

Theme: Directing learning Thematic field: Learning needs

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Margin: Prior knowledge and experience

Dimensions of variation

Learning context

Learning takes place in online communities such as a group on Facebook. An individual takes the initiative and the responsibility for his or her learning.

Learning outcomes

Satisfying the learning needs of the individual. Role of teachers

Directing learning takes place outside the formal academic setting. Emphasis is given to individuals who engage in online learning communities without the assistance of the teacher.

Role of students

Individuals take responsibility for their own learning. They could decide to participate in online learning communities by themselves. There are little or no cooperation between members of an online community in a sense of common learning goals.

Table 4.10 Summary for category of description – directing learning

4.4.5 Conclusion

The analysis of the data revealed three qualitatively different categories in which

cooperation in learning was perceived. These categories of description focussed on

cooperation in learning; and are related within a hierarchy of inclusiveness (Figure 4.9).

Group work conceived cooperation in learning as working in groups in achieving the

overall group goal. Those responses indicating this category described this view of

cooperation in learning as: “working in groups”, “write a group report together” and

“work together to complete a learning task”. This category was frequently present in

the data, being coded 20 times, meaning that it was among the most frequently

occurring categories of cooperation in learning.

Exploratory learning centred on a form of learning in which some friends come

together and form a learning group to explore a given topic together. The friendship

155 category was rarely present in the data, being coded 3 times, meaning that it was among

the least frequently occurring categories of cooperation in learning.

Directing learning, the category based around the most complex conception, focussed

on learning processes in which students take control of their own learning and engage

in learning with others in an online learning community.