This article explains the relevance of the "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages" (CEFR) and the European Language Portfolio (ELP) to language learning in higher education, especially as regards the definition of aims and learning outcomes and the promotion of students' capacity to manage their own learning. After…

Teacher feedback and interaction are factors of success and satisfaction in online courses, but courses designed for computer-assisted instruction (CAI) require less communication between a teacher and student. The goal of this research was to examine the impact of teachers' feedback in online self-paced secondary math courses where CAI was…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the conditions for Native American high school students that result in successful adaptation to an online learning environment. Design/methodology/approach: In total, eight Native American students attending high schools located on Montana Indian reservations, and one urban city, were interviewed.…

This article describes a study on the effects of a self-instruction training programme in communication skills for psychology students at the Open University of the Netherlands in comparison to a fully supervised training. We expected both training programmes to increase students' knowledge and skills, as well as their self-efficacy and motivation…

This paper attempts to present the findings of a study carried out in Pakistan that explored English-language teachers' professional development in developing countries. The main guiding question for the study was: How do English-language teachers at secondary schools learn to teach and develop professionally in Syria and Pakistan? Two cases were…

Nowadays universities are required not only to impart knowledge of specific disciplines but also generic graduate attributes such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, creative thinking, research and inquiry skills. For students to attain these generic skills, educators are encouraged to use learner-centred approaches in teaching.…

The flexible language learning system we have devised at our university combines different elements: individual work on a virtual learning environment, pair-work and counseling sessions. The implementation of the system involves a new conception of the different "actors" roles. Teachers become tutors or counselors with new specific…

Reading materials written in English is the prime goal of many reading programs around the world. Extensive reading (ER) has for years aided new students at my institution to gradually acquire large vocabularies and other sub-skills that are needed to read fluently. To continue to do that effectively, a new scheme involving the use of…

This experimental study was designed to investigate whether supervision meetings, in which students receive specific advice on how to use a development portfolio to monitor their progress and plan their future learning, helps them to develop self-directed learning skills and improve their learning in the domain. In the first year of a hairdressing…

Principals are among the most important players in improving student achievement from year to year. What a teacher actually does in the classroom is important in terms of student achievement, but it is the principal who guides teachers to improved practice. Although any number of instructional frameworks are useful in improving student…

Introduction: Internet point of care (PoC) learning is a relatively new method for obtaining continuing medical education credits. Few data are available to describe physician utilization of this CME activity. Methods: We describe the Internet point of care system we developed at a medium-sized community hospital and report on its first year of…

University of Illinois Extension, in partnership with Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Joliet, Illinois, offered a technology summer program for Hispanic youth from June 22 to July 22, 2009. The program, "Looking Back, Moving Forward," utilized self-directed learning activities during the entire program. Eight out of fourteen Hispanic…

In this volume researchers from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North and South America employ a variety of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches in their exploration of the links between identity, motivation, and autonomy in language learning. On a conceptual level the authors explore issues related to agency, metacognition,…

In cases where e-learning is used mainly outside the class, a lecture is given by lecture slide and a small test is given at the end of the class. Students fill out a problem in a structured notebook by viewing lecture slide materials in the e-learning after a lecture. In cases where e-learning is used during school hours, the outline of class on…

The aim of this study was to discover possible relationships between self-regulated learning dimensions and students' success in a distance-learning programme. The sample consisted of 319 students: 83 males and 236 females. They completed the "Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire" (Pintrich, Smith, Garcia & McKeachie,…