Evaluating Self-access Learning in Online Resource-based Context

Abstract

For the past two decades, language center in almost every university in Taiwan has attempted to implement the notion of independent learning through online learning resources. To many student learners, the easy and inexpensive access of Internet has made innumerable learning resources provided by language centers available for self-access language learning. However, whether students have cultivated self-access learning ability through appropriate learning practices online is the main point that school authorities are eager to find out. In order to know the effectiveness of self-access learning in online resource-based context, many universities take different ways to evaluate students’ achievement. Since evaluations of self-access learning are important for student learners to know if they gradually and individually move towards autonomy, their assessments must be more objective. The purpose of this one-year study, therefore, was to examine whether selected online learning resources and evaluation methods affected students’ self-access learning attitudes and whether students cultivated self-access learning ability and learned successfully in online resource-based context. To gather the data, one hundred and twelve non-English majored students from a university of Southern Taiwan were recruited as samples and two types of objective evaluation, an assessment test and online learning records, were used in this study. Major findings indicated that language students’ self-access learning attitudes improved and they did make progress in online resource-based context. However, the training for students toward self-access learning needs to be strengthened. Suggestions were also included in this paper.