Designing Autonomous
Learning to Accommodate
Diverse Learners in an
English Writing Class
Tazu Togo,
Jane Singer, Shiho Mochizuki, Tomoko Takahashi,
Yuriko Teratani, Hitomi Yamasaki
1st. JADE - PacADE International Joint Conference
September 20, 2008
Kapi’olani Community College

Outline of presentation
1. Aims and background of thispresentation
2. Framework for designingautonomous learning
3. Facilitating autonomous learning
4. Results and discussion
5. Conclusion

1. Aims of this presentation
This presentation aims to introduce
additional classroom materials
which are developed by a team ofuniversity instructors andresearchers, who concerned withstudents in the new era of“universal college admission”.

1.1 Aims : target students• Students with a poorunderstanding.
• Students who lack motivation forstudying.

1.1 Aims of development team•For students whose poor command ofEnglish.
•For students whose lack of motivation.

• To be able to work autonomously
in a classroom• To learn according to individual
objectives and skills

1.2 Background of this project
A new era of “universal college admission”
has not come yet, but…

• Out of 744,000 applicants to universities
and colleges, 684,000 were admitted in2008.
• That means 92% of applicants succeeded.
• 55.3% of Japanese 18 years olds went on
to higher education. This is 5.4 % higher
than in 2004.

1.2 Background of this project•92% of applicants were admitted.
•1,182 universities & colleges in 2008
(1,129 in 1993)•589 universities & 386 colleges are private.

The average academic level of university
entrants is declining in Japan

1.2 Background of this project
The average level of university entrants isdeclining in Japan.

• More students have a poorcommand of English• More students lack motivation forstudying English

1.2 Background of this project• In 2007 a project team developed
a curriculum for a small-sized
remedial English class.
T. Togo, S. Mochizuki, T. Takahashi, M. Nakaue, H.
Yamasaki (2007) A Framework for Designing Autonomous
Learning in English Writing Class for Disinterested Learners
II, The 3rd Conference of the Japan Association ofDevelopmental Education. pp.103-104

2. Framework for Designing

Autonomous Learning• The concept was based on a symbolic
approach (Nishinosono and Togo 2006).
• Metaphors were created to conceptualize
the methodology for a classroom course
both for the team and for students.
• The textbook exercises were divided intosegments.

2.1 Metaphors in 2007(healthcontrol)
Illustrated by Tomoko Takahashi

2.1 Metaphors in 2008
Segment
Contents of Segments Metaphors
No.
Segment 1 Training about English
grammar
Segment 2 Training about writing
paragraphs
Segment 3 Training about combining
sentences with proper
conjunctions
Segment 4 Training about joining
sentences to display
unity3.1 Profile of the class
English Composition I• Required class for freshmen.
• Half-year semester (15 classes).
• 44 female students (including 7 retakers)• Beginning-level writing skill textbook forstudents of English as a Second
Language is used. Get Ready To Write
2nd ed. (PEARSON Longman)3.2 Materials and assistance tofacilitate autonomous learning• Pre-designed materials• Materials added as needed• Student tutors

3.2.1 Pre-designed materials• Study Guide• Answer Guide• Orientation Sheet• Learning Menu

3.2.1.1 Learning Menu

3.2.1.2 Orientation Sheet

Evaluation
criteria forstudents to
set goals.

Chart showing amodel flow of a
student’s studies.

Check list for
deciding the level ofa student’scomposition.

3.2.1.2 Topic of Composition• “What is the reason you chose
this major (or university ordepartment)? Write your reasons
as concretely as you can.”3.2.1.2 Setting goals
Levels that a student
would like to acquirefrom a checklist

The total points ofexercises which each
student plans to tackle
with from Learning Menu.

Select one appropriate item from a) ~ d) in eachquestionnaire ① through ④, and calculate a sum.
Each item has its points: a)-4points, b)-3points, c)2points, d)-1point.
Students check the list, and decide their levels bythemselves.
EX. 15 points → Level is GOLD

Final evaluation is settled like in the table below inaccordance with each student workload (total points
that she gains) and the level which she assesses using
the checklist. Final Evaluation is set up by themselves,therefore, students will set their goals in accordancewith this table.

EX. 65 points and Level GOLD → ７０（B）
65 points and Level Copper → ６０（C）

3.2.2 Materials added as needed• Study log• File to keep materials• Criteria for evaluating each
student’s composition (distributedonly to tutors)• Checklist for turning in final
assignments

3.2.3 Tutors• Student tutors facilitated other students’learning.
• Student tutors improved their own learning.

4.1 Results and Discussion

4.1 Results and Discussion
Number of students

14
12108

otherscopper level
silver level
gold level6
420
absence absence absence absence absence012
3
4

Levels based on students’ absences

4.1 Results and Discussion
Number of students

14
otherscopper level
silver level
gold level

12108“Others” means not to be judged, and it contains
6irregularcases like:4・ 2 students didn’t check the list.
2・ 2 students
misunderstood the content of the0absence absence absence absence absence
final composition.
0

1

2

3

4

Levels based on students’ absences

Conclusion• Designing for autonomous learning in a
writing class seemed to be successful tohelp less-motivated students to study
English autonomously.
• We intend to continue developing thecourse while implementing it in classrooms.
• Our team will keep exploring more
effective measures to expand
opportunities for these students.

Designing Autonomous Learning toAccommodate Diverse Learners in an
English Writing Class

Thank you for your attention!

Tazu Togo, Jane Singer, Shiho Mochizuki,
Tomoko Takahashi, Yuriko Teratani, Hitomi Yamasaki

Symbolic approach for designing aclass course (Nishinosono, Miyata, Mochizuki 20006)
Synthesis

Class Course

Analysis
ClassObservation

Metaphors

ImagesAnalysisInterpretation
Model
Revised ClassCourse

Propositions
or empiricallaws