Development of course content guidelines to promote self-directed learning of cyber university adult learners: A Focusing on the Case of A Cyber University
Authors:   Korean Association For Learner-Centered Curriculum And Instruction, Kang Soo-Min , Lee Ji-Eun , Seo Hee-Jeong 
Published: May 2023

Objectives As cyber university grow into a major educational institution for lifelong learning, there is a growing demand in the field for the development of support elements for teaching and learning that considers the context of cyber university classes and the characteristics of learners. Therefore, this study paid attention to the course content among the supporting elements of teaching and learning, and tried to reveal practical ways to promote self-directed learning for cyber university’s adult learner through guidelines.
Methods The development of specific guidelines was carried out in seven steps. First, a literature analysis was conducted to understand the context of offline universities and other cyber universities, and a research plan was established based on the definition of self-directed learning for cyber university students. Next, the guideline content was organized into stages of analysis, development, and validation. In-depth interviews with A Cyber University staff were conducted to examine the development and utilization of teaching plans and key elements. From the analysis results, three design strategies were established and used as the basis for the guidelines. The guidelines consisted of the introduction and main body of the class, the necessary elements and writing methods for the conclusion, and the expected outcomes of self-directed learning. These guidelines were ultimately validated by the staff and instructors at A Cyber University.
Results As a result of the study, several findings emerged. First, through in-depth interviews with the staff, it was discovered that the current status of course plan development and the need for provision at A Cyber University were related to the instructors' teaching styles, teaching-learning elements, and the necessity for guideline development strategies for both instructors and learners. Additionally, an analysis of exemplary lecture plans from A Cyber University revealed that the lecture plan design could be composed in various ways, depending on the characteristics and content of each subject, the intentions of the lecturer and instructional designer, and the implementation strategy based on the overall structure of introduction, body, and conclusion. Second, three strategies for designing lecture plans aimed at promoting self-directed learning for cyber university students were derived, which served as the basis for determining the teaching and learning elements and framework for the lecture plan development guidelines. Third, the final guideline were derived focusing on the elements to be included in each area of the introduction, main body, and conclusion of the class, their definitions, writing methods, and expected effects in terms of self-directed learning.
Conclusions Based on the above research results, suggestions for future research and implications for lifelong educational institutions that mainly utilize cyber universities and online lectures were presented.