Title: Understanding learner autonomy through the study of a class blog experiment

Authors: Vasumathi Badrinathan

Addresses: Department of French, Ramnarain Ruia College, University of Mumbai, L. Nappo Road, Matunga, Mumbai 400 019, India

Abstract: An experiment using a blog was conducted on 60 undergraduate university students of French over one academic year in Mumbai, India. The idea of a blog for the class was to help learners achieve autonomy through this tool. This paper investigates the relationship between blogging and learner autonomy and seeks to understand why the blog failed to achieve desired results. The author analyses the reasons which range from learner beliefs and attitudes, to learning and evaluation patterns in India. The author argues that mere induction of technology does not automatically initiate learner autonomy even in a technology-savvy context, as this experiment proves. Autonomy is a skill that needs to be developed alongside a conducive teaching-learning environment.

Keywords: learner autonomy; class blogs; weblogs; technology enhanced learning; French; India; higher education.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTEL.2013.055948

International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 2013 Vol.5 No.1, pp.85 - 96

Received: 23 Jul 2012
Accepted: 26 Apr 2013
Published online: 23 Sep 2014 *

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