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Do 21st Century Learning Environments Support Self-Directed Learning? Middle School Students’ Response to an Intentionally Designed Learning Environment
PROCEEDINGS

, , Michigan State University, United States

AACE Award

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States ISBN 978-1-939797-02-5 Publisher: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), Waynesville, NC USA

Abstract

21st Century Learning Frameworks identify Self-Directed Learning (SDL) as a being a critical skill for students yet little empirical research is available. This mixed-methods study focuses on self-directed learning skills by middle school students as they engage in an intentionally designed, technology rich learning environment. Participants in the study were two groups of 6th graders in an upper middle class suburban school. One group worked in an innovative learning environment while the other group of students worked in the traditional classroom. The Self-Directed Learning with Technology Scale (SDLTS) and student interviews were utilized to collect data in both environments. The results show that students in the intentionally designed 21st century learning environment reported a higher perception of self-directedness than their traditional counterparts. We believe that these findings support the value of open-ended technology-rich environments for developing self-directed learners.

Citation

Fahnoe, C. & Mishra, P. (2013). Do 21st Century Learning Environments Support Self-Directed Learning? Middle School Students’ Response to an Intentionally Designed Learning Environment. In R. McBride & M. Searson (Eds.), Proceedings of SITE 2013--Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 3131-3139). New Orleans, Louisiana, United States: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved March 18, 2024 from .