Iván Alcides Amórtegui Sacristánrepository.udistrital.edu.co/bitstream/11349/2674/1/...respuesta...

Running Head: Critical Analysis of media towards the promotion of EFL Students’ Learning Autonomy

Critical Analysis of media towards the Promotion of EFL Students’ Learning Autonomy

Iván Alcides Amórtegui Sacristán

Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas

School of Science and Education

Master Program in Applied Linguistics to TEFL

Bogotá, Colombia.

2016

Critical Analysis of media towards the promotion of EFL Students’ Learning Autonomy

Critical Analysis of media towards the Promotion of English as a Foreign Language

Students’ Learning Autonomy

Iván Alcides Amórtegui Sacristán

Thesis Director:

Margarita Rosa Vargas Torres

A thesis submitted as a requirement to obtain the degree of

M.A. in Applied Linguistics to the Teaching of English

Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas

School of Science and Education

Master Program in Applied Linguistics to TEFL

Bogotá, Colombia.

2016


Note of acceptance

Thesis Director: ________________________________

Margarita Rosa Vargas Torres, M.a.

Jury: ________________________________

Helena Guerrero, Ph.D

Jury: ________________________________

Harold Castañeda Peña Ph.D.


Acuerdo 19 de 1988 del Consejo Superior Universitario.

Artículo 177: “La Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas no será responsable por las

ideas expuestas en esta tesis”.


Dedication

This project is the result of many attempts to accomplish this goal. For this reason, I would

like to thank God for giving me the chance to conclude this part of the process, as well as

Professor Harold Castañeda who guided me to discover new perspectives in the teaching field.

Without his kind help and support, this research document would not have been done. For my

family, my fiancée and my friends my deepest gratitude for all your support and love. Now I feel

education has a new meaning.


Acknowledgements

This research would not have been possible without the support, encouragement and guidance

I received from my professors and tutor, who guided me to accomplish this goal. They all

represented crucial agents in the development and completion of this project, investing their time

to read and provide feedback. I dedicate to them this dissertation, with the expectation to

reattribute them for all the effort.

I acknowledge the mentoring of Professor Margarita Vargas who supported this project, and

who encouraged me to find the ways towards the success of this objective. Through this project I

have seen how relevant education is now for society, and how our role is now to be active agents

of change, helping people gain a better understanding of the world surrounding them, as well as

grow up as human beings.


Abstract

This work presents the process and results of this research project in an EFL classroom at a

public university at the south of Bogotá. The university claims for the generation and spread of

knowledge with autonomy and vocation, and the opening of spaces for reflection and

pedagogical actions in response to the challenges that globalization demands. However, students’

comments imply autonomy practices are not present in their learning process, and this fact

reveals a mismatch between the university mission and the actual learners’ situation. The

investigation explored how the critical analysis of media promoted 6 students’ autonomous

learning practices in the English as a foreign language class. This work was done within a total

of 16 weeks to answer the research question “What aspects of learning autonomy are unveiled

through a critical analysis of media in an EFL class at Universidad Distrital?” This study

followed the qualitative paradigm and was based on a case study approach. In order to report this

process, data was collected from students’ questionnaires, students’ journal, artifacts and class

observations. The gathered evidence indicated that students gained awareness in relation to the

English language learning process and the content of learning. They showed significant progress

towards the promotion of learning autonomy practices, which implied detached analysis and

reflection about media aspects, elements of critical thinking, as well as consciousness at the

moment of making decisions and working independently.

KEY WORDS: Autonomy in learning, English as a Foreign Language, Critical Analysis of

Media


Resumen

Este trabajo presenta el proceso y los resultados de la investigación en una universidad

pública en el sur de Bogotá. La universidad busca la generación y difusión del conocimiento con

autonomía y vocación, y la apertura de espacios de reflexión y acciones pedagógicas en

respuesta a los retos que demanda la globalización, sin embargo, los comentarios de los

estudiantes implican que las prácticas de autonomía no están presentes en su proceso de

aprendizaje, y este hecho revela una inconsistencia entre la misión de la universidad y la

situación real de sus estudiantes. La investigación exploró la manera cómo el análisis crítico de

los medios de comunicación promueve prácticas de aprendizaje autónomo en 6 estudiantes de

una clase de inglés como lengua extranjera. Este trabajo se realizó en un total de 16 semanas para

responder a la pregunta de investigación "¿Qué aspectos de la autonomía en el aprendizaje se

revelan a través de un análisis crítico de los medios de comunicación en una clase de inglés

como lengua extranjera en la Universidad Distrital?" Este estudio siguió el paradigma cualitativo

y se basa en un estudio de caso. Con el fin de reportar este proceso, se recogieron los datos de

cuestionarios, diarios, actividades de clase y observaciones de las mismas. La evidencia recogida

indica que los estudiantes desarrollaron conciencia en relación con el proceso de aprendizaje del

inglés y el contenido del mismo, mostrando un progreso significativo hacia la promoción de

prácticas de autonomía,

KEY WORDS: Autonomía en el aprendizaje, Inglés como lengua extranjera, Análisis

Crítico de los Medios de Comunicación


Table of Contents

Table of figures ................................................................................................................. I

Table of charts .................................................................................................................. II

Table of appendixes ....................................................................................................... IV

CHAPTER 1

Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1

Statement of the problem ....................................................................................... 2

Research Question ................................................................................................ 5

Research Objectives .............................................................................................. 5

Significance of the study ........................................................................................ 6

CHAPTER 2

Literature review .................................................................................................... 8

Learning for a lifetime ........................................................................................... 8

The cognitive domain .................................................................................. 10

The affective domain ................................................................................... 13

The leaders of our learning: ourselves ................................................................. 16

The Dimensions of learning autonomy ............................................................... 19

Personal autonomy ...................................................................................... 19

Self-assessment ................................................................................ 20

Action planning and goal setting ..................................................... 21

Self-regulation.................................................................................. 21

Rational Autonomy ..................................................................................... 22

Metacognition .................................................................................. 22


Judging the value of sources ............................................................ 23

Relational autonomy .................................................................................. 24

Critical Thinking ........................................................................................ 25

Analysis media with critical eyes ............................................................. 26

Studies regarding this research topic.......................................................... 28

CHAPTER 3

Research design ................................................................................................... 30

How to do this research project? ........................................................................... 31

The soul of the project: Qualitative research .............................................. 31

A qualitative perspective in this case study ................................................. 32

The art of interpretation as transformation .................................................. 34

Student-participants ............................................................................................... 35

How was data collected? ....................................................................................... 38

Data analysis procedures........................................................................................ 47

Ethical considerations ............................................................................................ 48

CHAPTER 4

Instructional design ............................................................................................. 50

Approaching media with critical lenses .............................................................. 51

Critical analysis of media towards autonomy in the EFL class .......................... 53

The English Language class context ................................................................... 54

Students expressing themselves ........................................................................... 55

When Experiences become knowledge ............................................................... 56


An environment of independence ....................................................................... 58

The tool to support this project ............................................................................ 59

Moving through critical analysis of media to autonomy in learning ................... 62

Activity 1: Taking a second look .............................................................. 64

Activity 2: Are you controlled by media? ................................................. 65

Activity 3: Creating media ........................................................................ 67

Activity 4: Reality show ........................................................................... 68

Activity 5: Mobility .................................................................................. 71

Activity 6: Food, Obesity and Anorexia ................................................... 73

Activity 7: TV commercials...................................................................... 75

Pedagogical objectives ......................................................................................... 77

Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 78

CHAPTER 5

Data analysis ........................................................................................................ 79

The architecture and procedures of data management .......................................... 79

Looking beyond the bounds of our perception ..................................................... 84

Reflection and Analysis: a triggering point ............................................. 84

The person’s stance towards the world ................................................... 90

Strategic engagement in learning-goals completion ............................................ 96

Conceiving ideas towards an objective ................................................... 97

Developing and implementing ideas ..................................................... 103

CHAPTER 6

Conclusions .......................................................................................................... 110


Implications for Further Research and Pedagogical Practices ............................. 114

REFERENCES ............................................................................................................. 116

APPENDIXES .............................................................................................................. 128


Table of Figures

Figure 1: Cognitive domain (Learning Taxonomy) ............................................ 12

Figure 2: Changes in the Taxonomy of Learning ............................................... 13

Figure 3: Affective domain (Learning Taxonomy) ............................................. 15

Figure 4: Observational Journal – Sample .......................................................... 40

Figure 5: Student’s artifact – Sample .................................................................. 42

Figure 6: Student’s reflective journal – Sample .................................................. 44

Figure 7: Questionnaire – Sample ....................................................................... 46

Figure 8: Students’ virtual tool – Screenshot ...................................................... 60

Figure 9: Student’s artifact – Vocabulary ........................................................... 61

Figure 10: Student’s reflective journal - Sample ................................................ 62

Figure 11: Student’s artifacts - Sample ............................................................... 62

Figure 12: Activity: Taking a second look – Basic level .................................... 64

Figure 13: Activity: Taking a second look – Difficult level ............................... 65

Figure 14: Activity: Are you controlled by media? ............................................ 66

Figure 15: Activity: Creating media ................................................................... 68

Figure 16: Activity: Reality show – Surviving in a desert island ....................... 70

Figure 17: Activity: Mobility .............................................................................. 72

Figure 18: Mobility poster .................................................................................. 72

Figure 19: Activity: Obesity................................................................................ 74

Figure 20: Activity: TV Commercials ................................................................ 76

Figure 21: ATLAS TI. Data Analysis Screenshot .............................................. 79


Figure 22: Microsoft Excel Worsheet ................................................................. 82

Figure 23: Category Analysis Network – ATLAS TI ......................................... 84

Figure 24: ATLAS TI – Reflection and Analysis Network ................................ 84

Figure 25: Evidence of Reflection Sample ......................................................... 80

Figure 26: Teacher’s journal: Observation of activities 1 and 7 ......................... 87

Figure 27: Tendencies Graph: Items 2,9,10, and 11. .......................................... 89

Figure 28: Student’s reflective journal – Evidence of reflection and analysis ... 90

Figure 29: ATLAS TI - Category Analysis Network.......................................... 84

Figure 30: Student’s reflective journal excerpts. Evidence of self-evaluation ... 91

Figure 31: Teacher’s journal. Excerpts related to self-evaluation ...................... 92

Figure 32: Student’s artifact sample – Analyzing media .................................... 93

Figure 33: Student’s artifact sample. Interpreting media. ................................... 94

Figure 34: Student’s reflective journal. Writing about media............................. 94

Figure 35: Tendency graphs. Items 6, 12, 22, and 25. ........................................ 95

Figure 36: ATLAS TI – Strategy Engagement Category Analysis Network...... 96

Figure 37: ATLAS TI - Conceiving Ideas Network ........................................... 97

Figure 38: Student’s artifact. Activities writing .................................................. 97

Figure 39: Student’s artifact. Planning and problem solving.. ............................ 98

Figure 40: Student’s reflective journal. Planning a presentation ........................ 99

Figure 41: Teacher’s observational journal. Aspects of student’s planning and

organization....................................................................................................... 100

Figure 42: Tendency graphs. Items 8, 16, 17, 18 and 19. ................................. 101

Figure 43: Student’s reflective journal. Planning and organization evidence .. 102


Figure 44: ATLAS TI - Developing ideas Network. ........................................ 103

Figure 45: Student’s artifact sample. Analyzing media. ................................... 105

Figure 46: Students’ presentation about media ................................................. 105

Figure 47: Teacher’s observational journal. Problem posing Excerpts. ........... 106

Figure 48: Tendency graphs. Items 3, 15, 24, and 28 ....................................... 107

Figure 49: Student’s reflective journal. Excerpts related to planning a solution for an

obstacle in learning. .......................................................................................... 108


Table of Charts

Chart 1: Dimensions of autonomy. Characteristics of autonomous learners ....... 81

Chart 2: Research project – Data analysis and architecture ................................. 83


Table of Appendixes

Appendix A ........................................................................................................ 128

Appendix B ........................................................................................................ 131

Appendix B1 ................................................................................................ 131

Appendix B2 ................................................................................................ 132

Appendix B3 ................................................................................................ 133

Appendix C ........................................................................................................ 134

Appendix C1 ............................................................................................... 134

Appendix C2 ................................................................................................ 135

Appendix D ........................................................................................................ 136

Appendix E ........................................................................................................ 137

Appendix F ......................................................................................................... 138

Critical Analysis of media towards the promotion of EFL Students’ Learning Autonomy 1

CHAPTER I

Introduction

It has been widely recognized that knowledge, the way we acquire it, how we

understand it and how we use it is the cornerstone of all institutions of higher education

around the world. Universities are more than factories of information and employees, they

should encourage people to see beyond their perspectives and enhance students’ potential

as human beings (Mandelson, 2009, para. 4). Freire referred to this objective of education

in the publication PEDAGOGY OF THE OPPRESSED (1970, p. 87) by stating that people

should be able to “read not only the ‘word’, but the ‘world’ ” and then “become writers of

their own stories”. In this sense, universities play an essential role since they are meant to

“equip students for lifelong learning” (Boud and Falchikov, 2006, p. 31) and give them the

tools to express their thoughts, opinions, ideas, and make “clear, reasoned judgments”

regarding not only the circumstances that surrounds them, but also their own being (Beyer,

1995, p. 272). This is, then, a pivot point where teachers and students are called to shift

from traditional methods of teaching and learning to an scenario where students have an

opportunity to keep on learning in a setting different to the formal one (Field, 2007), and

also get the ability to make decisions in an independent way, thinking of the possibilities to

act and the consequences of their actions (Little, 1991). That scenario is called autonomy in

learning.

Raya, Lamb, and Vieira (2007) state that the notion of autonomy in learning is

coextensive with the notion of critical thinking (p.43). These abilities are correlated, and

both concepts are considered to be ideal at the moment of determining educational

objectives (Nix and Pemberton, 2012). In order to motivate students to set their objectives


in learning not only English as a foreign language but any other subject, as well as helping

them strengthen their ability to think judgmentally about the universe surrounding us, I

propose the Critical analysis of media and its features of reasoning and reflection about the

information presented through this source as a path to promote autonomous learning

practices in the EFL language classroom.

Statement of the problem

The English as a foreign language program at Universidad Distrital was created in

2010 as part of the internationalization of higher education politics promoted by the

ministry of education (Acuerdo 008 – 2010). The teaching of foreign languages was

conceived as a prior strategy to contribute to the strengthening of academic programs

quality, and so as an essential part in the development of students’ basic competences. The

implementation of this program in the university implied the promotion of students’

autonomy to choose formative activities according to their interests and motivations as well

as the access to different types of experiences and learning scenarios (Universidad Distrital,

2009). This philosophy is intertwined with the university mission which aims at generating

and spreading knowledge with autonomy and vocation, and also the opening of spaces for

reflection and pedagogical actions in response to the challenges that globalization demands

(As it can be seen in the university’s website).

As a teacher of English language who has been working for the Universidad

Distrital during the last three years and a half, I understand the importance of preparing my

students to face the demands of a world in constant change. For this reason, and with the

aim of helping students reach higher levels of professional and personal development as

well as looking for the accomplishment of the university mission, I started to inquiry about


practices of autonomy in learning. I came across a variety of sources that argued for the

importance of embracing these practices in order to help students identify goals, find ways

to achieve those goals, and monitor these processes not only as an alternative to learn

languages, but also as a skill for life. This initial interest led me to explore the situation

from the perspective of my colleagues, students, and examine the syllabus of the course.

During this inquiry I found that a considerable number of the activities done in the English

language classes entailed the practice of formal aspects of language such as grammar or

pronunciation, and they rarely invited students to search, filter, or evaluate information and

the means to get it. The course syllabus is based on the contents of the book established for

the English language program, and it somehow pushes teachers mainly to cover the course

topics on the given time. On the same track, students get access to a virtual platform by

means of an access code included in the same course book. The university proposes the

work on this platform as an opportunity for students to continue learning autonomously, but

in a platform designed to give students automatic answers and where teachers do not

participate directly, the practices related to autonomy are not evident and then students do

those activities alone just for the sake of the class grades.

Regarding the English language course, students commented that it is considered as

a difficult subject to learn and, in consequence, some students feel unmotivated before

classes start. Besides, some students see little value in the course or its content since they

do not find a practical use in their daily or immediate future lives; It is for this reason that

their comments relate the English language subject as a “Materia de relleno” (See appendix

A), and hence many of them take the subject as a mandatory component of the career.

When some of them start classes, they pay more attention to grades rather than learning

outcomes, ignoring other advantages that learning has in their lives such as growing up as


human beings, or getting skills to perform better in their labor and social contexts. Students

also see the virtual platform activities as additional homework as well as a possibility to

increase grades instead of a chance to identify their strengths and weaknesses in their

learning process. At the end, students entrust their whole learning process on their teachers.

Engaging students in contextualized and meaningful learning seems to be the way to help

students in their English language learning process, and more importantly, in their

strengthen of autonomous practices that can provide them with the basis to solve problems,

make judgements and decisions, set goals, reason effectively and get the charge of their

own learning (Benson, 2002). This way students can get the basic abilities to succeed in a

world in constant change (Partnership for 21st century skills, 2009).

The situation exposed before led me to think of an alternative to promote students’

autonomous practices in the English as a foreign language class. When having those

conversations with my students (See appendix A), I noticed they talked about different

Information and Communication Technologies as a possibility to keep learning in places

different to the university. Students used videos, audio files, movies, TV series, they had

contact with advertisement, and despite the fact that they have the intention to learn just

English language, they use these technologies without being aware of the multiple kinds of

information, ideas and messages it transmits. In a society saturated with means to convey

information like the one we live in, it is essential to be aware of the information we can

find, how to access them, as well as how to interpret it (Semali, 2005). If people get the

skills to decipher the information found on media, they will be able to make better

decisions, reinforce or question beliefs, and determine plans of action towards the

accomplishment of goals, which are essential aspects that characterize an autonomous

learner (McBrien, 2005). The use of media became interesting for me in virtue of its


potential to engage students in the dynamics of the English language class by aiming at

their interests, guiding them to gain awareness of their learning process and, additionally,

helping them enhance different literacy practices that ICTs can potentially promote. It is for

this reason that I propose the Critical analysis of media (or media literacy), and its worth to

deconstruct, construct messages, shape, reflect, and reinforce knowledge of the self and the

environment across printed and electronic audio-visual forms (Silverblatt, 2001, p. 16) as

an alternative to help students become better English language users, media consumers and,

particularly, authorities of their learning processes. This critical analysis is a means to

support students’ development of their ability “for detachment, critical reflection, decision

making, and independent action” (Little, 1991, p. 4), an ability acknowledged as autonomy,

that is hence, “considered important not only for their individual life but also in social

matters that influences our social and collective lives” (Benson, 2001, p. 27). Taking into

consideration the situation presented before, I present this study which aims to address the

following research question:

Research Question

What aspects of learning autonomy are unveiled through critical analysis of media

in an EFL class at Universidad Distrital?

Research Objective

The question aforementioned guides the research project towards the following

purpose:

To explore the aspects of learning autonomy generated when analyzing media

critically in an English Language class.


Significance of the Study

As teachers, we experience different in-class situations that constantly challenge our

creativity and innovation skills. Sometimes we find students who do not seem to engage in

class, students who pay more attention to their electronic devices rather than the

information presented, as well as students who show reluctant to use English language in

class work. We cannot affirm that it is students’ lack of responsibility or interest what

makes them behave that way. There are several factors that may affect their learning

process and unfortunately we do not always become aware of them. I wonder what would

happen if we carry out some changes in our classroom to motivate them to learn. Most of us

have speculated about that, and the soul of this research project is precisely to explore a

different alternative to reach this educative goal.

This project aims at providing students an opportunity to identify and develop the

capacity they possess to make decisions, to act independently and also to reflect in a critical

way (Little, 1991, p.4). These abilities can potentially lead them to better interaction with

their environment and all the ones involved in it, to learn from their mistakes and use them

to move forward, and also to find ways to continue learning even when they are not in

class. In this order of ideas, I consider the analysis of media though critical lenses as an

option that, included in the pedagogy of the class, can help students develop autonomous

learning practices that could help them gain awareness of their own, how they think, and

how they relate with their setting. In addition, this research document shows teachers a

reality present in educational contexts, how students tend to rely on them to follow a

learning process, and so present a pedagogical alternative to integrate Information and

Communication Technologies in the language learning context. The project also aims to


motivate students to get control of their education proceedings, to become conscious of

their learning process and for teachers to reflect on their pedagogical practices.

Carette & Castillo’s (2004) commented that the key elements of language learning

were “Awareness raising, reflection and learners’ empowerment” (p. 73). Their statement

encloses the philosophy behind learning autonomy and, at the same time, becomes an

invitation to explore another course of action in our pedagogical practices. Their assertion

turned into a leading quote for this project. As a result of this fact, this research project

aims to contribute to the field of language learning by unveiling the characteristics of

learning autonomy that could be promoted through the development of activities focused on

critical analysis of media in the EFL class. The experiences, anecdotes and difficulties

faced in the development of the project are described in this document, as well as the way

in which student’s perceived the integration of ICTs in their language learning context and

their opinion about the critical analysis of media as an alternative to promote learning

autonomy. When reading this document, I hope language teachers in a local and

international context gain a greater understanding of the concept of autonomy in learning,

come up with new ideas related to how to approach learning and teaching in the English

language classroom, identify some benefit of using information and communication

technologies in the classroom, and find reasons to switch the classical paradigm of

classroom from teacher-based to student-based. The information presented in this project is,

additionally, expected to be considered as a way to improve the English course design we

have now at Universidad Distrital.


CHAPTER II:

Literature Review

This chapter introduces two main constructs that support this research project: The

concept of learning, as a fundamental principle in individual education and lifelong

growing, Autonomy in learning, and the role teachers and students have in the process. The

idea of helping students become autonomous, and so critical thinkers, is contemplated as a

great necessity for the society because future challenges students will face in academic and

in social terms will demand, in between others, these abilities. This section, firstly, will

include the most representative discussions regarding learning, its importance as a lifelong

process, how it is related to the notion of Autonomy, and a brief analysis of the roles

involved in the process. Though this chapter I expect to discuss the fundaments that support

this research project in pursuance of a detailed perception and deeper understanding of the

proposal.

Learning for a lifetime

As human beings, we are in constant interaction with a universe of experiences that

give shape to the way we think and act. That background, the acquisition of experiences

and the increase of the same is what we normally denominate as learning. A formal

definition of learning, as the one we can find in the Online Merriam-Webster dictionary

(n.d.), states that it is “the activity or process of gaining knowledge or skill by studying,

practicing, being taught, or experiencing something”. Some other definitions in the same

dictionary describe this as a process of constant modification in the way we behave, and all

these changes have an origin in the set of experiences we have collected when interacting

with different situations and in different contexts. Learning comes up as part of our own


development, it happens in every single moment of our existence, it is present in all the

situations we have to face every day, and it is a process that is going to be with us until the

end of our days in this world.

There is a common misperception nowadays about what learning means. For many

people in our society learning is nothing more than getting a certificate from an institution

in order to fulfil required qualifications for a job (Hyslop-Margison & Naseem, 2007). This

may be the consequence of a traditional, but globalized idea of education as a transactional

process which involves students as recipients of information so as to fit adequately in a

parameterized-productive social order (Freire, 1970). Freire (2014) comments in this

regards that the world is not a “Static and closed order” but a “problem to be solved and

worked” (p. 32). This problem comes from the lack of understanding of those roots which

attain us to our human part, instead of that mechanical and operative life we are immersed

in. We need to widen our understanding of the world by giving relevance to the human

capacity of recognition, evaluation and critical reflection. This is a world in constant

change which is slowly challenging people’s thoughts and abilities towards the

development of the self in a wide variety of scenarios: personal, intellectual, and social.

Learning for a lifetime arises as a personal need, and as a hope for a better future world.

There is plenty of thought regarding the different dimensions of learning, their

characteristics, and there are also researchers who have devoted time to defining them. The

most representative is Benjamin Bloom. His taxonomy of learning domains, created in

1956, was designed to promote higher forms of thinking in education, such as analyzing

and evaluating, instead of just relying on the mere fact of remembering specific data.

Bloom’s committee originally proposed that learning happened in Cognitive and in

Affective dimensions, and researchers such as Harrow (1972) and Dave (1970) collaborated


in the development of competing systems for another dimension denominated as the

Psychomotor domain. Further studies done by researchers like David Krathwohl (1964)

and Anita Harrow (1972) identified other aspects that characterize these dimensions. All

the dimensions presented can be also considered as objectives in the learning process, and

so they result in the acquisition of skills, knowledge and attitudes. Having a deeper

comprehension of the dimensions will help us understand the potential of this research

project, and the ways in which the work proposed in the EFL classroom can benefit

students. For the sake of the research proposal presented in this research document, the

Cognitive and Affective dimensions are to be explained below:

The Cognitive Domain

When thinking of this domain, we identify that it involves knowledge and the

development of intellectual skills (Bloom, 1964). In this domain, human beings are able to

recognize and recall facts, procedural patterns, and concepts that become useful in the

development of intellectual abilities and skills. Bloom proposed six major categories which

relate simple and complex behaviours in a hierarchical order. These categories are expected

to be mastered in order for the next to take place.

In the cognitive domain, the main objective is to gain a detailed comprehension of

information through questioning or practical activities. It is composed by six levels,

classified from the simplest to the most complex. Namely, we can find knowledge,

comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation:

Knowledge is defined as the reminiscences of previously acquired information. This

level talks about the way in which we resort to data we learned from specific facts

or past experiences in order to bring to mind the appropriate information.

Knowledge is represented as the lowest level of learning in the cognitive domain


(Sweetland, n.d.). This level of cognition becomes evident at the moment when we

remember facts, details, and also when we can use that information to make a

description.

Comprehension is defined by Sweetland (n.d.) as the process of detecting the

meaning of information. This process implies the analysis and consciousness of

situations in relation to the parameters and problems presented in them, and

accordingly, the consequences of the actions we decide to take to overcome those

issues. Through this level, a person is able to understand instructions and steps in a

procedure, or explain how a plan is expected to be carried out.

Application refers to the fact of putting into practice the acquired knowledge in new

and specific situations. This level includes the application of rules, methods,

concepts, principles, laws, and theories (Sweetland, n.d.). Taking grammar rules

learned in class, using technological tools to find the information necessary to

develop a task, or interpreting the messages behind media sources can be taken as

confirmation of development in this level.

Analysis is, according to Sweetland (n.d.), connected with the deconstruction of

information into pieces with the aim of understanding how the information is

organized. When we identify the pieces that compose the whole of information, we

are able to analyze how they are linked, and also how they relate to each other in

hierarchical terms. At this cognitive level we can detect mistakes in the information

provided to us. In the world of information and communication technologies, where

we are bombarded by hundreds and hundreds of ads and propaganda, keeping this

ability active will help us gain a better comprehension of the intentions and

objectives behind that information we receive.


Synthesis is, according to the definition proposed by the International Assembly for

Collegiate Business Education (IACBE, n.d.), the ability to put together parts of

information with the objective of constructing new data. This level implicates

communicating ideas, and making emphasis on the meaning or structure of them.

Writing a report explaining a plan to solve certain inconvenient, integrating

information from different sources, or exposing the results of an investigation are

considered as facts that document the development on this area.

Last but not least, we have Evaluation as the highest level of cognition. At this level

people should judge and value the information they have, and the extent to which

that information can be relevant at the moment of pursuing any goal. It implies that

aspects of the aforementioned cognitive levels must be present. Judging that

information should be based on specific criteria, and they can be either “internal or

external criteria” (IACBE, n.d.).

Figure 1. Taxonomy of learning. Cognitive domain. Taken from

http://www.sandhills.edu/faculty-staff/syllabus/taxonomies.php

Certain modifications and revisions to the theory suggest a slight change in the

levels proposed by Bloom. The Evaluation level was downgraded, and its original place in


the scale was taken by Synthesis, with the new name of Creating. Lorin Anderson (2001)

was the head behind these changes, where Creating becomes the cognitive level in which

the construction, design and production of information take place.

Figure 2. Taxonomy of learning. Changes from original to revised taxonomy.

Taken from http://iacbe.org/oa-blooms-taxonomy.asp.

The kind of actions that evidence learning in this level are, as well, related to the

basic skills that autonomous learners demonstrate. Autonomous learners have the

characteristic of being able to “transcend the barriers between learning and living” (Little,

1995, p. 175). It is, in other words, leaving behind the obstacles in learning towards the

accomplishment of one’s own goal as a consequence of the increase in the levels of

cognition.

The Affective Domain

The affective domain (Krathwohl, Bloom, Masia, 1964) refers to the way by which

we deal with situations from an emotional perspective. It implies that the attitude we have


to confront any event, the feelings we get and our values are the aspects present in this

domain. There are five categories organized in order of complexity: receiving, responding,

valuing, organization, and characterization. Let us have a glance at each category in order

to have a better comprehension of what they imply:

Receiving is related to the awareness of the existence of certain ideas,

material, or phenomena (Krathwohl et al, 1964). At this level students notice

the presence of information, reacting to it. When we are able to differentiate,

to accept, to listen and to respond we are experiencing this category.

Responding refers to the degree of commitment a person has when reacting

to the ideas or situations exposed. In a learning context, this cognitive level

requires active participation from students as their willingness to volunteer

in activities, the motivation they have when participating in them, and the

level of satisfaction they reach after them turn to be evidence of this

category.

Valuing is the fact of giving worth to the ideas or the information exposed

by others, as well as the inner desire to feel acknowledged by others in the

same terms. Practical examples of this category are identified when people

engage in debates, support concepts, or are recognized as proficient.

Organization drives at the order of values, and they become a kind of filter

which classifies ideas and thoughts in order of importance and relevance.

The moment when we propose a plan, or we share our opinion regarding any

given situation is also evidence of this category.

Characterization is connected with the way in which people personalize the

acquired information, and modify their behavior in accordance to their


perceptions of those ideas. This level also implies the use of other categories

because people receive the information, and after digesting that information

they are able to filter and prioritize parts of it to accept or reject them.

Figure 3. Affective domain. Taxonomy of learning according to

Krathwohl. Taken from http://www.sandhills.edu/faculty-

staff/syllabus/taxonomies.php

We all, as constant learners, consciously and unconsciously make use of our

feelings at the moment of interacting with different situations and ideas. The experiences

we gain in terms of this cognitive domain of learning become consequently an affective

filter which strains information and segregates it, helping us decode information in certain

ways. When we think of our behavior towards learning, the level of engagement and the

perceptions we have in relation to it, we realize we use our affective domain.

Some kinds of learning imply more cognitive processing than others. Regarding

Bloom's taxonomy, skills involving analysis, evaluation and synthesis (creation of new

knowledge) are considered to be higher-order thinking skills. Chaffee (2009) and Santrock

(2008) comment in this regards that thinking helps people in various daily issues such as


finding solutions to problems, reaching particular or general objectives, and making

decisions. Researchers argue for the importance of promoting higher-order thinking skills

in ESL and EFL classrooms (Chamot, 1995; Tarvin & Al-Arishi, 1991) because this

practice challenges learners to think in a critical and creative way, and consequently they

adopt a critical attitude to understand the world. According to Raya, Lamb, and Vieira

(2007) the fact of thinking in a critical way, the aspects involved in that process and the

benefits of the same are intertwined with the idea of autonomy, and in the same way, Little

(1991) explained that the ability “for detachment, critical reflection, decision making, and

independent action” (p. 4) can define what autonomy is. Both definitions indicate that

autonomy implies critical thinking apart from other skills. The term autonomy, the main

construct of this research project, will be analyzed next.

The leaders of our own learning: ourselves.

In 1991, David Little defined learning autonomy as “a matter of the learner’s

psychological relation to the process and content of learning – a capacity for detachment,

critical reflection, decision-making, and independent action” (p. 4). It is the willingness to

“act independently and in cooperation with others, as a socially responsible person” (Dam,

1994, p.1). The concept of autonomy in education has been the core of investigation in

different areas for the last years. Disciplines including educational reform, adult education,

and the psychology of learning in the twentieth century have also influenced the definition

of autonomy (Benson, 2001). It is in fact the idea of adult self-directed learning what led

researchers to propose theories and practices of autonomy back in the 1970s.

The terms learner autonomy and self-directed learning are usually taken as

synonyms, however, they are not the same though they share certain relation between them.


Little (1988) defines self-direction as the “the organization of learning” and autonomy as

“that state of independence in which the learner is able to and accepts to take full

responsibility for his learning” (p. 79). In Holec’s terms (1980), learner autonomy is a

capacity of the learner, while self-directed learning implies the learner to be in charge of the

own learning process. Additionally, Dickinson (1987), states that autonomy is “the

situation in which the learner is totally responsible for all of the decisions concerned with

his learning and the implementation of those decisions” and self-direction implies “a

particular attitude to the learning task, where the learner accepts responsibility for all the

decisions concerned with his learning …” (p. 11).

The concept of autonomous learning apparently had its origins in the past as

mentioned by Benson (2011), who quoted Galileo´s opinion about teaching and learning as

the fact that “You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within

himself”. The belief of guiding human beings to a certain kind of independence in terms of

knowledge acquisition had a shape then, and so the importance of giving learners the

chance to make decisions regarding the learning process they follow in times of change

about the conception of the world and the way in which humans communicate their

thoughts, ideas and opinions. In connection with this idea, Holec (1981) defined

autonomous learning as “the ability to take charge of one’s learning, to have, and hold, the

responsibility for all the decisions concerning all aspects of this learning” (p. 3). The

determination of objectives, the definition of contents and progressions, the selection of

methods and techniques to be used, the monitoring of the process of acquisition, and finally

the evaluation of what was acquired are then those decisions concerning learning (Holec,

1981). In a context of language learning such as the one presented through this research

project, practices like learning monitoring, decision-making, problem posing and others


involved in the application of autonomous learning are promoted through the exercise of

critical media analysis, with the aim of encouraging students to “independently choose

aims and purposes and sets goals; choose materials, methods and tasks; exercise choice and

purpose in organizing and carrying out the chosen tasks; and choose criteria for evaluation”

(Thanasoulas, 2000, p.2). This idea of autonomy in learning covers different aspects of

thinking, analyzing and creating that can be applied not only in the English language

learning context, but essentially as a lifetime ability. Jacobs and Farrell (2001) expressed

that the concept learning autonomy makes more emphasis on the learner’s role in the class,

out of the class, and his actions regarding the learning process. It focuses on the process

rather than the product and encourages learners to develop their own purposes for learning

and to see learning as a lifelong process. An autonomous learner is the one who is able to

build up on knowledge from direct experience, instead of the one who just answers to

directions (Benson, 2001). Autonomous learners have the characteristic of being able to

“transcend the barriers between learning and living” (Little, 1995, p. 175), which is, in

other words, being able to transfer knowledge from basic stages to wider contexts (Little,

1991).

I consider that guiding learners to a better comprehension of the world surrounding

them would give them the triggering point to empower their ability to analyze, understand

and propose action plans about the way they conceive their learning, their life and society. I

also inferred that the development of these abilities in the class would detach our

experience from the classical paradigm of teaching and learning, and consequently get to a

point where we feel “the freedom to learn outside the teaching context as well as the ability

to continue learning after instruction has finished” (Field, 2007, p.30). If we manage to

master these abilities in the EFL classroom, we will see “students’ capacity to use their


learning independently of teachers,” and their “capacity to communicate autonomously”

(Littlewood’s, 1996, p. 73). Further work is needed in the classroom so as to engage our

students in reflection and critical thinking as part of autonomy. “if learners are not trained

for autonomy, no amount of surrounding them with resources will foster in them that

capacity for active involvement and conscious choice, although it might appear to do so”

(Hurd, 1998, p.72). Autonomy does not emerge unexpectedly, but it is the result of certain

external conditions. “A self-instruction context for learning does not automatically equate

with learner autonomy, but autonomy may arise and develop within the learner as a

response to the specific demands of a self-instruction context” (White, 1995. p. 209). As it

was seen with learning taxonomy, autonomous learning is presented with its dimensions as

follows.

The dimensions of Learning Autonomy

The concept of autonomy should be viewed from different angles, for example,

technical, psychological, socio-cultural and political-critical (Benson, 1997). It is a

“multidimensional capacity which can take different forms for different individuals, and

even for the same individual in different contexts or at different times” (Benson, 2001,

p.47). In this regards, Hughes (2003) presented three main dimensions of autonomy related

to educational settings and taking into consideration different author’s ideas. He describes

the following dimensions: Personal, Rational and Relational.

Personal Autonomy

Personal autonomy is described by taking into account two main authors: Amy

Allen and David Bridges. Namely, Allen (1992) defines personal autonomy as a “matter of

emotional maturity, self-reliance and moral integrity: respectively not being so emotionally


dependent on another that one cannot decide anything for oneself” (p. 48). She

complements this definition by mentioning that it is “the ability and will to organise oneself

and one’s life not depending on others to provide for oneself, and to be resolute and stand

by one´s convictions” (p.48). Other characteristics of personal autonomy include self-

awareness, self-evaluation or reflection. Furthermore, Bridges (1997) comments in relation

to personal autonomy that “…we have to reflect both on the character of our inner motives

and impulses and on the ways in which these may have been shaped and formed by external

influences and power structures” (p. 157). His words suggest that knowing ourselves

derives from being aware of how we are influenced by others and by external factors.

Hughes (2003) summarizes that personal autonomy is the idea of personal responsibility

and capacity, and that besides the characteristics mentioned above, this dimension of

autonomy includes action-planning, creativity and goal-setting. Given these points, we

proceed on analyzing each aspect regarding Personal Autonomy.

Self-assessment

There are different conceptions about the notion of self-assessment. Andrade and

Du (2007) state that Self-assessment is a process of formative assessment in which

“students reflect on and evaluate the quality of their work and their learning, judge the

degree to which they reflect explicitly stated goals or criteria, identify strengths and

weaknesses in their work, and revise accordingly” (p.160). Self-assessment is then the

ability to evaluate the own performance in relation to the own perception of accuracy and

quality standards. It is a phase where students think of their production, the process they

follow to accomplish it, and look for alternatives to improve. Self-assessment is a process

that can help students be ready not only to find a solution to the inconvenient they have had

before and that they already know how to solve, but also to those situations that can happen


unexpectedly (Brew,1995). This way, self-assessment becomes a vital lifelong learning

skill (Boud, 1995).

Action-planning and Goal-setting

According to Dawson and Guare (2003), the planning and organization process is an

ability that aims to create a complete, general, and detailed map to successfully achieve any

kind of goal, besides foreseeing all the possible problems and obstacles that can make this

process unreachable. Organizing the steps to develop a task, the methodology to follow, the

content or information to be used and also the resources are characteristics of action-

planning that can be evidenced in the EFL classroom. When students set a plan, they are

also setting goals. When students establish objectives in their learning process, and in the

way they think about developing a task, they “select effective learning strategies to reach

those goals, commit effort toward those goals, and celebrate the results of their

performances” (Rolheiser, Bower, & Stevahn, 2000, p. 77).

Self-regulation

Self-regulation is an important aspect of student learning and academic performance

in the classroom context. This aspect relates students' metacognitive strategies for previous

planning, ongoing monitoring of performance, and reflection on that performance in order

to modify the perceptions and ideas towards it (Zimmerman, 2000, p.16).

There is an inner relation between the main characteristics of Personal Autonomy.

When students establish their own learning goals, find motivation from within to

accomplish those goals and regulate their actions and procedures during the process,

students are more likely to face and overcome difficulties in learning and are likely to find

gratification in learning (Wolters & Rosenthal, 2000).


Rational Autonomy

Allen (1992) and Winch (1999) agree on the fact that rational autonomy is a product

of enlightenment thinking. The basis of this dimension relies on the idea that people should

be “free to determine their own beliefs and practices, and as such education should not

attempt to authoritatively present these” (Hughes, 2003, p. 2). This dimension proposes that

teachers should encourage learners to become critical and analytical so that they can “arrive

at their beliefs rationally, and contribute to the further development of knowledge and

understanding” (Hughes, 2003, p. 2). Hughes also defines this dimension as the idea of

autonomy ideas, through critical thinking. Among its different features we can find

metacognitive processes, and the own desire of discovering and judging learning resources.

One by one, I proceed to define each aspect related rational autonomy as follows.

Metacognition

Commonly defined as “thinking about thinking” (Rolheiser, Bower, & Stevahn,

2000, p. 32), metacognition refers to the capacity to understand thinking processes and how

they occur in order to gain the skills to complete a task or achieve a goal. “Students who

have acquired metacognitive skills are better able to compensate for both low ability and

insufficient information” (Rolheiser et all, 2000, p. 34). For Hennessey (1999)

Metacognition is “Awareness of one’s own thinking, awareness of the content of one’s

conceptions, an active monitoring of one’s cognitive processes, an attempt to regulate one’s

cognitive processes in relationship to further learning, and an application of a set of

heuristics as an effective device for helping people organize their methods of attack on

problems in general” (p. 3). When students are engaged in reflection about themselves, in

thinking about the objective of learning, and the value social contexts, Students are engaged

in metacognition (Brown, 1987).


According to Wenden (1998), metacognition results in “knowledge that includes all

facts learners acquire about their own cognitive processes as they are applied and used to

gain knowledge and acquire skills in varied situations” (p. 34). With this statement, we can

conclude that the practice of metacognition in the EFL classroom brings about skills used

for planning, monitoring, and evaluating the learning activity. Cook (1993) establishes that

“They are strategies about learning rather than learning strategies themselves” (p. 114) that

occur in and out the classroom when students focus on aspects related to their work, when

they pay careful attention to details within their work, when they participate in class and

monitor their performance, and additionally when they evaluate that performance to

conclude whether it was what they expected. It implies the self-questioning in terms of the

identification of steps to accomplish a goal, and inquiries regarding "How am I doing? Am

I having difficulties with this task?" and so on. As a consequence, it shows a “capacity for

active, independent learning…. for critical reflection and decision making, as well as the

skills necessary to carry out a self-directed learning programme” (Dickinson, 1995, p. 167).

This capacity is, basically, what defines an autonomous learner.

Judging the Value of sources

The evaluation of learning sources its content and structure is also known as

Information Literacy. This term can be explained as the capacity to find, evaluate and

accurately use the information in hand (Webber, Boon & Johnston, 2006). It is the ability to

identify the right moment to use the information with the purpose of communicating

thoughts and ideas. Zurkowski (1974) and Moon (2008) comment in this regards that we

constantly fight against an excess of information, and this fact has exceeded our capacity to

filter it. In order to work with this information, the ideas and concepts presented, it is


necessary to accumulate enough reasons to evaluate the sources and so being informed

enough to choose the best.

Relational Autonomy

Relational autonomy is defined by Mackenzie and Stoljar (2000) as “…the ways in

which socialization and social relationships impede or enhance an agent’s capacities for

autonomy” (p. 22). They also suggest that autonomy’s development may be blocked due to

three aspects: the formation of desires, beliefs and emotional attitudes, the development of

competencies and capacities for autonomy, and the person´s ability to make autonomous

choices. Hughes (2003) concludes that this dimension is “the idea that autonomy in

learning has a social context” (p. 2) since its development depends drastically on the

awareness that learners develop of the possible barriers they might find in social contexts,

and the importance of interaction in their learning process.

Relational autonomy considers that people are participants of a society, and that this

relation with social contexts entails race, class, gender, and ethnicity issues that influence

their identities (Hughes, 2003, p. 3). It is explained by Murray (2014) as the immersion and

contact with social situations, understood as “spaces”. For Murray (2014), “how learners

imagine a space to be, perceive it, define it, and articulate their understandings transforms a

space into a place, determines what they do there, and influences their autonomy” (p. 81).

This social perspective of autonomy is based on the social interactionism

perspective, which establishes that we do not learn in isolation, but with the collaboration

of others (Vygotsky, 1978). Furthermore, Kohonen (1992) and Little (1996) reflected about

the idea of collaboration in social interaction as part of learning, and concluded that it was

elemental for learner autonomy since it allows the development of reflective and analytic


skills. These abilities “depend on the internalization of a capacity to participate fully and

critically in social interactions” (Little, 1996, p. 211). Kohonen (1992) concluded that

autonomy required social interaction because “Personal decisions are necessarily made with

respect to social and moral norms, traditions, and expectations. Autonomy thus includes the

notion of interdependence that is being responsible for one's own conduct in the social

context: being able to cooperate with others and solve conflicts in constructive ways”. (p.

19). This interdependence is seem as fundamental in the EFL classroom not only as a way

to interpret the direct learning context we are in, but also to expand the notion of issues at

the social context of that learning (Benson, 2001).

Critical Thinking

In times of globalization and technology improvement, the learning objective in current

education processes has changed from being focused on restrained pieces of information to

the knowledge of the world; active pedagogies in the classroom are needed so as to help

students get engaged in an education path looking for progress, self- empowerment, and a

vision beyond borders expecting change and evolution (Blackler, 1995). The eagerness to

identify the world, to read it, and to understand its involvedness emerges as an innate desire

housed in the deep roots of our thought (Wink, 2005). Our nature guides us to name our

environment, to find ways to define it as it actually is and to reflect on the

interconnectedness of its processes with the experiences of all living entities related to it

(Freire, 1970). The need to see the world and comprehend it from different perspectives in

order to decide what to believe and also how to act within is, according to Ennis (1985),

what defines critical thinking. Facione (2011) explains that critical thinking is “purposeful,

self-regulatory judgment which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference,


as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, or

contextual considerations upon which that judgment is based" (p. 26). It is a human ability

that allows us to face difficulties by analyzing them with careful lenses, and also gives us

the chance to open our minds to reinforce or reconsider our beliefs, ideas, perceptions and

conclusions based on the facts we discover from our daily lives (Willingham, 2007). In

respect to this notion of critical thinking, Chaffee (2009) that the aim of critical thinking is

to guide people to make “more intelligent decisions”, being able to recognize the outside

world, an judging it with “important ideas” (p.43). When people think critically, they

develop the ability to speculate about the information they have, and as a consequence, they

become better information analyzers as well as effective communicators (Paul & Elder,

2006). The world requires now people with this ability among many others, people

committed to thinking carefully towards the formulation concepts, ideas, and beliefs

(Mulnix, 2010), people who responsibly look for the growing of mind, the enrichment of

intellect, and the development of the individuals as human beings.

Analyzing media with critical eyes

Media is, in essence, all the channels that bring the information to us. When

thinking about media, we usually recall the classical means of mass communication such as

television, or newspaper; however, we are now exposed to hundreds of means to transmit

information. They are almost everywhere, when we walk on the street and we see posters,

when we are checking our email and get junk mail, or when we listen to the latest hits on

the radio. The bunch of information we collect in our minds every single day must be

analyzed in detail, and consequently, segregated in order to dispose what is not worth for

us. This is an ability that we can acquire with constancy, consciousness and time; an ability

that is applicable not only in social contexts, but also in academic ones (Kellner & Share,


2005). The ability to analyze media critically is generally addressed as Media literacy.

Media literacy, in educational contexts, invites learners to become critical users of the

means of communication, being analytical in the way they interpret the information, and

also becoming careful producers of information. (Buckingham, 2003). Analyzing media

critically also “expands the notion of literacy to include different forms of mass

communication and popular culture as well as deepens the potential of education to

critically analyze relationships between media and audiences, information and power. It

involves cultivating skills in analyzing media codes and conventions, abilities to criticize

stereotypes, dominant values, and ideologies, and competencies to interpret the multiple

meanings and messages generated by media texts” (Kellner & Share, 2007, p. 4). Media

literacy helps us understand that there is a wider concept of the word text, and that it goes

beyond mere written symbols and graphs included in media forms (Thoman & Jolls, 2005).

When analyzing media from a critical perspective in the classroom, students learn how to

find meaning in the information they find across various forms of media, and additionally,

they will find the tools to create new pieces of information with responsibility, ethics and

consciousness (Livingstone, 2003). In the same order of ideas, the practice of critical media

analysis in teaching and learning contexts incorporates many elements from multiple

literacies such as computer literacy, information literacy and cultural literacy (Ibid, 2003).

The benefits of analyzing media from a critical perspective do not merely refer to the

ability of coding and decoding messages with awareness of the information within them;

they frame a set of abilities, knowledge management and work habits that are valued in our

actual world (21st century skills).


Studies regarding this research topic

Some research has been done in relation to the area of studies presented in this

research document. On the one hand, we can mention Baldion’s research project (2013)

called “learning styles and reading modes in the development of language learning

autonomy through cyber tasks”. This study included the use of digital genres as a tool for

language learning. In her research she identified that teaching and learning skills related to

information literacy and the adequate use and interpretation of media sources are a key

component in society nowadays, and that was shown by the participants in the study since

their use of technological tools evidenced improvement in relation to skills such as

knowing how to select, organize and use information with the aim of finding solutions to

issues. According to Baldion (2013), those abilities mentioned before become the starting

point and to basic competencies needed for continuous and autonomous learning.

On the other hand, the report of the partnership for 21st century skills (2009) claims

for the importance of learning environments, including the ones mediated by technological

tools, as a way to develop media literacy and critical thinking skills. When this process is

done, the teaching and learning of 21st century skills are supported in the sense of gaining

“mastery of 21st century interdisciplinary themes, learning and innovation skills, and

information, media, and technology skills” (p. 10). The report also suggests that, this kind

of work, promotes practices that enhance lifelong learning.

In the field of critical thinking, and taking as a reference local research, Pineda

(2004) proposed a pedagogical innovation that aimed at helping students in a private

university of Colombia foster English language competence as well as the stimulation of

students’ critical thinking skills. Through tasks, students were exposed to different learning

situations that led them to struggle with English language in a positive context, bringing


forward students’ knowledge and expertise not only in the language area but in their

capacity to apply critical thinking skills. Pineda (2004) assumed that life-learning

experiences contributed considerably to the strengthening of critical thinking skills, inviting

teachers in the EFL field to modify pedagogical practices towards the promotion of critical

thinking in the classroom as a way to guide students to develop other learning abilities in

conjunction with the notion of social responsibility.

To conclude, the studies presented before imply that the analysis of media sources

learners are involved with potentiate continuous practices of autonomous learning. This

idea is also supported by Butler (2010), who asserts that the work on the analysis of media

in the classroom challenges the roles of teacher and student in the classroom by providing

learners more control and ownership of their learning process. She also states that critical

media analysis is lashed to participatory democracy and construction of knowledge in a

collaborative process between teachers and students, and the support in the process “begins

the route to autonomous learning” (p. 36).


CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH DESIGN

The review of literature made me think of the influence that technology has in

education processes, especially when talking about university students who are going to

face a world full of challenges and in constant evolution. It is a tool that presents

information of any kind, it is a means to communicate to a world that sometimes is just

based on the conceptions and beliefs of some people. On this subject Hall (2001) states that

available technologies, our perceptions of those technologies, and how they are used will

determine the shape of our world. Future students will encounter in the development and

application of technology a great defiance which will test their knowledge, but they will

also find a tool full of information that they will need to analyze carefully from different

perspectives, including the Critical one. It is vital to help them get the ability to

successfully pass those obstacles and achieve their goals, not only in their professional lives

but also in their learning path as human beings. Taking these basic facts into consideration,

the present study informs about the application of a Critical perspective to analyze media in

the English language classroom, and the experiences that emerge from this looking forward

to the promotion of learners’ autonomy in the English language class.

This chapter is presented in five sections: First of all I will discuss the methodology

to be used in the study and the rationale for the same. After that, I will provide details

regarding the participants in the study and the selection criteria used. Then, I will offer

overviews of the data collection process. Next I will comment on how the data was

analyzed, and finally I will share the ethical considerations adopted for this research

project.


How to do this research project?

This research project is done by following the principles of the interpretative

qualitative case study methodology, considering the perspective of critical hermeneutics. In

this order of ideas, an exploration of the key terms that support this research projects

becomes fundamental in order to identify the reasons that led the research towards this

methodology.

The soul of the project: Qualitative Research

Shank (2002) defines qualitative research as “a form of systematic empirical inquiry

into meaning” (p. 5). Three key terms are found in his definition: Systematic, Empirical and

Inquiry into Meaning. The first term, systematic, means “planned, ordered and public”,

which is, in other words, to follow rules agreed by members of the qualitative research

community. The second term, empirical, indicates that this type of inquiry is grounded in

the world of experience. Finally, the term “Inquiry into meaning” specifies that researchers

try to understand how others make sense of their experience. In the same way, this research

project expects to explore the aspects of learner’s autonomy generated when working with

media, and the critical analysis of the same, in the English language class. This

implementation expects to involve students in an environment where they actively

participate in decision-making events, bringing to light their thoughts, and understanding

the experiences they have in the process. Denzin and Lincoln (2000) also claim that

qualitative research involves an interpretive and naturalistic approach: “This means that

qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or

to interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them” (p. 3). The soul of

this research project relies on understanding the extent to which the work with media, and


the critical analysis of it, can promote learners’ autonomy; in order to do it, we need to

depict students’ practices and try to read into their minds to find aspects of autonomy in the

context it takes place. Undoubtedly, the basis of this proposal is qualitative.

A Qualitative perspective in this Case Study

Many authors have contributed to the definition of case study. Merriam (1988), for

example, defined qualitative case study as “an intensive, holistic description and analysis of

a single entity, phenomenon or social unit. Case studies are particularistic, descriptive and

heuristic, and rely heavily on inductive reasoning in handling multiple data sources." (p.

16). Richards, Platt, and Weber (1985) state that Case study is “the study of the speech,

writing or language use of one person, either at one point in time or over a period of time,

e.g. the language acquisition of a child over a period of one year” (p. 36). In addition, a

case study is “an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within is

real-life context; when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly

evident; and in which multiple sources of evidence are used.” (Yin, 1984, p. 23). Adelman

(1980) describes the case study as an “instance drawn from a class” (p.3). Since case study

focuses on a particular situation, it becomes a perfect design to gain insights about a

phenomenon, and its specificity makes it an especially good design for practical problems

(Merriam, 1988). What do I want to achieve through this research project? I expect to

identify aspects of Autonomous learning through the Critical analysis of media in the

English language classroom at Universidad Distrital. Based on this premise we can assure

that we have a clear context for the study, and our number of participants become single

entities (as student-participants). There we will find multiple sources of evidence like the

Teacher’s observation journal, Students’ artifacts, a Follow-on Questionnaire and also a

Students’ journal. We will focus specifically on describing the experiences that six students


had, their beliefs and progress during the project, and what they conceive at the end of the

process.

In order to understand how the analysis of date was done, it is necessary to have in

mind that case study research has varieties of ways in which this can be done, Cavaye

(1996) mentioned that “Case research can be carried out taking a positivist or an

interpretive stance, can take a deductive or an inductive approach, can use qualitative and

quantitative methods, and can investigate one or multiple cases. Case research can be

highly structured, positivist, deductive investigation of multiple cases; it can also be an

unstructured, interpretive, inductive investigation of one case; lastly, it can be anything in

between these two extremes in almost any combination” (p. 277). In this regards, Darke et

al (1998) stated that using case study in research is useful when examining the context and

dynamics of a situation in new areas that have not been well-developed, like the one

presented in this project: the promotion of autonomous practices through critical analysis of

media. It is then the thorough understanding of the case in investigation what holds an

Interpretive Case Study, particularly talking, the case of six students in an EFL class at

Universidad Distrital and their experiences along the process towards fostering autonomy

skills.

According to Walsham (1995), an interpretive case study highlights the importance

of thick descriptions, he asserts that this kind of study does not report facts, but one’s own

interpretations of other people’s interpretations. It is not aimed at producing truth or social

laws, but it looks for generalizable findings. Walsham (1995) also proposes three ways to

use theory when doing an interpretative case study: “as an initial guide to design and data

collection (Built on previous knowledge, theory as “sensitizing device”), as part of an

iterative process of data collection and analysis (Initial theories being expanded, revised or


abandoned) or as a final product of the research” (p. 104). For this study in particular, the

experiences I have had with other students in the time I have been working for the

university became the previous knowledge that supports my research idea, as well, when

reading about Autonomy, the ways in which teachers can help students develop these skills

through classes, and the multiple benefits it has for them in the short and long term led me

to use theory as a guide in the research design. This also provided helpful ideas of ways to

collect and analyze data, which are explain along this chapter. I should say literature

provided me with a very general idea of Autonomy that was also shaped while I saw my

students working in the classroom during the project and further reading I did though the

same. I considered since the beginning of the project that being biased by theories would

somehow conduct the research project to fields that may have not considered the actual

situation students live at the present time. In this sense, Glaser and Strauss (1967) suggest

that it is not recommended to have a pre-defined theory at the first phases of a research

project.

The art of interpretation as transformation

As the main objective of this research project indicates, we are exploring emerging

aspects of learners’ autonomy through the critical analysis of Media as well as the

interpretation of student’s experiences and thoughts along the process. This act of

interpreting can be done on the basis of Hermeneutics. Ferraris (1996) defines hermeneutics

as "the art of interpretation as transformation" (p. 1), and in this regards, Rorty (1991)

comments that interpretation unveils how human beings understand the surrounding

context. Qualitative research is concerned with hermeneutics due to the fact that, in the

search of understanding and gaining comprehension of situations, phenomena o


information, researchers find themselves in an interpretation process. According to

Gadamer (1990), one essential idea behind hermeneutics is that even today, "over against

the whole of our civilization that is founded on modern science, we must ask repeatedly if

something has not been omitted …" (p.153). It is the concept of unveiling and discovering

opinions, ideas and thoughts what leads this research project, since it shows in a very

precise way what student-participants think and believe along the process. Kinsella (2006)

considers five characteristics of a hermeneutic approach that are also considered in this

research project: First, Hermeneutics “seeks understanding rather than explanation”; It

“acknowledges the situated location of interpretation”; It “recognizes the role of language

and historicity in interpretation”; It “views inquiry as conversation”; And finally it “is

comfortable with ambiguity” (Characteristics of a hermeneutic approach, para. 1). Through

this project I expect to understand and interpret the emerging aspects of learning autonomy

in the English classroom that come as a result of the critical analysis of media. In pursuance

of this objective, I should interpret students’ acting, their opinions, their ideas, and through

them I might unveil aspects that suggest improvement on this particular set of skills.

Features such as the context in which students are immersed, social conditions, their

background and prior knowledge play a very important role in the interpretation process. In

contemplation of these aspects, it is vital to get the picture of who students are, and some

characteristics of their learning environment.

Student-participants

People who participate in the study are six students from Universidad Distrital

Francisco José de Caldas who are taking the English language program “Segunda Lengua”

(as it was called by the university) as part of their academic process in their careers. The


University’s branch is located in the neighborhood “Candelaria la Nueva”, in a strata 2 and

3 zone surrounded by blocks of apartments and local shops. This branch is known as

“Facultad Tecnológica” (Faculty of technologic programs) and was opened in the sector on

February the 20th, 1995. This faculty was created as a way to provide people with ways to

access to high education due to the difficulties they have in the sector, to stimulate young

people with economic constrains to start their professional learning process by becoming

technicians in certain areas, and also to help the economic sector grow by preparing well-

prepared workforce. As it was mentioned in the statement of the problem (See Chapter 1),

the university’s objective is to “generate and spread knowledge with autonomy and

vocation”. Taking this goal into consideration, the university expects to help the

community by generating solutions to the problematics it faces at the moment (e.g.

violence, drug traffic and consumption, economy) by means of education projects aimed at

boosting individuals’ skills towards personal and professional growth. Due to the potential

of this research project in relation to the promotion of learner’s autonomy and its benefits in

different areas of the individuals, and also the deep connection it has with the university’s

mission, students from the English language class were invited to participate in this project.

Students in the English language course “Segunda Lengua” take two personalized

classes a week. Every class is done in a time of two hours. There are 3 levels of the course

which are seen each semester. Students decided in advance the time they prefer to take the

classes in accordance with the general schedule that also includes other subjects of their

career learning plan. Student-participants are teenagers and pre-adult people between 17

and 23 years old who take the English language course as part of the learning program set

by the university. They are three women and three men who have attended classes regularly

and have shown commitment and interest in the project.


Students participating in the study seem to lack previous preparation in terms of

language, despite some of them have had the chance to study English in other local

institutions. This case is sporadic and most of them come to the first level of English with

basic notions of English Language (For instance, they know some verbs, basic nouns and

some typical expressions used in class) which may be acquired from Elementary and High

school. Based on the characteristics of the population at Universidad Distrital, the selection

of participants was based on convenience sampling. Convenience sampling is the most

common type of sampling especially in education studies where the only criterion,

according to Dörnyei (2007), is the convenience of the researcher. The participants in this

kind of sampling are selected because they are the easiest to recruit for the study and the

researcher does not consider selecting participants that represent the entire population. For

the sake of this project, the six student-participants were invited and they decided to

participate in a volunteer way.

Students and teachers are encouraged to make use of technology as a practical and

interactive form to learn. However, in these days it is common to see students watching

videos, checking images and reading texts everywhere. I think technology can be used

beyond, and this tool can benefit students not only in their English learning process but also

in their process of growing as human beings, citizens and professionals. All information

that these Media sources provides us becomes an excellent opportunity to put into practice

our Critical thinking skills, and conjointly, to work to promote autonomous learning

practices.


How was data collected?

The characteristics of the course and the study itself make us think of different

alternatives to gather data to support the research project. On the one hand, we have

students’ artifacts stored in the wiki as the evidence of students’ participation

(“participation” understood as homework, oral practice, writing exercises and so on). On

the other hand, we think it is important to describe the situations undergoing in the class

from a different perspective. This description is based on observations made from the

learning process and all its features and is called Teachers’ observational journal. We can

document students’ thoughts and opinions through written pieces, and this supports the

existence of a Student’s Questionnaire. Finally, we have a Journal which has been written

by students along the learning process.

The first data source is Observation. Marshall (1984) defines observation as "the

systematic description of events, behaviors, and artifacts in the social setting chosen for

study" (p.79). Observations enable the researcher to describe existing situations using the

five senses, and by means of them, create a written portrait of the situation under study

(Erlandson, Harris, Skipper, & Allen, 1993). For this particular case, observation enables

the teacher-researcher to learn about the activities of the students in the natural setting

through witnessing and participating in class activities. It is what students do in the English

language classes at Universidad Distrital what is to be gathered through the researcher eye

of the teacher, who is the observer as well. Schensul and Lecompte (1999) define this kind

of observation done by participants as "the process of learning through exposure to or

involvement in the day-to-day or routine activities of participants in the researcher setting"

(p.91). What I did with this instrument was to observe the behavior, acting, reasoning, and

the values students demonstrated during the class, and through this observation to identify


the level of development of Autonomous learning practices and the strength of this skill. In

order to be as clear as possible, I had to be so specific in terms of the information to be

collected, and that is why Lanskhear and Knobel (2004) state that observation is a “detailed

description and interpretation of and event”. (p. 37). This EFL class information for this

project was gathered through written pieces such as texts, posters, and also through visual

media forms like videos, pictures, or graphics. All of this process took place in the classes,

since it is where I was present all the time, and also out of the class in a virtual way because

students constantly shared with me their homework, advances of projects, and personal

analysis of their work. By means of this teacher-participant observation, I expected to

collect information about the kind of activities done in class aimed at promoting autonomy,

and also to provide an overview of the class by mentioning the positive and negative

aspects of the same, the extent of achievement in terms of the goals set for the class, and

my opinion in relation to the benefits of analyzing media from a critical perspective

towards the promotion of autonomous practices in the EFL classroom. The information

comes from the answer to the following questions:

1. What Happened in your class? Mention positive and negative aspects.

2. How did you promote autonomy in your lesson? Give evidence.

3. Were your class objectives achieved?

4. If you had the chance to do your class again, would you do something

different? What?

5. How do you describe the work students did when analyzing the piece of

media selected for the class?


Figure 4. Observational Journal. Sample of Teacher’s observational

journal entry.

From this Teacher’s observational journal, I expected to relate the practices students

have within the class. The answers to these questions can potentially reveal the practices

students have in the classroom and so the extent to which they become aspects of

autonomy, the point to which the critical analysis of media enhances students autonomy,

and the aspects of autonomy that emerge from these situations.

The second data source is Artifacts. Artifacts are defined by Lanskhear and Knobel

(2004) as tools that make “emphasis on collecting pertinent “aspects”, “props” or

“products” used by research participants, or that are relevant to the problem being studied.

Artifacts come in different forms, including texts, videos, photographs, drawings and the

like”. (p.31). Lanskhear and Knobel also comment that artifacts help the construction of

contextualized data for a study. The information collected through this means provides

additional details that might give a clearer insight of the study. Artifacts are, in other words,

any kind of activity in the classroom as well as extra work for home that can be collected


and analyzed. For the sake of this project, students have on the internet access to a wiki in

which they are called to collect all their out-of-class activities. In that wiki they have three

different pages which serve for a special purpose. One page was called HOMEWORK. In

that page, they uploaded all the information related to homework and class activities they

did during the week. The kind of homework uploaded there comes mostly from student’s

initiative and it is assessed by the teacher researcher so as to fulfill the basic requirements

of topic practice. The page HOMEWORK was constantly monitored by the teacher since I

was in charge of providing the corresponding feedback. This page becomes a place of

reflection at the moment when teacher shares his comments because of the fact that it opens

an asynchronous space of dialogue between teacher and student towards the correction of

mistakes and the comprehension of topics in the English language (it all according to the

activities proposed for that week). When students upload their homework, they show how

much they have learnt from previous activities, they evidence the effort they put in the

completion of homework, they reveal the level of engagement they have, and they display

the extent to which the use of technological resources from a critical point of view helps

them improve their autonomous learning practices and so their English command. All of

these facts expose aspects of students’ autonomy in the learning process, and this data is

seen as fundamental for the support of this research project.


Figure 5. Student’s Artifact. Sample of student’s work.

The third data means is Students’ reflective journal. In the reflective journal

students are invited to share the experiences they had in their learning process, showing

details of that experience and the way that influenced in the accomplishment of their goals.

The literature indicates that writing reflective journals enhances critical thinking, the

integration of theory with practice, and that it promotes professional growth (Brown and

Sorrell, 1993). In addition, reflective journals do not only evidence content knowledge

understanding, but they also reveal aspects of reflection, professional judgment and

application, critical self-reflection, and self-awareness enhancement (Biggs, 1999). This

journal is guided by ten questions that are aimed to gather information regarding study

habits, self-regulation, self-evaluation, action planning, and awareness of the learning

context, goal setting and the perspectives students have regarding the work done about

Critical analysis of media in the learning process. These questions are based on the theory

presented by Hughes (2003) regarding the dimensions of autonomy in educational settings


such as Personal, Rational and Relational. The answers to these questions are collected

every week in the Wiki students have, more specifically in the page LEARNING

EXPERIENCE. Here you can find the questions that led this data-collection means:

1. ¿Que trabajé durante esta semana? (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing)

2. ¿Qué cosas nuevas aprendí? ¿Me siento seguro de que aprendí esos temas

correctamente? ¿Por qué?

3. ¿Qué cosas considero que aún son difíciles? ¿Cómo puedo mejorar?

4. ¿Quiero volver a revisar algún tema? ¿Cual?

5. ¿Qué recursos han sido más útiles para mí? (Internet, libro, etc.)

6. ¿Trabajé con alguien esta semana? ¿Cómo fue ese trabajo en grupo?

7. ¿Me siento satisfecho con el trabajo que hice esta semana? ¿Por qué?

8. ¿He interactuado con mis compañeros a través de mi Wiki? ¿Como?

9. ¿He usado otro tipo de herramientas tecnológicas para realizar mis trabajos?

¿Cuáles?

10. ¿Qué pienso acerca de los comentarios que he recibido en mi Wiki?

The questions were thought to be in Spanish (which is students’ native language)

due to the fact that they were just in the first level on English in accordance to the English

language program of the university. Writing in their native language would lead them to

write answers in a more detailed way, without struggling with a foreign language and the

possible obstacles they could find when trying to transmit their ideas, feelings and opinions.


Figure 6. Student’s reflective Journal. Sample of an entry.

The fourth data source is a Questionnaire. A questionnaire is a written instrument

used to obtain information from the research participants. For this specific research project

questions were limited to a certain number so as to obtain the required information. The

questionnaire was designed as simple as possible, and it includes closed-end questions.

These kind of questions were selected because they allow a limited number of answers, and

they need only recognition and a choice from among answer options. The advantages of

these questions are that they have better precision, there is uniformity, they are easier to

recall for the respondent, they are flexible when coding and to analyze in comparison to

open-ended questions. This questionnaire was adapted from Aliweh (2001). The 28 items

presented in the questionnaire are deeply related to the three dimensions of autonomy

proposed by Hughes (2003). Their answers reveal the level of strength students develop in

different autonomy skills which are also based on the three dimensions of autonomy stated

by Hughes (2003), and that were explained in the chapter “Theoretical Framework” of this

research document. Questions were presented to students in Spanish basically because of


the same reasons presented in the explanation of the previous source. I believe that answers

and questions designed in students’ native language would help them comprehend and

answer them more accurately. The questions presented in this data-collection source are the

following ones:

Questions related to the dimension PERSONAL AUTONOMY

Busqué soluciones a las dificultades que tuve al hacer la tarea

Esperé hasta que alguien me ayudó para poder hacer el trabajo

Hice mi tarea a mi manera, con mi creatividad y mis ideas.

Usé estilos distintos para hacer mi tarea de acuerdo a lo que acordamos en clase

Me siento satisfecho con el trabajo que realicé

Creo que, en próximos trabajos, puedo mejorar mucho más

Seguí estrictamente las instrucciones que me dio el profesor

En mi trabajo hablé acerca de temas difíciles y que implicaron un reto para mí

Dependí de mí mismo para entender lo que iba a hacer en mi tarea

Fui cumplido al entregar el trabajo en la fecha que se acordó en clase

Sabía claramente lo que estaba practicando en mi tarea

Analicé lo que hice en mi tarea para asegurarme de que la estaba haciendo

correctamente

Revisé mi tarea para saber que tanto había mejorado

Questions related to the dimension RATIONAL AUTONOMY

Por cuenta propia identifiqué ideas relevantes para mi tarea

Decidí mis propias técnicas, procedimientos y objetivos cuando hice el trabajo

Le pido al profesor que me de toda la información que debo poner en mi trabajo


Creo que el profesor sabe mejor sobre que debemos o no escribir

Empecé a hacer mi trabajo solo después de que vi el trabajo de los demás

Antes de hacer mi tarea, pensé en los posibles problemas que podría tener

Hago uso de lo que aprendí y lo que hice antes para mejorar mi tarea

Para hacer mi trabajo solo dependí del libro

Evalúo si lo que incluyo en mi tarea es útil, relevante y vale la pena.

Visité la biblioteca, o el ILUD para recolectar información para mi trabajo

Usé internet para buscar material que pueda usar en mi trabajo

Questions related to the dimension RELATIONAL AUTONOMY

Escogí el lugar y momento adecuado para hacer mi tarea

Considero que el profesor es solo un guía en mi proceso de aprendizaje

El profesor decide sobre que escribimos, el tema, ideas, la cantidad, calidad, etc.

Procuro usar medios como la TV, Internet o radio para tener más contacto con el

inglés

Figure 7. Questionnaire. Sample of student’s questionnaire.


The questionnaire was planned to be answered in 5 different times during the

semester. This with the objective of avoiding repetitive answers because of the frequency of

application. Answers provided indicated tendencies of change in relation to the different

dimensions of autonomy.

Data analysis

The information collected through the instruments stated before were handled in a

careful way in order to extract the purest pieces of data. In this sense, an analytic technique

in qualitative research was used so as to examine and study the gathered material: Open

Coding.

Coding is an interpretive technique that helps organizing data and providing a way

to fit the interpretations of it into quantitative methods. As described by authors like

Lankshear, Colin, Knobel & Michele (2004), open coding involves three sequential steps:

“1. breaking down data into discrete parts and applying conceptual codes to it. 2.

Comparing and contrasting codes, and grouping sets of similar codes into conceptual

categories, and 3. Identifying the properties of each category by means of analytic

questions, and locating each instance of a phenomenon belonging to this category along a

continuum.” (p. 38). It means that the process of coding begins with the analysis of the

smallest piece of data, and once we interpret that individual piece of information, we will

be able to find connections between other pieces so as to let commonalities emerge. Those

commonalities will subsequently become categories, and they will allow the researcher to

see the situation under study from an abstract and outer perspective.

The emerging codes will indicate specific aspects of learner’s autonomy that will

show the extent to which the critical analysis of media promoted autonomous learning


practices in the EFL class. The codes will come from the four instruments mentioned in a

previous section: Teacher’s Observation Journal, Student’s Artifacts, Student’s Journal, and

the Questionnaire. A tentative analysis of these instruments was done with the samples

collected in the piloting phase. That phase showed that it was necessary to re-write some of

the items because they sounded too similar between them, and it got the participants

confused at the moment of answering. That fact also implied that lots of information was

going to be collected, and that handling that amount of data was going to be a process full

of care and organization. Because of that, ATLAS TI and MICROSOFT EXCEL software

were used.

Ethical considerations

Prior to the commencement of this study students were fully informed before the

beginning of the study about the procedures and aspects involved. Students were invited to

sign a written consent which clearly specified the procedures, implications of the study,

benefits and confidentiality (See Appendix E). The data collection at all stages of the

research project took place in the participant’s own environment with the researcher being

just an observer.

Participants were free to withdraw information from the study at any time without

consequence. Confidentiality is maintained by not revealing participant identities in any

published material arising from the study. Identities will be protected by the use of

pseudonyms. Only the researcher and the student-participants will have access to the raw

data from the study. At the conclusion of the research project participants requested a brief

summary of findings. Their reaction regarding their contact with the results of the research


is reported in Chapter 6 (Conclusions). Risks to participants are minimal and can be

considered equivalent to the risks involved in their everyday work activities.


CHAPTER 4

Instructional Design

All professionals in the field of education have ever wondered about what being a

teacher means. Some people say it is an occupation where people instruct, some others go

deeper in meaning by proclaiming that teachers make learning a privilege. Paulo Coelho

mentioned in his book THE WITCH OF PORTOBELLO (2007) that a teacher is not

necessarily a person who teaches contents, but instead a figure of inspiration for students.

This definition of a teacher, apart from motivating us to do our best in our teaching

contexts, inspired this research project in the sense of exploring ways to get students

engaged in learning. In current times it has become a challenge to call students’ attention

towards learning, and help them figure ways to continue learning even when being out of

the classroom. In addition, the continuous evolution of media sources and the information

transmitted through this means has also posed a parallel challenge, to help students analyze

the material presented in a critical way. It is our mission to link both challenges with the

expectation of helping our students grow as human beings and professionals, and also

guiding them to find the inspiration to be better day after day.

This research is a proposal for innovation in the way an English language course is

given at a local university in Bogotá, and the way to approach students’ interest in learning.

The space for a change in the way students perceive their learning is the cornerstone, and so

the chance to boost their skills to continue learning in different contexts apart from the

classroom. Key concepts like learner’s autonomy and Media are related to the potential

innovation, and they were presented through the chapters preceding this section. Examining

them will take us to gain deeper comprehension of the form in which Curriculum,

Language, learning and Classroom are viewed in the research proposal, the institution


where this research was carried out, and how these perceptions shape the philosophy

underpinning this project.

Approaching Media with critical lenses

It is a fact that today students and people in general spend a great amount of time

interacting with a vast range of technological devices. I can see them chatting on their

phones, using their computers at any place, checking social networks in their tablets,

reading emails in their watches, and all of that has become a routine for us. Those devices,

as well as the TV or the radio, expose us to a lot of media. We experience a massive

distribution of information through media every day, and it is important to interact with that

information with a critical eye, having it mind that this information conveys different

messages, and that those messages also transmit beliefs and values coming from social

constructions (Kellner, 2002).

The ability to “access, analyse, evaluate, and create media in a variety of forms"

(Center of Media Literacy, 2011) comes to be indispensable to understand what surrounds

us, the role we play in society and what we can do in that regards. In other words, it is of

great importance to have the freedom and autonomy to deal with our concerns, and

consequently make the right decisions when analyzing the world around us. It is considered

of great importance the interpretation of media codes and traditions, the perception of

media’s values and ideologies in a critical way so as to interpret messages produced by it,

and then becoming aware of the effects its contents produce. With the idea that language is

used not only as a means of communication, but it also becomes a vehicle to gain

understanding and knowledge (Little, Ridley and Ushioda, 2003), I found in the Critical

analysis of media the path to teaching students become critical users of media forms, and so


responsible producers of new ones (Buckingham, 2003). This path requires a better

comprehension of how to “access, analyze, evaluate, and produce meaning across various

forms of media” (Livingstone, 2003, p. 340). Through this critical analysis of media

students achieve a state of consciousness and criticism at the moment of interpreting media,

so they can wonder about the information they get, and reflect on the value of the same

(Hobbs, 2005).

The different practices involved in the process of accessing, analyzing, evaluating

and producing content related to media entail the development of autonomous learning

features such as gaining awareness of the learning process, stating plans to achieve

objectives, being able to overcome obstacles arising in the process, interpreting and

reflecting on the information, and interacting with resources as well as the enhancement of

group work (Hughes, 2003). Raya, Lamb, and Vieira (2007) comment in this regards that

“The competence to think critically is coextensive with the notion of autonomy and self-

sufficiency” (p. 43). Additionally, Little (1991) mentioned that autonomy is an ability “for

detachment, critical reflection, decision making, and independent action” (p. 4).

The development of the critical perspective to analyze media helps students have a

deeper sense of the messages transmitted by it. Students become able to differentiate the

reality and the reality presented by media, and so, they gain awareness not only about the

messages circulating through media texts, but also the sources of those messages in daily

life (Binark ve Gencel Bek, 2010). The consciousness acquired in the process will also help

learners have a detective eye to see beyond the evident, and reconstruct the origins and the

intention of the information. For Kaplún (1998), what matters at the moment of learning

more than teaching things and transmitting knowledge is that “individuals learn to learn, so

they become able to reason on their own, to overcome social obstacles, and to develop their


own ability to deduce, to concatenate, and synthesize” (p. 51). In this sense, an autonomous

person is not dependent on others for the direction and control of their thinking, but it is the

self-management of beliefs, values, and ways of thinking what evidences autonomy in

individuals. The enrichment of autonomous learning in foreign language classes requires

“maximizing learners’ potential for learning through critical reflection” (Ku, 2009, p.74).

Critical analysis of media towards autonomy in the EFL class

As teachers, we are summoned to change our minds and think of our roles in the

classroom, so we can help learners learn by exposing them to the language and providing

them opportunities to practice in class as well as at home. One of the most common ways

our students have to interact with foreign language is by accessing media. Media is a

universe of meaning; a world of visual, written and audio data full of information that we

tend to ignore, but that is constantly influencing the way we act in our lives. Media is a tool

for reflection, a path to communicate with the reality from a different perspective, and also

a way to gain awareness of why, what and how to learn (Dam, 1994). It is important to

create an adequate learning environment by setting engaging activities in which learners

interact more with themselves and their classmates. I believe that a good learning

environment is the product of the engagement of students through the interaction with

features present in their everyday life, and that is why the idea of bringing media to the

classroom becomes relevant. Chiu (2008) contributes to this construction of good learning

environments by proposing activities like group presentations, language games, online

discussion groups, email projects and others so that teachers have the possibility to change

the roles of classroom dynamics by giving students more control, and hence, helping them

become autonomous. The classroom must be a place of freedom and joy where students


feel comfortable, and on this subject Thomsen (2000) thinks that good activities for an

autonomous classroom should be relevant, you should learn from them, these activities

should not be too easy or too difficult and they should be based on learners’ interests and

needs. They should also be appropriate to promote in-class cooperation, they should have a

clear beginning and a clear end, and they should follow different processes towards

different goals.

Autonomy is the result of a process that, as Sinclair states, takes place inside and

outside the classroom. When we are out of the formal context of teaching, we learn from

the world around us and this somehow shapes the way we perceive, conceive and read what

goes around us. Getting a critical understanding of all the information we are exposed to,

and what goes on everywhere may help us develop autonomous learning practices, and

then, this ability may guide us to growing up as human beings, professionals, and active

members of a changing society.

The English language class context

The institution where the project is planned to be developed currently bases its

English language programs “Segunda Lengua” (As they are called by the university) on the

premises of Competency-based education. Authors like Findley and Nathan (1980) define

competency-based education as a philosophical system or model in an educational service

where “competency is the specification of a capability in designated areas of knowledge,

assessed through student performance.” (p. 222). In this sense, students at the university are

expected to acquire competencies to function adequately in society as citizens and

professionals. In addition to this, the institution claims for the use of the communicative

language teaching method (CLT) in the classes. The goal expected with the use of this


method is to help students perform effectively in interactions through English language, or,

as Hymes (1972) stated, to foster communication as the principal purpose of language,

helping students develop communicative competence.

Students in the English course are requested to buy the book “Language Leader”

since the beginning of the course. This book is designed by Pearson Education publishing

house. The book has 12 units and each unit presents different exercises that are aimed

towards the improvement of general language skills. Each level makes use of 8 units of the

book, which, in fact, can be summarized as using 2 books for all 4 levels of English

proposed for the careers at the university. The book’s topics and structure is the syllabus for

all the English language courses at the university. Teachers are requested to guide their

classes according to the book, as it provides them with all the resources (activities, games,

etc.) necessary for the development of the course, which also means that the book’s content

is the syllabus of the course. In addition to this, the university decided to use the virtual

platform offered with the book as a way to invite students to work independently on online

English exercises that are automatically evaluated by the system. The grades students get

from the online activities are then taken into consideration to define their term grades. At

the end of the course, those platform activities give them a 30 per cent of the whole

possible subject grade in any of the levels of “Segunda Lengua” - English language course.

Grades are subsequently stored in the university’s system CONDOR which keeps record of

all students’ progress in all subjects of their learning process.

Students expressing themselves

According to the dictionary (Merriam-Webster, n.d.) the act of declaring your

thoughts, feelings and ideas is called self-expression. The idea of self-expression in


learning is a relevant aspect due to the fact that its presence facilitates students’ interaction

with other individuals in the class, and this interaction with them promotes learner

autonomy (Camilleri, 1997). Students are encouraged to express their points of view and

share their thoughts through the kind of activities they propose and develop as homework

in the class, the interaction or participation they have in the virtual environment. When

students can express their desires, the teacher has more ways to rearrange class objectives

in order to suit their learning needs. Tudor (2001) comments about it that “learners’

spontaneous expressive desires are the basis for their learning program. Expression is the

starting point, and language work follows on” (p. 67). Tudor considers that “self-expression

can help learners find a sense of personal meaningfulness in their language study” but the

absence of self-expression “can make students perceive a course as being something “out

there” and indifferent to them and to their individual concerns, and thus make it difficult for

them to relate to it in a personally meaningful manner.”(p. 67). It is through students’ self-

expression where I can evidence aspects of autonomy, and it is through their expression

that they can find a vehicle to acquire knowledge, as well as a chance to reflect (Little,

Ridley and Ushioda. 2003). The expression of the self is an enriching experience, and the

value of those experiences becomes knowledge.

When experiences become knowledge

Teaching a language is an activity which implies complexity, and this complexity

“derives primarily from the diversity of perception and the goals of the various participants

who play a role in the teaching learning process” (Tudor, 2001, p. 43). Language learning is

an immeasurable process that starts since the beginning of our existence. When I start to

learn another language, I initialize a process shaped by experiences, perceptions and


expected goals which builds our understanding of the world. It is discovering the world and

living it what strengthens our knowledge, it is interacting with others, constructing ideas

and achieving goals what motivates us to keep learning. Tudor (2001) indicated that “The

idea behind the experiential vision of learning is that the use of the target language for

communicative purposes is not only the goal of learning, but also a means of learning in its

own right” (p. 79).

I think of constant practice as the path towards learning. I think of learning as a

process which can be accomplished by experience, or learning by doing, and this kind of

learning rests on five principles “Message focus, holistic practice, and the use of authentic

materials, communication strategies, and collaborative modes of learning” (Tudor, 2001, p.

83). Under the first principle, the activities I have in the class focus on the processing and

communication of messages. When students transmit a message, and this message is

understood, they feel more confident and this detail stimulates their learning process. On

the same track, Holistic practice refers to being exposed to situations which reflect a multi-

dimensional nature of normal communication, like engaging students in collaborative

online activities or Group Projects in which all students interact in different ways.

Authentic Materials, as defined by Bacon & Finnemann (1990), are “texts produced by

native speakers for a non-pedagogical purpose” (p.28). Other principle is the development

of communication strategies, and it is done when learners get the ability to negotiate

messages with the knowledge they already have in order to convey the meaning they expect

to. Finally I mention collaborative modes of learning as the conveyance of virtual and face-

to-face messages from one student to one or more students in the framework of simulation

tasks, or in information or opinions gap activities.


An environment of independence

Tudor (2001) visualizes the classroom in four different ways: as a controlled

learning environment, as communication, as a school of autonomy and as socialization.

This research project proposes that the critical analysis of media can be the path to promote

learner’s autonomy practices, and because of this reason, I see the classroom and the

environment as a school of autonomy. This idea of classroom is “linked to the concepts of

learner autonomy, self-direction, and learner empowerment” (Tudor, 2001, p. 117).

According to Tudor, the idea of calling student’s attention towards learning has resulted in

the implementation of self-access centers and other independent learning facilities by

institutions and schools. However, these resources are not effective to promote learner’s

autonomy without the guidance of teachers within the classroom setting. For Tudor (2001),

the concept “school of autonomy” is underpinned by two basic principles: First, language

learners are “thinking human beings who bring with them to the classroom a variety of

knowledge, experience, and insights which can allow them to play an active role in their

language learning”. Second, the “active engagement of learners’ human potential can

enrich the learning process itself and help students to develop independent learning skills

which they will be able to transfer to their subsequent learning and use of language” (p.

117). This classroom is, in other words, a space where learners are given the tools to boost

their abilities to learn in a wide variety of settings, and also to adequately perform in

situations where they need to make use of that knowledge. In this process we, as teachers,

play an important role because we are also agents of change, we are the means to discover

how to learn in a different way. Our “school of autonomy” vision supports the notion of a

classroom for communication, for interaction and cooperation where learners learn to learn

either in real or virtual contexts. Tudor (1993) suggests that teachers’ role in the English


language classroom is to create those conditions, and consequently get benefited from the

teaching and learning process, particularly because the class objectives become more

relevant for students, they can actively participate in the setting of those goals by sharing

their personal preferences, and these facts result in more commitment from the part of

students.

The tool to support this project

Technology has gained importance in education practices, and its application in the

language classroom has been studied in detailed. Kern (2011) categorizes the use of

technology in the language classroom in terms of three metaphors: computer as tutor,

computer as tool, and computer as medium. The ‘tutor’ metaphor implies that computers

play the teachers’ role in the sense of presenting material (e.g. grammar, vocabulary, or

cultural information), providing language practice (such as exercises in pronunciation,

writing, listening or reading), analyzing learners’ language performance and providing

feedback. The ‘tool’ metaphor focuses on capabilities. In this role, computers (via the

Internet) “provide learners ready access to a wide variety of written, audio, and visual

materials relevant to the language and culture being studied”. “Such materials include news

media, film clips and videos (some with closed captions or subtitles), radio and television

broadcasts, special interest Websites, blogs, advertisements, and realia”. (Kern, 2011, p.

201). And finally, the computer as ‘medium’ metaphor which emphasizes the

communicative agency of language learners, including “work in computer-mediated

communication, social networking, and network-based language technology and language

learning teaching”. (Kern, 2011, p. 201). I do not want to go deeper on these definitions

since technology is not used as the objective, but as a complementary means of work


storage and production collection. In this sense, this research project considers technology

as it is stated by Kern as a tool. This vision frames an intention to guide English language

students to get engaged in active participation of their learning process by showing them

how to approach real information related to their interests and needs, how to get

information but also how to digest that from a critical point of view as a way to promote

learners’ autonomy.

For this project, we used a virtual platform well known as WIKI. It is an online tool

which offers the possibility to post and share different kinds of Audio-Visual files, or to

propose trends that can be seen and edited by anyone. Additionally, they are able to interact

with different Online Media means. Wikis don’t require knowledge of coding or

programming to post information, it’s a very easy tool to use. Wikis could also be a place

for the teacher to post notes on a topic so that they could be reviewed at a later time by

students (Lebar, 2014). Different kinds of files are allowed to be stored in the virtual

platform such as PowerPoint presentations, audio recordings, videos, texts, images. The

virtual platform has three folders in which students will gather all work done in class. These

folders are called Vocabulary, Learning Experience and Homework.

Figure 8. Student’s virtual tool. Screenshot of a student-participant’s wiki.


Vocabulary: This folder is intended to be a means of recycling vocabulary seen in

all the activities carried out during the course.

Figure 9. Student’s artifact. Sample of student-participant’s vocabulary

collection.

Learning Experience: Students will keep a record of all the personal experiences

they have during the course. At the end of the week they will comment what they did in

order to learn and practice English, making special emphasis on WHAT they learnt, WHY

they learnt that and HOW they learnt. This information is directly related to their individual

process to develop their Class project. In the timetable this work is called “Students’

Journal” because of its basic function. At the end of the course students had fifteen entries.

(Questions students followed in this page were presented in Chapter 3 – Research Design)


Figure 10. Student’s Reflective Journal. Learning Experience Page.

Homework: Students will hand in all pieces of homework through this means.

Homework comes from students’ proposal and negotiation with the teacher. This

homework can be done by using any type of file (Audios, Videos, Text, Images, Etc).

Figure 11. Student’s artifacts. Student’s work for the class.

Moving through critical analysis of media to autonomous learning

The English Language course “Segunda Lengua” is taken by students at

Universidad Distrital as part of their learning process. The university claims for the use of


technology in the classroom as well as the fostering of autonomous practices to prepare

people towards excellence as professionals and human beings (Universidad Distrital, n.d.).

This research project takes into consideration aspects based on the University mission, the

course design and my experience as a Language teacher to propose an innovation in the

way media is used towards fostering learners’ autonomous practices. This proposal has a

structure that hopes to contribute to the deepening of students’ understanding in regards to

the importance of giving critical analysis to the elements that take part in our daily lives,

the influence they have in our values and behavior, and consequently the advantages of

acquiring autonomy practices in learning towards personal and professional development.

The idea that learning comes out from experiences, and that the classroom is a space of

autonomy matches the principles of this learning and teaching approach. In order to reach

that goal, a set of activities were done in class aiming at engaging students in critical

thinking and its practice in the analysis of media.

The following section indicates the activities that took part in the pedagogical

intervention of the project. In this particular case, the plan applies for the English language

course at Universidad Distrital which lasts 16 weeks. 7 Media literacy activities were done

during the 16 weeks. The activities share certain connection to the topics established by the

book since they can be done by using the grammar information checked in class, in

accordance to the contents established by the book LANGUAGE LEADER which was

adopted as the English language course syllabus by the university, and are also adapted

from different sources, especially the guide of materials for teachers in media literacy

through critical thinking created by Worsnop (n.d.). I am going to present now the

descriptions of the activities, the objectives established for them and the procedure during

the class toward the accomplishments of the goals:


ACTIVITY 1: Taking a Second Look

We are all accustomed to watching Media from a singular point of view. In

other words, we usually do not think of the multiple meanings it has, or the variety

of interpretations we can give. This activity provides a great opportunity for debate

and discussion, where students can share their points of view while they discover

the interpretations media pieces can have. Additionally, the activity can lead

students to gain awareness of media resources, the validity they have, and how the

information transmitted can help us reflect of its intentionality and purpose.

Description

The activity represents for students a chance to analyze and interpret Media

information from different perspectives. In the activity, different pictures were

shown with the aim of describing what there is (in an initial stage). Students should

first write down on their piece of paper what they see. Here is an example of the

kind of pictures:

Figure 12. Activity: Taking a Second Look. Basic level.

As you can see, pictures vary when they are turned. The interpretation of the

turned picture goes next. It means, students should write again what they see the in

the second attempt. Teacher encourages discussion in relation to the pictures,

because they also convey certain contexts that can be analyzed in the classroom.


The images change the level of difficulty according to the level of completion that

students show. The other pictures are:

Figure 13. Activity: Taking a Second Look. Difficult level.

With just a little turn, images may be interpreted in a different way. It is important

to understand that by this means we can identify the intention of the author, implicit

messages, or just analyze it to understand the context.

Objectives

Write an opinion-based text.

Be able to interpret media information from different points of view.

Use present simple tense as the way to give descriptions, as well as

THERE IS/ARE.

ACTIVITY 2: Are you controlled by media?

Whenever we take one newspaper, a magazine, or when we turn on our TV

to watch a program, we are attacked by lots of advertising about different kinds of

products. We do not usually pay careful attention to them; however, we should be

aware not only about the good they want to sell, but also the messages that come

within the advertisement.


Description

In the first part of the activity, the teacher gives some magazines and

newspapers to students. They are invited to talk about the kind of information they

see in the material presented. When having a careful look at the advertisements, we

talk about advertising objectives like getting people to buy a new device, snack, or

piece of clothing. A discussion is to be held regarding the aim of the advertisement

they have found in order to develop critical viewing skills that allow them to

independently make their own decisions about the information. Then, they will have

the following image, where they will express their point of view.

Figure 14. Activity: Are you controlled by media?. Guide picture.

Objectives

Help students understand what advertising is, so as to view it with a

critical and analytical eye.

Reinforce the grammar topic “present simple”, and the possibilities

we have to use it to describe and give opinions through affirmative

and negative sentences.


ACTIVITY 3: Creating media

Now that we have done different kinds of exercises in the classroom related

to the analysis, the interpretation, and some reflection about media we should

continue with the next step: Understanding how media is created, the characteristics

it has that become attention callers, and how people design media to transmit certain

messages.

Description

At this moment of the semester, students have been working on different

aspects related to the critical analysis of media: deconstruction of messages,

analyzing media influence on people, and social values presented through media.

The class starts with a discussion of media, what they believe media transmits, and

if they feel represented in what media conveys. The activity aims at getting

information about the frequency of contact students have with media and their

understanding of the same, but also how media advertising is designed so as to

attract people. After that, they are encouraged to choose one media source they like

and they feel familiarized with. For this exercise, students selected movies because

of the particular characteristics of its advertising. In groups they identify

characteristics of this media source, and then they create posters where they gather

the information they found. A sample of the result goes like this:


Figure 15. Activity: Creating media. Sample of student’s work.

Objectives

Help students gain awareness of the fact that media has purposes and

target audiences. And for that reason, it is carefully designed to get

the attention of this public.

Activate student’s action-planning skills when designing media,

thinking of its objective and purpose, as well as self-evaluation

practices.

To make use of the English grammar topics practiced in class to

describe the plot of the movie.

ACTIVITY 4: Reality Show

People were all astonished an impacted when, some years ago, the new

format of reality shows was presented. They were seen as a mirror where audiences

were able to see their own lives portrayed, and with that idea we experienced a


boom in media. However, they continued presenting more and more shows alike but

people started to get bored. A discussion in relation to reality shows, its content and

objectives, and become a participant in one is the aim of this activity.

Description

The class starts with a presentation of the most common Colombian reality

shows. The teacher encourages students to participate in a conversation where

questions like: What is a reality show?, Do you like Reality shows? (Why?), Why

does it call audiences’ attention?. Afterwards, a video of Colombian reality shows is

shown so as to encourage students to participate in the activity.

They are invited to participate in a reality show where they are part of a ship

crew that has to survive in a desert island to a series of challenges. They participate

in groups and try to come up with structured ideas that could help them survive the

conditions presented in the challenges. First of all, they have to choose four items

from a list of 25 that they can take to the island. They need to think carefully of the

usefulness of these objects because they will not be allowed to change them.


Figure 16. Activity: Reality Show. Surviving a dessert island. Taken

from www.teach-this.com

After having chosen the items, students are presented with a challenge that

includes weather conditions, natural disasters, issues with highly evolved primate

societies, and also some imaginary situations like zombie attacks (As it is in fashion

now due to some other TV programs).

Objectives

To incentive students’ imagination and creativity, and consequently,

the practice of action-planning skills.

Activate problem-posing skills when making survival plans.


By means of using the modal auxiliary verb CAN, and making use of

the topics seen in class, to explain a plan to survive in the island

according to the given situations.

ACTIVITY 5: Mobility

Up to now, students have checked different English language structures that

can support their production and participation in different exercises. The different

activities carried out in class have also helped students become aware of the

different possibilities they have to use English language in a variety of contexts.

This activity goes beyond the information presented in the book as makes a

connection between the topics presented in the material and the real context students

live in. It is not a secret that Bogotá, our city, is going through lots of difficulties

regarding transportation and mobility in general. Through a critical perspective, we

hope to analyze this situation.

Description

At the beginning of the session the teacher shows a video produced by

CCTV AMERICA, where they talk about the new alternatives the government has

to improve mobility in the city and also reduce the levels of pollution. The video

leads to a discussion in relation to the current conditions of the Capital city, the

transportation inconvenient we usually have, and what we can do in order to find a

solution to this problematic. Next, the teacher shares with students an article called

“Three mobility challenges facing Bogota”, written by Diana Martinez Torres in

April 20th, 2015. (Diana Martínez is Founder and Editor at Cities for us. MSc on

City Design and Social Science in London School of Economics and Political


Science). Students first infere what the text is about, and then, they analyze the text

in relation to the ideas presented by the author, the worth of them, and then they

propose their own ideas. The activity concludes when students make a poster to

present and support their ideas.

Figure 17. Activity: Mobility. Guide sample.

Figure 18. Mobility Poster. Student’s production.

Objectives

To stimulate social responsibility, as well as the desire to investigate

in order to find reliable information.


Activate problem-posing skills when analyzing mobility issues to

propose solutions.

To analyze different situations with the aim of comparing them in

English. This way, students will be able to find a practical use to the

topics seen in class (Comparatives – Superlatives).

ACTIVITY 6: Food, Obesity and Anorexia

This activity presents a situation that many people live at the moment around

the world. For many of us, these problems are more common in other countries and

for this reason we tend to ignore it. Media has influenced eating habits for years

when advertising the social benefits, the happiness and the joy people get when they

acquire this consumable goods. With this activity we intend to go beyond the mere

analysis of TV adverts to understand the social consequences this problematic has.

We also work on our researcher skills, and produce Media to generate

consciousness.

Description

The activity is linked with the contents of the unit presented in the book

LANGUAGE LEADER. In fact, some reading exercises of this book present an

overview of this situation in the United States and the UK, and call for reflection in

terms of analyzing the degree of similarity with our country. Once those exercises

were done, we proceed by asking questions like: What do you know about obesity?

Where is it a problem? Which is worse: Anorexia or Obesity?

This section of the activity invites students to reflect about the problem, however, it

is not all the aim of the same. By using computers and telephones, students will find


on the internet information related to these problematics. They read that information

in order to support their opinions and points of view for the rest of the exercise. We

also analyzed if the information was got from reliable sources, and thought about it

as an essential aspect to talk with truth and correctness.

Figure 19. Activity: Obesity. Sample Guide.

After having done this exercise, students are invited to produce a piece of

advertisement to share with people the results of their investigation. They can use

their mobile phones to record it, and in 2 minutes they have to convey the message

they planned to transmit. Videos are watched afterwards, and self as well as peer

evaluation is encouraged.

Objectives

Gain awareness to the validity of sources used, and at the same time

to stimulate researcher attitudes.

Inspire students’ creativity and innovation, as well as to activate prior

knowledge, to create media.


When discussing the kind of practice that people have when they are

obese, to explore the topic of Countable and Uncountable nouns at

the moment of taking about food.

ACTIVITY 7: TV commercials

This activity provides students with a chance to perceive the incredible

amount of media advertising we interact with every day. When looking at

advertising from a critical perspective, students begin to understand how media

oppresses certain groups, convinces people to purchase certain products, and

influences culture.

Description

The teacher starts the session by asking students some questions related to

their habits. How often do you watch TV? What time do you watch TV? What do

you like/dislike about TV? Once they are engaged in the activity, the teacher

presents some TV advertisements. For this activity, we had two: SAMSUNG TV

advertisements (you can find it at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLLbt0jyqDA), and also a mobile phones

company advertisement (You can find it at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=894_e_26dwk) Those videos were selected

because they present different issues related to gender, social status, inequality and

consumism that are worth the analysis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLLbt0jyqDA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=894_e_26dwk


Figure 20. Activity: TV Commercials. Sample of student’s writing.

Students are invited to analyze the video from two perspectives: A common

media consumer, and a critical media consumer. It meant that they had to describe

the video according to their initial perception, and also they had to interpret the

piece of advertisement from a critical view.

Objectives

Understand the hidden messages in media advertising, interpreting

them and discussing about its effects.

Engage students in analysis and reflection of media purposes.

When interpreting the TV commercials, students will find an

opportunity to use the topic “Present continuous Tense” in order to

describe what is going on in the videos presented in class.

The activities were all designed so as to help students construct and re-

construct messages transmitted through media sources. In this sense, students


worked on the necessary skills to critically deconstruct and construct media

messages across print, visual, audio, and electronic media forms. The work done

towards the critical analysis of media helped them develop autonomy learning

practices, as “independently choose aims and purposes and sets goals; choose

materials, methods and tasks; exercise choice and purpose in organizing and

carrying out the chosen tasks; and choose criteria for evaluation” (Dam, 1990).

Pedagogical objectives

The university was created with the aim of spreading education alternatives in the

city of Bogotá to people with certain economic difficulties, and also to provide society with

qualified professional and integral people. In this order of ideas, the university claims to

“generate and spread knowledge with autonomy and vocation”, it looks for the opening of

“spaces for reflection and pedagogical actions in response to the challenges that

globalization demands”. The English Class is a space that can contribute to the fulfillment

of the University’s mission, and it is where this research project takes place. Having these

aspects in mind, the following pedagogical objectives in the English language class

“Segunda Lengua” are stated:

1. To promote autonomous practices in English Language learning.

2. To incentive the Critical Analysis of media, so as to gain awareness of social

implications it has, gaining as well a better view of our role as society

participants and humans.

3. To offer students the possibility to practice with the English language topics

seen in class in a practical context, looking forward to creating an environment

of experiential learning.


These objectives look forward to engaging English language students in a lifetime

learning project that will have benefits when responding to the challenges that globalization

demands. Reeve, Bolt and Cai (1999) comment in this regards that some of the benefits are

seen in the improvement of students’ academic performance, and within it, the increase of

the desire to success in learning challenges, to process information and understand

concepts, and the enhancement of creativity. Besides, the English class becomes a space of

reflection, and students find in it the path to boost their learning skills.

Conclusion

The critical analysis of media in the language classroom has been the center of

research during the last years. Students have expressed their interest in this approach

because it helps them develop their English language command, and also gain

consciousness of all the information, messages an intentions behind media production. The

implementation of this pedagogical design requires time and thorough investigation in the

sense that content must suit students and institute’s expectations and has to reach their

goals. However, the results from it will inform the EFL community about the influence that

Media has on the development of language skills in an English class. Certain aspects are to

be analyzed from this proposal: The experiences students have when working with media in

the English class, the potential of Critical analysis of media to promote learners’ autonomy,

and the benefits of this implementation in terms of students’ English language

communicative skills.


CHAPTER 5

Data Analysis

This chapter presents the data gathered through the development of the project, the

ways in which it was analyzed, the findings reached and finally its interpretation. We

should bear in mind that different data-collection instruments were used: Teacher’s journal,

Student’s journal, a Questionnaire and artifacts. Data was constantly analyzed, but it was

until the end of the data collection phase that data organization and codification was done

in order to develop appropriate codes and categories which aimed at answering the research

question.

The architecture and procedures of data management

Figure 21. ATLAS TI. Data Analysis Screenshot.

The huge amount of data required the use of different tools so as to manage it in a

controlled and careful way. On the one hand, I made use of the software called ATLAS TI.

This is a computer program used mostly in qualitative research, and the analysis of

qualitative data. The software helps researchers analyze data in a systematic and structured


way, helping them gain a great understanding of phenomena hidden in data sources such as

text, audio, image, video or geo. Through this software the researcher can also code, locate

and retrieve data at any moment, evaluating the importance of the same, and stablishing

relationships between them.

ATLAS TI was the tool I used in order to code and analyze the data coming from

Student’s journal, Artifacts and Teacher’s journal. A code is, according to Saldana (2008),

“a word or short phrase that symbolically assigns a summative, salient, essence-capturing,

and/or evocative attribute for a portion of language-based or visual data” (p. 3). These

words define the information collected, and can convey certain significance that allows the

researcher to answer the questions proposed in the study. Through coding we “define what

is happening in the data and begin to grapple what it means” (Charmaz, 2006, p. 46). When

coding in Grounded theory approaches means following two phases: Naming words, lines,

or segments of data, and then a focused, selective phase in which we use the most

significant or frequent initial codes to sort, synthesize, integrate and organize data. During

the initial stage of coding, we should wonder about what the data is a study of (Glaser,

1978. Glaser & Strauss, 1967), what the data suggests, the implicit point of view in the

data, and the theoretical category that the data indicates (Glaser, 1978). At this primary

phase of analysis and reflection based on the data gathered though the students’ journal,

their work (artifacts) and the journal I had, I identified certain tendencies related to the way

in which autonomy in learning became evident. It was when reading through lines that I

started to see how connected the data was in relation to the dimensions of autonomy related

to educational settings presented by Hughes (2003), and the characteristics each of them

have. Line-by-line coding “works particularly well with detailed data about fundamental

empirical problems or processes whether these data consist of interviews, observations,


Figure ###. Characteristics of autonomous Learners (Adapted from Hughes, 2003)

documents, or etnographies and autobiographies” (Charmaz, 2006, p. 48). Strategies such

as breaking the data into component parts or properties, looking for assumptions, defining

actions, explicating implicit actions and meanings, comparing the data with data, and

making clear the significance of points helped me codify the data and develop certain

theoretical categories. In this sense, my prior analysis of data lead me to use as basis for

coding the characteristics of the dimensions of autonomy offered by Hughes (2003).

Chart 1: Dimensions of Autonomy. Characteristics of autonomous learners.

DIMENSIONS OF

AUTONOMY

CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTONOMOUS LEARNERS

Personal Autonomy Reflective, self-aware, self‐evaluative, positive self‐regard,

motivated, responsible, creative, goal‐setting, action‐planning.

Rational Autonomy Metacognitive, critical, analytical, formulate own problems,

discover and judge the worth of own learning resources,

researcher, makes connections in knowledge.

Relational

Autonomy

Aware of broader learning context (university, discipline,

profession); aware and enabled by of social resources; aware and

able to overcome/work with barriers in social context.

It is important to highlight the fact that a questionnaire for students was also used as

a source of information-gathering for this research project. For the sake of the analysis of

this data means, questions are going to be defined as “items” hereby to explain the

management and compilation of answers. By means of the software MICROSOFT EXCEL,

I identified the tendencies in answers related to the group of students participating in the

study. At the end of the project 5 questionnaires were answered. Each item (or question, as


it was explained before) indicated the frequency of occurrence in relation to the situation

presented. It went from 1. Nothing or almost nothing, 2. A few, 3. On a regular basis, 4.

Enough, and 5. Much. Items were designed based on the codes, and consequently they are

deeply related to the subcategories and categories.

Figure 22. Microsoft Excel Worksheet to Analyze Questionnaires tendencies.

Once I finished the first stage of data analysis, I started to find similar themes or

patterns that established relationships among data. By following Strauss and Corbin’s

(1998) axial type of coding, I proceeded on bringing data back together looking forward to

making a coherent whole. According to da, axial coding helps researchers to sort,

synthesize, and organize large amounts of data and reassemble them in new ways after

open coding. The analysis of data and the theoretical support of the research project led me

then to come up with the following categories and subcategories:


Chart 2: Research project - data analysis architecture.

The information extracted from the students’ journal, the artifacts, the teacher’s

journal, and additionally from the questionnaire were analyzed and interpreted with the

expectation to find evidence that could lead me to answer the question that guides this

research project: What aspects of learning autonomy are unveiled through a critical analysis

of media in an EFL class at Universidad Distrital? (See appendix F). In the following

section I proceed to explain the findings I got from this experience in the EFL classroom,

and I will try to unveil student-participants’ voice through the data collected to emphasize

on them as the most important source of information. We will see data analysis and

interpretation from the two categories explained before: Looking beyond the bounds of our

perception, and Strategic engagement in learning goals completion.

RESEARCH

QUESTION CATEGORY

SUB

CATEGORIE

S

THEORETICAL

SUPPORT

What aspects of

learning

autonomy are

unveiled through

a critical analysis

of media in an

EFL class at

Universidad

Distrital?

Looking

beyond the

bounds of

our

perception

Reflection and

Analysis: A

triggering

point

- Bernard’s (2005)

- Stanovich (2013)

- Taylor (1992)

- Kress and van Leeuwen

(1996)

- Mezirow’s (1990).

- Schunk (2004)

- Aschbacher (1991)

- Klenowski’s (1995)

- Astleitner, (2002)

- Silverblatt (1995)

- Oshana (2006)

The person’s

stance towards

the world

Strategic

Engagement

in Learning-

Goals

completion

Conceiving

ideas towards

an objective

- Dawson and Guare

(2003)

- Amabile (2006)

- Holec (1981)

- Brown & Walter (2005)

- Akay & Noz (2010)

Developing

and

implementing

ideas


Looking Beyond the Bounds of our Perception

Figure 23. Category Analysis Network – ATLAS TI.

In relation to this category, different aspects were analyzed and, as a consequence,

some sub categories emerged: 1. Reflection and analysis: A triggering point, and 2. The

person’s stance toward the world. The information collected was analyzed as follows:

Reflection and Analysis: A Triggering Point

Figure 24. ATLAS TI – Reflection and Analysis Network.

Different means were used in order to collect data to support this subcategory. The

work students did in the class and out of it, the observation of the teacher in relation to this

work, the record students had of these experiences through their journal, and a

questionnaire. A variety of pieces of media were used as part of the class activities done in

class, and they included Posters, Pictures, videos, Newspaper articles, TV commercials,

brochures and their own work. At the beginning of the semester classes, students showed

with their work that the first step they followed towards the completion of any class activity

was to identify the basic characteristics of the media piece used for the activity. They


somehow limited themselves to mentioning the essential aspects related to pictures, videos

or any other media form. It was noticeable the lack of further analysis of content in any of

the ways media was presented during the first sessions. In this regards, I would like to bring

Bernard’s (2005) definition about what analysis means. He states that analysis “is the

search for patterns in data and for ideas that help explain why those patterns are there in the

first place” (p. 452). Students at the primary stage of the learning process in the English

language class did not take into consideration this aspect, and so they did not do much to

try to identify ideas that supported patterns, or characteristics found in the media pieces.

Their reflection and analysis of media samples was too low. In this sense, Evans &

Stanovich (2013) comment that being analytical is an effortful process that requires

working memory. We could infer that, when analyzing, we look for concepts, the

explanation of the same, and we make use of our background to support that idea.

The kind of work we developed with the analysis of media in the classes showed

effect in the way people receive and perceive the information presented in class. First, they

just examined in a general way the information, and then they tried to identify details that

could lead them to gain a better understanding of the messages transmitted. This analysis

and posterior reflection took place thanks to the active participation and sharing of ideas

students had when working in groups, and supporting each other. We could infer that

reflection occurs when students’ experiences make them gain awareness and a better

understanding of the ideas beyond statements.


Figure 25.Evidence of reflection. Sample of student’s writing.

As we can notice in the sample, students did not just describe the objects, places or

situations presented, but they also reflected on the content of the pieces of media and gave

their own opinions. This work also revealed certain aspects of other abilities, such us the

faculty of thinking in a critical way. Taylor (1992) commented that reflecting on thoughts,

feelings and actions becomes essential in the practice of critical thinking. The data collected

indicated that students have developed a grade of sensibility to analyze media as a means to

transmit implicit and explicit messages, or in Kress and van Leeuwen (1996) words, the

multi-modal and multi-dimensional ways in which meaning making is supported through

Media communication. When doing so, they try to do deeper analysis of the pieces of

media presented, and according to their findings, they reflect on the advantages and

disadvantages of the information and what it means for their own life. This finding goes

along with Mezirow’s statement (1990). He says that students need to transform their

learning through self-reflection, since this reflection helps us become aware of the basis of

our values and beliefs. When students reflect on media as they did, they evaluate their own


beliefs. Besides, reflecting on our thoughts, feelings and actions takes us to know who we

are and where we are, and therefore it turns to be the first step to plan actions (Taylor,

1992) – one of the many essential characteristics of autonomy in learning.

The work done during the classes was as practical as possible, this means that

debate and group discussion were encouraged during the classes. What can be seen from

the information collected through the Teacher’s observational journal is a process of

construction and deconstruction of knowledge that students followed during the learning

process. On the one hand, it is deconstruction because they seem to break their parameters

of analysis looking forward to understanding the information conveyed though media,

without only considering their first perception of the same. This also means there is a

process of knowledge construction since they show changes in the way they perceive media

and the intentionality behind it towards a better comprehension of context, implicit

messages and objectives. Let us see some excerpts taken from the teacher’s journal:

-“Their drawings became a window to reflect of their own life. Their drawings were

the reason to analyze their lives from an external point of view. It was an

introspective exercise that they did with responsibility and honesty”

-“Some of them took the risk to mention things that were not obvious in the images,

such as the context or the intention of the picture.”

-“I think they were very analytical when they mentioned such reasons, and the fact

that they talked about social differences in the way private and public universities

are managed also left a feeling of critical thinking in the air.”

Figure 26. Teacher’s observational journal excerpts: Observations on activity 1

and 7.


These teacher’s observation excerpts show that students started to reflect on media

analysis and production not only considering it as a mere means of advertising. Students’

comments show how their reflection on media is also mediated by their thoughts, opinions

and ideas about social structures, and also their knowledge of their context. Observations

regarding cultural aspects of our society, the way they see the distribution of power in the

government and how it affects their environment, and also an analysis of the current

conditions as a way to support improvement plans suggest a development of Critical

Thinking skills.

Based on the information collected through the students’ questionnaire along the

development of the course, we can clearly identify certain tendencies in accordance to the

way students reflect and analyze their own acting. The following graphs indicate how

students answered the questionnaire in 5 different times of application. On the left of the

graph, percentages relate the number of students and their answers. At the bottom, we can

find the different times of application of the questionnaire. The possibilities of answers are

indicated with different colors under the next parameter: From left to right, we can find

light blue (Which stands for NOTHING), Orange (A FEW), Gray (ON A REGULAR

BASIS), Yellow (In this regards, questions relate their performance in academic terms.


Figure 27. Tendencies graph. Items 2, 9, 10, and 11.

When having a look at the answers student gave to the questionnaire, we can find

certain relations with the assumptions stated before. On the one hand, students showed

through Item 11 that they were able to analyze the homework they had, gaining awareness

of the state they were in their learning process and the contents in the same. The tendency

graph for this item suggests increase in the last periods of application of the questionnaire.

Pennycook, Cheyne, Barr, Koehler & Fugelsang, (2014) indicate that more analytic

individuals are either better able to detect conflict during reasoning or are more responsive

to such conflict. In this order of ideas, tendencies in Item 2 indicate that students started to

give more reflection in relation to their roles in learning. The graphs suggests they

progressively left apart their dependence on people to tell them what to do and how to do

their work. The decrease in the tendency for this item is correlated to the findings in Item 9,

in which we can see an evolving tendency in more than 80% of the student participants to

analyze the kind of work they were expected to do, and work on it by themselves. I would

say that, as a consequence, students’ responsibility remained stable, as the graph for Item

10 implies.

-“My learning in this moment is easy because in this moment i see topics generals

that are a base for other topics more difficult.”


-“I learn English because i think that is very important know about it. Because in

my profession is very important and know English open doors to have a better job

external”.

-“Because i think that is very important repass all the days a little part of English

so it five minutes at day.”

Figure 28. Student’s reflective journal. Evidence of reflection and

analysis.

Student’s journal answers imply the exercise of analysis and reflection. Firstly, they

analyze the current stage of learning in which they are by commenting how easy or difficult

it has been for them to understand the topics seen in class, the time they dedicated to

practice, and also the way they can improve. Secondly, they reflect on their learning

practices inside and outside the classroom by sharing thoughts related to the importance of

practice time on the accomplishment of learning goals, the ways they have to practice

English in different contexts, and how those ways fit their own learning styles. At this

point, we can find that their ability for reflection and analysis starts to transcend the bounds

of the class, and goes to the knowledge of the self and the environment. The next sub

category explains findings in this regards.

The Person’s Stance towards the World

Figure 29. ATLAS TI Category Analysis Network.


In the process of reflection and analysis that students evidenced during the classes,

and that involved not only Media but also thinking of themselves, I could notice certain

practices that suggested they were moving forward to wider analysis of their acts, their

thoughts, and their interaction with their environment. The data collected started to show

the extent to which students were evaluating themselves, showing awareness, and making

connections of the knowledge of themselves to analyze their environment. This subcategory

shows how students revealed their stance towards the world.

Students’ work in class and out of it suggests that, apart from a process of self-

analysis and reflection, students also spent some time thinking about the quality of their

production, the impact it had on their audience and in a certain sense the level of

satisfaction after having completed or presented it. First of all, students evaluate their work

according to the comments they receive by the teacher and their classmates, as Schunk

(2004) states, their evaluation is done in accordance to standards established by others.

“My opinion about our job is that was missed a imagination or a video, but I think

thas is a good job...”

“We lacked of material and practice. For the next project we will improve”

“Our presentation was good. but would improve in the part of the distribution of the

precentacion times of each group member”

Figure 30. Student’s reflective journal excerpts. Evidence of self-evaluation.

Aschbacher (1991) asserts that some characteristics of Self-evaluation are the

creation of things that require a higher thinking level, and also appropriate assessment by

which students understand the appropriateness of their performance through feedback. The

information collected suggests that students analyzed their participation, not only from the

perspective of English language use, but also from their role as human beings participating


in different social situations. They were able to see their strengths and weaknesses as

presenters, and also as the agents of change in their own lives. Their comments imply a

considerable level of transcendence which goes beyond the class to their own existence.

“They were very worried about their pronunciation, for this reason they constantly

asked me to check if the way they were pronouncing was good”

“When they finished their presentation, I thanked them for their effort and

congratulated them for their job. They said they could have done something better,

maybe using more technological resources or more attractive pictures.”

“They showed a special interest in identifying their defects, to the point that some of

them really exaggerated. That was also a good reason to think about the influence

their defects have in their life.”

Figure 31. Teacher’s journal. Excerpts related to self-evaluation.

According to Klenowski’s (1995), there are two different kinds of self-evaluation.

These kind can be related in the data collected for this project in the following way: The

first kind relates students’ own performance in relation to how they used English language

and the resources. The second kind is based on how they see themselves as actors is the

society, and their context. Regarding the first kind, students evidenced consciousness about

their strengths and weaknesses when using English language. In some of the cases, this

evaluation led them to make plans to improve. On the other hand, they thought about the

impact that their presentation resources had, which also showed the awareness they have

developed in terms of the characteristics that media have in order to be an effective means

of information conveyance. Activities related to the analysis of media lead them to

evaluate their own practices in their daily life. Some discussions in class led us to conclude


that media influences in a considerable way our habits and routines. Passages like the next

one show us that students evaluated their own acting, and reflected about their position as

social actors.

Figure 32. Student’s artifact sample. Analyzing media.

In regards to this sample, the student was relating how Media influences the way

people think when saying that “media has the brain of the man”. Samples like this,

presented in different student’s pieces, led me to consider that aspects of critical thinking

were unveiled. Critical thinking is "a purposeful, self-regulatory judgement which results

in interpretation, analysis evaluation, and inference, as well as explanations of evidential,

conceptual, methodological or contextual consideration" (Astleitner, 2002, p. 53). When it

comes to the analysis of media, Silverblatt (1995), conceives critical thinking as the

awareness of the multitude of messages received daily from the media and the effects they

can have on attitudes and behavior. During the class activities, students showed that they

were gaining awareness of messages, ideas and concepts transmitted through media.

Samples like the next one indicate students’ analytical and critical thinking operation in the

interpretation of media:


Figure 33. Student’s artifact sample. Interpreting media.

Oshana (2006) comments that a person must have a level of regulative control in

order to become aware of the information transmitted through media, and consequently to

reflect, analyze and evaluate their effects on the self. People must be in an outer position

from which they are able to manage their social environment in the sense that they can

manage key aspects of life against other persons or institutions that might attempt to control

them. From this perspective, students are able to think critically, to evaluate themselves,

and these facts can help them propose objectives in their learning process.

“Me ha beneficiado en la medida que he desarrollado un poco más mi capacidad

de prestar atención a algo que estoy escuchando y viendo para poder concentrarme

y así captar e interpretar lo que estoy escuchando y asociarlo con lo que estoy

viendo para entender el mensaje que deja eso, además de que es muy entretenido

buscar un mensaje oculto de un vídeo o una imagen que no parece tenerlo y

desarrollar esa capacidad imaginar y crear una situación para descubrirlo. Estos

medios hacen que sea más creativa y vaya más allá de lo que se percibe a simple

vista”.

Figure 34. Student’s reflective journal. Writing about media.


This comment reveals the student is doing an evaluation of the same in relation to

the abilities acquired to analyze and interpret the information that was found in media

sources. The student is showing awareness of the fact that media messages need to be

deconstructed and restructured again in order to understand the intention of the same (Kress

and van Leeuwen, 1996), and by saying “the capacity to imagine and create a situation” the

student reveals not only reflection on this, but also a clear idea of how to decode those

messages (which is also an indicator of planning and organization skills) and the way in

which the student relies on his/her own beliefs to interpret and make decisions.

Figure 35. Tendency graphs. Items 6, 12, 22 and 25.

Students’ answers reported in the questionnaire help us understand that they

reflected and analyzed the work they did during their learning process. In addition, they

were evaluating themselves. Item 6, for instance, shows that more than 80% of the students


consider they can improve the quality of their work in the future. These answers reveal

engagement and motivation in their learning process. Two more reasons to conclude that

they are evaluating themselves come from the answers to items 12 and 22. There we can

find that an average of 65% of the students evaluate the kind of information they see in

their work to identify it is relevant and worth, and, in addition, more than 50% of the

students analyze what they did in their work to make sure they were doing it correctly.

Answers also suggest they consider their environment, and were able to reflect on the

benefits of their context for the completion of their learning objectives. Item 25 indicates

that all of the student participants were able to make decisions regarding time and place to

do their work.

The data presented in this sub category marks aspects of self-evaluation, critical

thinking, motivation and awareness of the learning process and the context where it takes

place. During the analysis of data I could also notice students were reflecting and analyzing

their procedures, steps and objectives in the class to complete the activities proposed. It is

for this reason that the category “Strategic engagement in learning-goals completion was

born. The next section explain in detail the reasons and the analysis that was done to data in

this regards.

STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT IN LEARNING-GOALS COMPLETION

Figure 36. ATLAS TI – Strategic Engagement Category Analysis Network.


In relation to this category, different aspects that emerged from data were analyzed

and, as a consequence, some sub categories appeared: 1. Conceiving ideas towards an

objective, and 2. developing and implementing ideas. The information collected was

analyzed as follows:

Conceiving Ideas towards an Objective

Figure 37. ATLAS TI Conceiving Ideas Network.

This sub-category is related to the way students put into practice their ability to

make action plans, to set goals and the motivation they had towards the accomplishments of

the same.

Figure 38. Student’s artifact. Activities writing.


According to Dawson and Guare (2003) planning and Organization process is an

ability that aims to create a complete, general, and detailed map to successfully achieve any

kind of goal, besides foreseeing all the possible problems and obstacles that can make this

process unreachable. Data reflects the practice of action planning skills from two different

points of view: Students as the owners of their learning process, and students as participants

in society. Students’ work has shown the way in which students adopt different roles

towards the accomplishment of goals. When it comes to set those goals, and more precisely

the path to reach them, students evidenced the analysis of different alternatives for their

consecution. An example of this comes in the following piece, where students apart from

reflecting on the current situation of mobility that faces our city, propose plans with the aim

of solving this issue.

Figure 39. Student’s artifact. Planning and problem solving.

The use of bicycles has been a project fomented by the government as the easiest

and most viable option to overcome the current mobility problems. Students understand this

reality, but answers like the one presented before indicate that they are aware of the basic

steps the project needs to consider to work. First, consciousness in terms of the implications

of the massive use of cars, as well as the lack of culture and adequate infrastructure to


ensure comfort and security for bicycle riders. Action-planning skills are also evident when

analyzing lines like the next one, where students are getting ready to prepare their own

piece of media. Comments like this evidence their foreseeing of steps and procedures to

accomplish their goals.

“We'll try to do a little presentation and interpretation about some cinema genres

using audio visuals material. We'll see some like terror, drama, romance and

accion. At finish the activity we'll interacting with the group about in what

(continues from previous page) determinate moment they should differed the genres

and why is the correct form of interpreted those scenes.”

Figure 40. Student’s reflective journal. Planning a presentation.

Taking into consideration the point of view from which students make plans, we

identify that they take into consideration aspects such as the worth of the resources they

expect to use, the impact their work has for their viewers (usually in audio-visual terms),

the organization of their work so as to follow a coherent process, and how all those aspects

help them to express their ideas in an innovative and effective way. Teresa Amabile (2006),

Phd in psychology, states that when aspects such as knowledge, good attitude to solve

problems, and motivation get together, they give floor to Creativity to arise. Students work

imply the convergence of these three aspects in the way that students creatively prepare

their work. Students also showed motivation in the sense that they looked for extra

alternatives (which also evidences an inner desire to investigate) to complement their work.

Some of the activities done included interviews with foreigners, the combination of

different media sources to convey a message, and other means.


I could notice the extent to which students can put themselves as relevant

participants in society by coming up with ideas that benefit people. They were able to make

informed decisions, with responsibility and ethics. The participation students had in the

classes indicated that they were eager to express their thoughts and opinions, once they had

considered the viability and accuracy of them in relation to the activity. In order to do so,

they made use of technological devices to confirm information and then interact. They

frequently showed interest in sharing their ideas, so they showed motivation.

“Additionally, my students at the end wanted to mention more things in relation to

the pictures they had selected. I should say that they were able to identify more

aspects of the picture, but they were not reading it all”

“This fact implies that they were setting their objective in class, and were also

doing whatever needed to accomplish that.”Figure 41. Teacher’s observational

journal. Aspects of student’s planning and organization.

Some activities implied group work. Students’ encouragement was noticeable when

distributing roles to complete the exercises. The distribution of work suggested they made

plans to culminate the proposed work within the agreed time to finish it, having in mind the

objectives they had proposed to accomplish though the activity. We can infer that students

unveil aspects of autonomy since they are able to determine the objectives, define contents,

select methods and techniques to be used, and plan procedures (Holec, 1981). A further

look at the answers they gave to the questionnaire will give us a clearer perception of this

assertion.


Figure 42. Tendency graphs. Items 8, 16, 17, 18 and 19.

Students’ answers to the questionnaire indicated that students started to develop

autonomy at the moment of planning the procedures and steps to complete a task for the

class. Item 18 relates the tendency for students to rely on someone else’s work in order to

start doing their own. Their answers for this item reveal that, at the beginning, almost 70%

of the student participants depended a lot on someone in order to start doing their work.

However, that tendency goes down with the time, and by the end of the research project an

average of 25% of the students modified this practice and started to work on their own.


Planning and organization skills became evident through answers to items 8, 16, 17 and 19.

Firstly, all of the students thought beforehand about the possible problems they could face

when doing their work. That could explain why students started to include challenging and

difficult topics in their work. Item 8 shows that tendency to include difficult topics went up

during the project, going from 40% at the beginning to a 70% of students motivated to use

challenging information at the end. However, answers to Items 16 and 17 indicate that

students depend on the teacher to guide them in their learning process. More than 70% of

participants consider that the teacher is the person with the authority to choose the kind of

activities to do in the class and the one to provide information for the same. I think this is

due to the characteristics of the classroom, and in general the paradigm of education that we

still keep in our local context. Information coming from student’s journal reveals other

features of planning, as follows:

-“I practice my english almost every day. I try to practice wacthing series and

listening music in english. I practice my english too going to my academy of english

were i talk with a lot of people and my teachers corrects my pronunciation.”

- “Me Siento Un Poco Satisfecha Pero Quiero Practicar Y Aprender Mas”

- “I learn English because I want to travel to Australia and I want to staying in

there for two or more months.”

Figure 43. Student’s reflective journal. Planning and organization evidence.

Students’ comments in their journal also reveal how they plan to improve their

performance in English. They talk about listening to music, watching tv, reading a book or

just taking the risk to talk to someone as the most effective ways to be better in terms of


English language development. Their ability to make plans is not only related to their

learning process, but also to their future life. Students have also commented about the

benefits that learning a foreign language has in their life since it opens study and work

possibilities abroad.

Developing and Implementing Ideas

Figure 44. ATLAS TI - Developing ideas Network.

During the time students attend classes at the university, they have to make use of

different information sources to do all the work they are given not only for English subject,

but for all the subjects. This subcategory was born in order to show all the practices that

students follow when they carry out their work and how they overcome any kind of

problem that emerges during the process. From the different activities that were done in the

class, I could notice certain trends that could be considered as factors involved in this

subcategory.

An aspect that emerged from analyzing the data collected in this research project

was connected to the way students solved problems as part of the procedures they follow

towards the accomplishment of any goal in the class. The analysis of previous

subcategories gave me the possibility to present some data supporting the means by which

students overcome obstacles they encountered in their task-completion process. In this

regards, Brown & Walter (2005) assert that the practice of problem solving skills involves

as well the practice of problem posing. Besides, they comment in relation to these practices


that they happen in two different ways: First, by wondering “what is this problem really

asking, saying, or demanding? What if I shift my focus from what seems to be an obvious

component of this problem to a part that seems remote?” (p. 2), and secondly, by realizing

that “we do not fully understand the significance of what we have done, unless we begin to

generate and try to analyze a completely new set of problems”(ibid, p.2), which is a

practice frequently done after having supposedly solved a problem. Data presented before,

conjointly with the samples presented in this section, make us infer that students, in their

process of analysis of media, try to relate their understanding of contexts and intentions

presented in media with their own knowledge, opinions and experiences. When they realize

they do not fully comprehend the wide set of issues that can be detected though media, they

share their opinion about aspects that may represent problems in accordance to the expected

practices.

The following samples of students’ participation in the activities of critical media

analysis become evidence of students problem-posing and problem-solving skills in two

different aspects: On the first sample, by proposing that soap operas in the country present a

problem for audiences because they believe everything TV tells them (changing the focus

from an obvious component to a wider one), and analyzing situations to try to understand

the problems that generate health issues in society like obesity (which means they analyze a

situation to come up with a set of problems). This kind of identification of problems helps

students become more analytical, and, as Akay & Noz (2010) comment, Problem posing

can be regarded as a way to do analytical thinking.


Figure 45. Student’s artifact sample. Analyzing media.

Figure 46. Students’ presentation about media.

The observation of students’ practices in the classroom provided me with an insight

about the kind of problems students posed in their activities and how they solved them. As

it was mentioned before, students were really concerned about their performance in English

language at the moment of speaking, and writing. Most of the issues they manifested along

the classes were related to English language performance. The following samples taken

from the Teacher’s observational journal indicate this:


-“Some other students told me they did not feel comfortable when writing in

English because they considered they were not good enough”.

-“They started the activity by wondering if they could actually do it in an accurate

way because of what they think are weaknesses in English (Fluency, pronunciation,

etc.)”

Figure 47. Teacher’s observational journal. Excerpts related to Problem

posing.

Moving forward to a different scenario, the answers that students gave to

questionnaire revealed that, on the one hand, an average of 50% of the students who

participated in the research project made use of different sources like the Internet, the tv or

maybe the radio as a tool to continue learning and, in that way, find a solution to the

obstacle that they found related to the few chances of real practice and contact with the

language that we have in the city, and in the university.


Figure 48. Tendency graphs. Items 3, 15, 24, and 28.

Students showed that it was not necessary to rely on someone in order to start doing

their work. This becomes evident after analyzing the tendency presented in the item 15,

where an average of 70% of the students answered with a high frequency to the statement

that they made decisions regarding the techniques, procedures and objectives I their work.

Another important aspect to mention comes from the answers to Item 3. In a high degree,

students were able to find solutions to the problems they face during the development of

their work. Their desire to investigate and to find solutions for their learning problems is

evident. It seems that students just make use of internet as the only and most relevant

source of information. It is clear that Internet offers different alternatives to practice

English language, they have plenty of audio-visual aids to help them in their learning

process. Student’s comments in their journal show how they use this tool.

- I learn English practice every day if i don't do it i can't learn well a idiom. I try

this week to sing and learn the lyrics of a song from Rihana and Maroon 5. I

practice my speaking and try to learn more vocabulary.

-No me siento satisfecha, porque no logro entender cuando las personas hablan

inglés en los videos aunque poco a poco voy mejorando.


-“I usually use the internet and i learn more easily whit songs and videos”

Figure 49. Student’s reflective journal. Excerpts related to planning a

solution for an obstacle in learning.

Students usually surf the net to check their social networks, chat with people, and

when they want to use is as a tool to practice their communicative skills in English

language, they check music, videos, or just go to any web site that browsers indicate. This

practice was also evident when they were doing in-class work, and needed to use internet to

find information. Even though they show an inner desire to investigate and get information

to support and complement they work, they do not pay too much attention to the origins

and legitimacy of that data. Evidence shows that despite they approach media sources like

TV, newspapers or radio with careful and critical eyes, they do not act the same way when

interacting with the global net. In my personal opinion, this is a field where teachers of all

subjects should reflect, because we all constantly invite students to use internet without

helping them to be evaluative and critical in regards to the kind of information and the

worth of it. Unconsciously, we send them to explore a virtual universe of information with

blind eyes.

Following the above explanation of the categories and its sub-categories as well as

the supporting arguments, I infer that the research question can be answered. The aim of the

research project was to unveil the aspects of learning autonomy in the process of critical

analysis of media in the English as Foreign Language classroom at Universidad Distrital. A

careful analysis of the information gathered during the data collection process by means of

the four sources (Student’s journal, Teacher’s Journal, Questionnaire and Artifacts)

revealed certain practices student’s started to follow that were aligned with the practice of


critical analysis of media information that took place during the pedagogical intervention.

At this juncture, and bearing in mind the findings related in this chapter, I let myself

announce the answer to the research question in the following chapter.


CHAPTER 6

CONCLUSIONS

As I have exposed in previous chapters, I went through a process of analysis in

which I identified four sub categories that were also part of two categories. The information

presented in the data analysis chapter led me to identify codes of analysis, and therefore,

helped me to identify sub-categories that let me answer the question proposed for this

research project, regarding the aspects of autonomy in learning that emerge in a process of

critical analysis of media in the EFL class at Universidad Distrital. Following this, I present

the answer to this research question and also a statement about the achievement of the

research purpose and objectives.

The experience working with the Critical analysis of media in the EFL classroom

and the data gathered during this process helped me discover the learning practices of

students at Universidad Distrital over the semester of classes, and the way in which this

implementation helped them in terms of autonomy learning practices. At the beginning of

the project, students seemed to approach the analysis of media from a basic point of view.

They did not do too much analysis of the content, intentions and messages and just limited

themselves to superficially describe the information. This may occur in part because media

consumers automatically process the majority of the messages that they encounter in it

rather than expending the effort that would be required to evaluate them (Potter, 2004). The

different set of activities done during the classes showed that students started to develop the

ability to analyze, reflect and evaluate the information conveyed to them from Media

sources. There were signs that implied students were gaining awareness of the information

they received from media sources, and at the moment of creating pieces of media, they


advised the implications of the messages they put. The information collected suggests that

they gained consciousness of the multitude of messages received from media, and their

words indicate that students were doing their best to reflect on the effect media messages

could have on behavior and attitudes of the audience. This fact is also a hint that evidences

media literacy (Silverblatt, 1995). The process of analysis of media done in the class and

the information collected throughout all the 16 weeks alludes the gradual increase of

consciousness about media, the construction and deconstruction of meaning in the multiple

forms it implies, and additionally an upward trend to reflect on the information students

find in order to see if it is worth for their needs, and useful for their projects. In this regards,

I could notice students gave time to think about the information that was presented to them

in the book texts or in the activities proposed in the English class, and, at the moment of

writing and speaking, students considered in advance what they were going to say and how

they were going to say that.

Kaplun (1998) stated that what matters in terms of education is, more than

transmitting contents and teaching things, to help students learn how to learn, to give them

the tools to be able to reason on their own, to guide them to find the ways in which they can

overcome problems by understanding the contexts, and consequently to lead them to

become autonomous. I believe the work we did with media was on the path towards the

development of these goals. The data collected presented clues of growth in the way by

which students reflected on their work, analyzed and evaluated it. Data also let us know

students were getting more committed with their own learning process. Students seemed to

feel encouraged to come up with their learning objectives and to propose an action plan

towards it. This finding was also reinforced when students commented about their learning

as something they would do all their life, and that it was their decision what to learn and


how to do it. This experience advocates that students thought of their learning as something

that does not only happens in the classroom, but also as a part of their own living and, as

little (1991) exposes, students were able to transfer knowledge from basic stages to wider

contexts.

Students felt confident enough to continue exploring information sources out of the

class as a form to improve their knowledge of English language. I could notice that at the

moment of checking students’ writing exercises, or when I had the chance to listen to them.

I realized that they wanted to go beyond the contents of the class and use different grammar

structures that were not included in the topics proposed for the class. As a result, they felt

free to express their opinions, thoughts and ideas in English language, monitoring their

performance, and sharing their online discoveries to improve their English level. This

shows students’ eagerness to continue learning without being in the language classroom,

and their responsibility in the same process.

Given these facts, we can conclude that students were on the path to leave behind

their traditional concept of media, the way in which they perceived learning, and they

opened their eyes to see beyond the bound of their perception. Under this premise, I state

that practices of self-evaluation, reflection, analysis, problem posing, and planning and

organization were promoted along the media and language work process done during the

classes. The results of research also informed that students extended the idea of personal

responsibility and capacity (Hughes, 2003), a fact which gives us floor to deduce that a

state of autonomy was reached. The results implied that students gradually enhanced their

ability to propose learning objectives, and they demonstrated attention in relation to how to

monitor their learning process, how to pose and solve the problems they found during that

process, and a level of awareness in terms of the usefulness of tools in their learning


context to accomplish objectives. Beyond shadow of doubt, they were “free to determine

their own beliefs and practices” (Hughes, 2003, p.2).

At the end of the research project, students evidenced a higher level of awareness

and engagement in relation to the process and content of learning compared to the data

collected in the first phase of the research. Their experience in the project and the

information gathered during the same denoted “a capacity for detachment, critical

reflection, decision-making, and independent action” (p. 4). This is, according to Little

(1991), what defines Autonomy in learning. Students’ reaction when checking these results

impacted me because, on the one hand, they pointed the fact that there was improvement in

their English language command which I could notice due to the different sets of words and

grammar structures they had found in different resources they had consulted, indeed,

different to the material or information seen in class. Their awareness of their English

language learning process in relation to the comments I received from them also reinforce

the idea that practices of autonomous learning were promoted through the project. On the

other hand, students mentioned that, as a result of their participation in the research project,

they were not able to see media with the same eyes they used to have. They expressed that

whenever they saw any piece of advertisement or any kind of information on the internet,

they tried to analyze it and detect the messages behind them in order to decide if the

information was good for their needs or not. They commented they were careful when

getting information for their homework in different subjects, for example, by checking the

reliability of the sources or by thinking in advance the steps to do some academic work. To

summarize with, the findings presented in this chapter insinuate that aspects of autonomy in

learning were unveiled from the analysis of media in our English language class.


IMPLICATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH AND PEDAGOGICAL

PRACTICES

As I explained in the description of the problem which initiated this research

project, I consider that our role as Language teachers should not be limited to the

transmission of knowledge and the mechanic evaluation of students’ performance in the

classroom. Our mission as educators is to guide our students to discover the wide set of

possibilities that the world offers to grow up as professionals, and more importantly, as

human beings. We are not configuring robots that one day will replicate knowledge without

transcendence, but we are guiding a new generation of human beings that will be active

participants in society.

We should work hard to provide students with the tools to interact with their

environment, to become aware of the ways in which that environment influences their

thoughts and actions, to understand who they really are and what they can do, and so to

move forward to accomplish any objective they set in their existence. After having seen the

results of this research project I consider the analysis of media though critical lenses helps

students in this process. The evidences showed me how students gain awareness of their

own, how they think, and how they relate with their setting. All of this resulted in the

practice of autonomy in learning, which is an ability that we all should foster in order to be

better in all the dimension of the being.

One of the greatest memories I recall from this project is the motivation that my

students expressed during this implementation. They realized they got control of their

learning process and were active participants in class. They understood that an important

aspect of meaningful learning is to be aware of what to do, how to do it and why to do it. I


encourage teachers to continue changing the classical paradigm of classrooms to create a

new learning environment in which students feel comfortable and motivated to continue

learning.

I experienced some limitations during the development of the project that I suggest

could be analyzed in detail in further research. For instance, the events of creation of media

pieces in the class were restricted to the tools we had in hand. I think there are hundreds of

tools on the internet, and specialized software that can be used to the creation of these

pieces. In this sense, I think studies related to the way in which media analysis can foster

computer literacy can be done. More in relation to the subject of English language, I think

that it is worthwhile to understand more about how teachers can incorporate media analysis,

and in a wider sense, how we can include media literacy as an instructional goal in the

English curriculum. In our local context, I consider vital to understand the perception that

teachers and government have towards the Critical analysis of media in order to generate

changes in the design of language programs towards the fostering of reflective, analytical,

critical and evaluative thinking in our society.


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APPENDIXES

Appendix A: Transcription of recording. Conversation with students

Teacher: Quiero que me cuenten como cuál es su impresión del Inglés, para que creen ustedes que les sirve el Inglés en la vida. Student 1: Pues… primero que todo… ya es algo como muy… requisito en todo lado. Es muy necesario para cualquier persona el inglés, ¿no? Ya es como que es su deber aprenderlo a hablar, y ya es como… va a ser como… como la lengua principal del mundo va a ser ahorita el inglés, entonces ya es como algo necesario para todo el mundo, y el que no aprenda el inglés no está en nada. Es algo como muy necesario para cualquier persona, para surgir. Teacher: O sea que desde su idea es… más… una herramienta. Es algo necesario. Student 2: Una necesidad Student 1: Una necesidad porque… cada artículo… digamos… en la carrera en que este, si te enseñan un documento en inglés y usted no tengo idea, necesito contratar a alguien, entonces gastaría más presupuesto… tomaría más tiempo., más espera… No sé. Ya de esta manera, ya aprendiéndolo a usar, ya sé que soy muy bueno en Inglés facilitaría más las cosas. Teacher: ¿Y a ustedes les gusta el inglés? Student 1: Si Student 2: A mi si me gusta. A mí me gusta el inglés aunque muchas cosas se me dificultan. Digamos… adquirir el vocabulario, digamos que las estructuras no tanto pero si un poquito el vocabulario, y me parece que es algo necesario porque pues nosotros nativamente pues tenemos el idioma español, pero, como dijo Nicolás (Student 1), ahorita el idioma universal es el inglés, entonces es el idioma que se maneja en todas partes del mundo, y pues ya pensándolo más adelante, cuando ya seamos profesionales y todo eso, pues nos vamos a tener que enfrentar a escenarios donde necesariamente tengamos que entenderlo y pues hablarlo no perfectamente, pero si… o sea… comunicarnos con las demás personas en el idioma. Teacher: Ustedes que tienen muchos compañeros acá, en la universidad, ¿Cómo ven los estudiantes el inglés?, en la materia, por ejemplo, ¿Cuál es la impresión que ellos tienen? Student 3: Pues digamos que… hay gente que sabe mucho inglés en la universidad. Hay estudiantes que saben mucho, pero siendo honesta, cuando uno conversa con un compañero dicen que inglés es una materia… Student 1: …más que pasar Student 3: una materia como… retazo. No como algo importante. Un retazo por decirlo así. Student 1: Algo que rellena… Student 2: Si, exacto, no es demasiado importante. No tiene peso como calculo… ¿sí?, como esas materias. Teacher: ¿Y por qué creen eso? Student 1: No se les ha dado…. No se les ha reflejado como la importancia que tiene el inglés más adelante, a futuro, porque nosotros nos encargamos es del futuro… no mira, tú necesitas es matemáticas o algo así, la prioridad que es para nosotros… calculo, o algo así. Nunca que vamos a tener que hablar inglés, o algún idioma más adelante. Student 2: Y también por lo que yo dije, porque no nos hemos tenido que enfrentar a un escenario donde sea obligación… digamos, entenderlo y comunicarnos… o sea, donde nadie nos hable en Español. Student 1: ¡Exactamente!


Student 2: ¿ves? es obligación entender lo que nos están diciendo, y también obligación comunicarnos correctamente. Teacher: ¿Y ustedes creen que esa visión de que inglés es una materia de relleno hace que a la gente no le vaya bien? Student 1: ¡Exacto! Student 2: Si, porque por lo menos uno, con una materia como te digo de matemáticas… por decirlo así… uno siente una presión. Entonces uno se siente como obligado a estudiar, a dedicarle tiempo, a no salirse… Student 1: …a seguir estudiando o no está en nada, porque digamos… los profesores de cálculo son como muy dictadores, le dicen a uno “si usted está acá y pierde calculo, ahí verá… usted no está en nada porque esto es como lo principal de su carrera. Si usted no sabe esto o lo otro, no lo puedo pasar, porque que va a saber el resto” Student 3: Y hay compañeros que no se esfuerzan por pasar. Nosotros conocemos un caso de un compañero que iba a inglés 3, y no entregaba tareas… no entregaba nada. En los parciales era como… no, es que no estudie nada… Student 1: Que no le da importancia… Student 2: Estaba en una materia que no es relevante para la vida. Student 1: lo vemos en este momento así, algunos lo veremos en esa etapa… porque uno nunca mira a futuro, lo que yo digo, nos limitamos a ver lo de ahorita, en lo que cada semestre nos ponen… un cálculo… y no mirar si más adelante nos va a servir. Student 3: …Y de pronto también por lo que vale la materia, o sea, la cantidad de créditos, porque pues los créditos son importantes pero… digamos… si valiera más, la gente se dedicaría más. Student 2: Cuando uno entra a un semestre, entonces uno sabe qué materia tiene un crédito, que materia tiene 2 créditos, que materia tiene 3 créditos, a que materia se tiene que dedicar más, a que materia no tanto, y a qué materia no se tiene que dedicar mucho. Student 1: Uno tiene como que dedicarle tiempo a cada materia y saber qué tiempo debe gastar de estudio… digamos… en cada materia. Digamos, si uno ve que el crédito… digamos… de geometría es más, es como el crédito de geometría, uno no le da tanto empeño como a una de calculo que tiene 4 créditos, sabiendo que si puede perder, se va a retrasar demasiado. Teacher: sí, claro. Y la gente con la que ustedes han estudiado inglés… ¿ellos, aparte de la universidad, hacen algo como por aprender? Student 1: Digamos… yo tengo amigos que estudian inglés en diferentes partes. Tengo una compañera que estudia inglés acá en la universidad, también en el ILUD… Teacher: Ahh… pero bueno, están estudiando aparte, como en otros institutos… pero las personas que no están estudiando en otros institutos, ¿Saben si se dedican en la casa, o en algún otro lugar… como a revisar vocabulario, o algo así? Student 2: Pues de pronto con el tema de la música, que hay mucha música en inglés, mucha gente que le gusta la música en inglés… y de pronto esa es una herramienta buenísima para uno adquirir vocabulario… de pronto, yo a veces me critico eso, porque a mí me gusta mucho la música en inglés… entonces por eso es que uno… y digamos que… compañeros que saben inglés es porque escuchan música en inglés. Student 1: ¡Exacto! Teacher: ¿Solo con música? Student 2: Pues yo he escuchado solo con música… Student 3: También compañeros que han viajado a otras partes, y han tenido que mantener conversaciones en inglés.


Student 2: Que si se han enfrentado a los escenarios que digo… pero aquí, que yo sepa, sí. Que yo pregunte: ¿pero tu como sabes tanto vocabulario? Yo… no, si estamos en un nivel igual… pues porque me gusta el rock en inglés, música en inglés… Student 1: Lo bueno de escuchar música en inglés es que digamos… uno busca la letra, uno busca lo que traduce la canción… entonces uno aprende vocabulario, como se expresan Student 2: Y si uno la canta entonces ya está afinando el speaking. Student 3: Va aprendiendo palabritas. Teacher: Pero también viendo televisión se puede hacer… Student 1: El problema es que hay programas subtitulados, pero es que me decían a mí que ver programas, hablado en inglés y subtitulado es malo. Student 2: ¡Exacto profe! porque uno se pone es a leer. Student 1: Uno lo que hace es leer, y no escuchar lo que están hablando. Student 2: Yo por lo menos no hago eso Student 1: Pero así que me tome el tiempo, ponerme unos audífonos y escuchar inglés totalmente… uno queda como… Teacher: Y pues me imagino que internet, ¿no? Todo lo que tiene… Student 1: Si, ya. Pero muy pocos lo hacen, y los que lo hacen Student 2: Incluso también poniendo las redes sociales en inglés, hay personas que ponen Facebook en inglés. Teacher: ¿Cuantas personas conoces que hacen eso? Compañeros aquí en la universidad. Student 2: Yo conozco dos personas que hacen eso con el celular.


Appendix B1: Research Project – Intervention Timetable (First Term)

TOPICLANGUAGE

WORKLEARNING OBJECTIVES

HOMEWORK -

ACTIVITIES

1st Entry in Ss' Journal

Vocabulary Cities and Adjectives

Places in a City

Reading Fact Sheet about a City

Magazine article

Listening Interviews in a School

TV programme 2nd Entry in Ss' Journal

Speaking Asking personal Questions

Questions about cities

Writing A description of a City

Using the dictionary

3rd Entry in Ss' Journal

Vocabulary Jobs and Workplaces

Office Jobs

Reading Profiles of people

a University Webpage

Listening Interview with a Student

4th Entry in Ss' Journal

Speaking Discussing Jobs

Reporting on Someone's job

Writing A curriculum Vitae


Vocabulary Routine Verbs and Words

Reading Publicity Leaflet

Listening TV Interview about desserts

Speaking Questions about habits

Writing Someone's routine


Vocabulary Leisure activities and fi lms

Reading Health club leaflet

Listening Interview with people

Speaking Guessing Game

Writing Working with members


Vocabulary Transportation means

Adjectives

Reading Magazine article - transport

Q&A in a Magazine

Listening People talking about

Transportation means 8th Entry in Ss' Journal

Speaking Discussing means transport

Writing Description

Vocabulary Food and Drink

International Food

Reading A charity leaflet 9th Entry in Ss' Journal

Flyer for conference

Listening Interview about eating

habits

Speaking Describing photos and food

Writing Describing objects and the 10th Entry in Ss' Journal

quantity in different places


Vocabulary Shops and shopping

Reading Newspaper article: Business

Listening A radio programme

Speaking Shopping habits and likes

Writing An Informal Email


Vocabulary Verbs and prepositions

Reading Text from a History book

Listening Presentation on technology

Speaking Change in culture/Styles

Writing A short biography


FINAL EXAM 30% - Grades upload in the system CONDOR on December 7th

Comparison:

comparative

adjectives

Comparison:

superlative

adjectives

Count and

uncountable

nouns, some

and any

much, many, a

lot of; how

much? how

many?

- Students will manage

to talk about objects

and their amount in a

variety of situations.

- Students wil be able

to present a detailed

description of places.

- Students will be in a

position of describing

and comparing objects,

places and people.

- Students will be able

to negotiate meaning

using comparatives and

superlatives.

UN

IT 6

– F

OO

D

Page

s 48

–55

Nov

embe

r 2n

d -

3rd

Present

continuous (1):

affirmative,

negative

& questions

contrasted with

present simpleUN

IT 7

– S

HO

PPIN

G

Page

s 58

–65

WEE

K 1

4

SECOND TERM GRADES 35% - Grades upload in the system CONDOR on October 31st

Nov

embe

r 16

th -

17t

h

WEE

K 1

5

UN

IT 8

– H

ISTO

RY

& C

ULT

UR

E

Page

s 66

–73 Past simple: to

be

could, couldn’t

This week is dedicated to presenting the Second Term Test, in accordance with

the English Language course plan stated by Universidad Distrital. The test takes

into consideration all Communicative Skills (Including a Grammar section).

ACTIVITY 4: REALITY

SHOW

This week is dedicated to presenting the Final Test, in accordance with the

English Language course plan stated by Universidad Distrital. The test takes



to talk about ongoing

actions in different

contexts.

- Students will have the

means for producing

and interpreting texts

of description.

- Student will be able to

express their feelings in

the past.


to request information

about personal

profiles.I96

ACTIVITY 5: MOBILITY

ACTIVITY 6: FOOD,

OBESITY AND

ANOREXIA

Ho

liday

Ho

liday

Ho

liday

Ho

liday

UN

IT 5

– T

RA

NSP

OR

T

Page

s 40

–47

UN

IT 4

– L

EISU

RE

TIM

E Pa

ges

32–3

9FI

RST

TER

M T

EST

WEE

K 7

WEE

K 8

WEE

K 9

WEE

K 1

0W

EEK

16

FIN

AL

TEST

Nov

embe

r 9t

h -

10th

FIRST TERM GRADES 35% - Grades upload in the system CONDOR on September 19th

Oct

ober

26t

h -

27th

WEE

K 1

3

SECO

ND

TER

M T

EST

UN

IT 3

– W

ATE

R

Page

s 22

–29

Question words

Adverbs of

frequency

GRAMMAR

Articles

can, can’t:

ability and

possibility

This week is dedicated to presenting the First Term Test, in accordance with the



Sep

tem

ber

14th

- 1

5th

Sep

tem

ber

21st

- 2

2th

Sep

t 28

th -

29t

hO

ctob

er 5

th -

6th

Oct

ober

12t

h -

13th


to express their

abilities in

conversations.

WEE

K 1

2

Oct

ober

19t

h -

20th

WEE

K 1

1

ACTIVITY 7: TV

COMMERCIALS

DATES

Aug

ust

3rd

- 4t

hA

ugus

t 10

th -

11t

hA

ugus

t 17

th -

18t

hA

ugus

t 24

th -

25t

hA

ug 3

1st

- Se

p 1

stSe

pte

mbe

r 7t

h -

8th

UN

IT 1

– C

ITIE

S

Page

s 6

–13

UN

IT 2

– W

OR

K A

ND

STU

DY

Page

s 14

- 2

1

WEE

K 6

WEE

K 1

WEE

K 2

WEE

K 3

WEE

K 4

WEE

K 5

Intr

oduc

tory

Wee

kBasic Class

commands and

expressions

BOOK ACTIVITIES

To be:

affirmative,

negative,

question, short

forms

there is, there

are:

affirmative,

negative,

question, a lot

of

Present simple:

affirmative,

negative

Present simple:

questions


to comprehend and

interpret basic

information in texts.


to express personal

information.


to present descriptions

of places or situations.

- Students will be

capable of asking and

answering elemental

questions about jobs


to understand written

pieces describing a

person's life details.

Students will get

information regarding

the course

methodology, grading

system and platform

use.

ACTIVITY 1: TAKING A

SECOND LOOK

ACTIVITY 2: ARE YOU

CONTROLLED BY

MEDIA?


to interact with others

about their habits


means for exposing

frequencies of activities

ACTIVITY 3: CREATING

MEDIA


Appendix B2: Research Project – Intervention Timetable (Second Term)

TOPICLANGUAGE


HOMEWORK -

ACTIVITIES



Places in a City


Magazine article









Office Jobs






















Adjectives


Q&A in a Magazine




Writing Description


International Food




habits


















Comparison:

comparative

adjectives

Comparison:

superlative

adjectives

Count and

uncountable

nouns, some

and any

much, many, a

lot of; how

much? how

many?











places and people.




superlatives.

UN

IT 6

– F

OO

D

Page

s 48

–55

Nov

embe

r 2n

d -

3rd

Present

continuous (1):

affirmative,

negative

& questions

contrasted with

present simpleUN

IT 7

– S

HO

PPIN

G

Page

s 58

–65

WEE

K 1

4


Nov

embe

r 16

th -

17t

h

WEE

K 1

5

UN

IT 8

– H

ISTO

RY

& C

ULT

UR

E

Page

s 66


be

could, couldn’t




ACTIVITY 4: REALITY

SHOW







contexts.


means for producing


of description.



the past.



about personal

profiles.I96


ACTIVITY 6: FOOD,

OBESITY AND

ANOREXIA

Ho

liday

Ho

liday

Ho

liday

Ho

liday

UN

IT 5

– T

RA

NSP

OR

T

Page

s 40

–47

UN

IT 4

– L

EISU

RE

TIM

E Pa

ges

32–3

9FI

RST

TER

M T

EST

WEE

K 7

WEE

K 8

WEE

K 9

WEE

K 1

0W

EEK

16

FIN

AL

TEST

Nov

embe

r 9t

h -

10th


Oct

ober

26t

h -

27th

WEE

K 1

3

SECO

ND

TER

M T

EST

UN

IT 3

– W

ATE

R

Page

s 22

–29

Question words

Adverbs of

frequency

GRAMMAR

Articles

can, can’t:

ability and

possibility




Sep

tem

ber

14th

- 1

5th

Sep

tem

ber

21st

- 2

2th

Sep

t 28

th -

29t

hO

ctob

er 5

th -

6th

Oct

ober

12t

h -

13th


to express their

abilities in

conversations.

WEE

K 1

2

Oct

ober

19t

h -

20th

WEE

K 1

1

ACTIVITY 7: TV

COMMERCIALS

DATES

Aug

ust

3rd

- 4t

hA

ugus

t 10

th -

11t

hA

ugus

t 17

th -

18t

hA

ugus

t 24

th -

25t

hA

ug 3

1st

- Se

p 1

stSe

pte

mbe

r 7t

h -

8th

UN

IT 1

– C

ITIE

S

Page

s 6

–13

UN

IT 2

– W

OR

K A

ND

STU

DY

Page

s 14

- 2

1

WEE

K 6

WEE

K 1

WEE

K 2

WEE

K 3

WEE

K 4

WEE

K 5

Intr

oduc

tory

Wee

k

Basic Class

commands and

expressions

BOOK ACTIVITIES

To be:

affirmative,

negative,

question, short

forms

there is, there

are:

affirmative,

negative,

question, a lot

of

Present simple:

affirmative,

negative

Present simple:

questions


to comprehend and

interpret basic



to express personal

information.




- Students will be


answering elemental




pieces describing a


Students will get


the course


system and platform

use.


SECOND LOOK

ACTIVITY 2: ARE YOU

CONTROLLED BY

MEDIA?



about their habits


means for exposing



MEDIA


Appendix B3: Research Project – Intervention Timetable (Third Term)

TOPICLANGUAGE


HOMEWORK -

ACTIVITIES



Places in a City


Magazine article









Office Jobs






















Adjectives


Q&A in a Magazine




Writing Description


International Food




habits


















Comparison:

comparative

adjectives

Comparison:

superlative

adjectives

Count and

uncountable

nouns, some

and any

much, many, a

lot of; how

much? how

many?











places and people.




superlatives.

UN

IT 6

– F

OO

D

Page

s 48

–55

Nov

embe

r 2n

d -

3rd

Present

continuous (1):

affirmative,

negative

& questions

contrasted with

present simpleUN

IT 7

– S

HO

PPIN

G

Page

s 58

–65

WEE

K 1

4


Nov

embe

r 16

th -

17t

h

WEE

K 1

5

UN

IT 8

– H

ISTO

RY

& C

ULT

UR

E

Page

s 66


be

could, couldn’t




ACTIVITY 4: REALITY

SHOW







contexts.


means for producing


of description.



the past.



about personal

profiles.I96


ACTIVITY 6: FOOD,

OBESITY AND

ANOREXIA

Ho

liday

Ho

liday

Ho

liday

Ho

liday

UN

IT 5

– T

RA

NSP

OR

T

Page

s 40

–47

UN

IT 4

– L

EISU

RE

TIM

E Pa

ges

32–3

9FI

RST

TER

M T

EST

WEE

K 7

WEE

K 8

WEE

K 9

WEE

K 1

0W

EEK

16

FIN

AL

TEST

Nov

embe

r 9t

h -

10th


Oct

ober

26t

h -

27th

WEE

K 1

3

SECO

ND

TER

M T

EST

UN

IT 3

– W

ATE

R

Page

s 22

–29

Question words

Adverbs of

frequency

GRAMMAR

Articles

can, can’t:

ability and

possibility




Sep

tem

ber

14th

- 1

5th

Sep

tem

ber

21st

- 2

2th

Sep

t 28

th -

29t

hO

ctob

er 5

th -

6th

Oct

ober

12t

h -

13th


to express their

abilities in

conversations.

WEE

K 1

2

Oct

ober

19t

h -

20th

WEE

K 1

1

ACTIVITY 7: TV

COMMERCIALS

DATES

Aug

ust

3rd

- 4t

hA

ugus

t 10

th -

11t

hA

ugus

t 17

th -

18t

hA

ugus

t 24

th -

25t

hA

ug 3

1st

- Se

p 1

stSe

pte

mbe

r 7t

h -

8th

UN

IT 1

– C

ITIE

S

Page

s 6

–13

UN

IT 2

– W

OR

K A

ND

STU

DY

Page

s 14

- 2

1

WEE

K 6

WEE

K 1

WEE

K 2

WEE

K 3

WEE

K 4

WEE

K 5

Intr

oduc

tory

Wee

k

Basic Class

commands and

expressions

BOOK ACTIVITIES

To be:

affirmative,

negative,

question, short

forms

there is, there

are:

affirmative,

negative,

question, a lot

of

Present simple:

affirmative,

negative

Present simple:

questions


to comprehend and

interpret basic



to express personal

information.




- Students will be


answering elemental




pieces describing a


Students will get


the course


system and platform

use.


SECOND LOOK

ACTIVITY 2: ARE YOU

CONTROLLED BY

MEDIA?



about their habits


means for exposing



MEDIA


Appendix C1: Students Questionnaire (Part A)


Appendix C2: Students Questionnaire (Part B)


Appendix D: Teacher’s observational journal – Sample


Appendix E: Consent Form


Appendix F: ATLAS TI Codes Network

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