Collaborative Research: Role of Faculty in Supporting Lifelong Learning: An Investigation of Self-Directed Learning Environments in Engineering Undergraduate Classrooms

从自我决定理论出发，本研究将探讨教师的选择如何影响学生作为自主学习者和终身学习者（SDL）的发展。现有的研究表明，学生自主支持与SDL相关的结果之间存在很强的相关性，该研究提出了三个研究问题。首先，工程教师以何种方式帮助学生成为自主学习者，教师的实践和行为是否能使学生更多地参与和拥有自己的学习？第二个问题是关于学生的？在本科工程设置中，对不同自主方式的行为和情感反应是支持的。最后，自主意识对学生有什么影响？对自己学习的认知？终身学习需要发展与SDL一致的能力，SDL的特征可能是好奇、积极、反思、分析、坚持、灵活和独立。他们具有信息寻找、检索和元认知意识的能力。教师通过设计和实施培养学生的课程，在影响与SDL相关的结果方面显然发挥着关键作用。从受控学习行为到自主学习行为的过渡。本研究的参与者将是四所合作大学的工程学院和本科生。具有动机和评估专业知识的教育教师将协调混合方法评估计划。教育工作者和认证机构认为，以学生为中心的学习方法，培养终身学习的能力，对今天的成功至关重要。S工程环境。目前工程教育界的重点是评估学生的能力。通过衡量与SDL相关的结果来提高终身学习能力，而不是理解教师实践与SDL结果之间的复杂关系。这个项目将有广泛的影响，因为所有的工程项目都需要证明学生正在获得终身学习者所需的技能。通过包括国家研讨会在内的各种机制广泛传播这项工作，将有助于教师专业知识的发展，有助于工程教育工作者的认识论，使设计更有效的教学环境成为可能，并为实施自主支持工程课程提供一个模型，这些课程有可能对学生群体的多样性产生直接影响。

Building from self-determination theory, this study will examine how instructor choices affect a range of student outcomes related to their development as self-directed and lifelong learners (SDL). Drawing on existing research that suggests strong correlations between student autonomy support and outcomes related to SDL, the proposed study examines three research questions. First, in what ways do engineering instructors assist students to become self-directed learners, and are there instructor practices and behaviors that lead to greater student involvement in and ownership of their own learning? The second question asks about students? behavioral and affective responses to different ways autonomy is supported in undergraduate engineering settings. Finally, what effect does a sense of autonomy have on students? perceptions of their own learning? Lifelong learning requires the development of capacities consistent with those of SDL who may be characterized as curious, motivated, reflective, analytical, persistent, flexible, and independent. They possess skills in information seeking, retrieval and metacognitive awareness. Instructors clearly play a critical role in influencing outcomes related to SDL through their design and implementation of courses that foster students? transitions from controlled to autonomous learning behaviors. Participants in this study will be engineering faculty and undergraduate students at four collaborating universities. Education faculty with expertise in motivation and assessment will coordinate the mixed method evaluation plan. The need for student-centered learning approaches that foster a capacity for lifelong learning is recognized by educators and accreditation agencies as vital for success in today?s engineering environment. The current emphasis in the engineering education community has been on assessing students? lifelong learning capacity by measuring outcomes associated with SDL, rather than on understanding the complex relationship between instructor practices and SDL outcomes. This project will have broad impact since all engineering programs are required to demonstrate that students are gaining the skills needed to be lifelong learners. Broad dissemination of the work through a variety of mechanisms, including national workshops, will aid the development of faculty expertise, contribute to the epistemology of engineering educators, enable the design of more effective teaching environments, and provide a model for implementation of autonomy-supportive engineering curricula that have the potential for direct impact on a diversity of student populations.