When and Where Did I Find It: The first time I ran into this term was in Session 5's reading of the Handbook of Reading Research Volume 3 (2008). It was a component of the developmental view of learning from text.
Full Citation: Alexander, P. A., & Jetton, T. L. (2008). Learning from text: a multidimensional and developmental perspective. In M. Kamil, P. Mosenthal, P. Pearson & R. Barr (Eds.), Handbook of reading reasearch (vol. 3, pp. 285-310). New York, NY: Routledge.
What It Means: According to dictionary.com autonomy means "independence or freedom, as of the will or one's actions." Learner autonomy would then mean that a learner is independent or free due to their own actions. To further understand the meaning of this term, Alexander and Jetton (2008) mention that "autonomy involves learner choice, and is, therefore, a manifestation of self-determination" (p.302). Those students who are intrinsically motivated when it comes to their education is linked with learner autonomy.
Level of Familiarity: I am somewhat familiar with the term "learner autonomy" but more so with the idea that it represents. In my own teaching practices, I find that giving students choices in their education activates their intrinsic motivation which in turn leads to self-determination and independence.
Do I Want to Learn This Word Well and Why? Yes, I do want to know learner autonomy well because I think that it's an important concept to know, understand, and utilize as a teacher and future literacy specialist.
Do I Think Others Should Know This Word...Who and Why? I definately think that educators need to know this word! Intrinsic motivation and self-determination are very important in a students' education and I think that educators (such as those in out LTED 625 class) should understand the importance of promoting choice and learner autonomy in the classroom.
Dana, your entries all demonstrate you have a natural curiosity about words. Also, the images you are including are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteAs you continue to post such stellar entries in your blog, I just want to make you aware of two presentation/formatting issues.
When referencing our Handbook of Reading Research, please notice that the book was published in 2000 not 2008. [I know this was a typo, but I thought you would want to make sure it was corrected.]
Also, when including references to online dictionary sites like DICTIONARY.COM that you used to confirm the definition of the word, make sure you create a link TO THE ACTUAL ENTRY. For an example, see my entry 4.1 Satiate.