My Action Research Plan included the following statements:

• Improve the methods I use to teach abstract concepts, which are part of a course I teach on AC Theory (Electrical Science).
• Develop relevant and effective course material utilising the authoring tool Flash in a WebCt Learning environment.
• Offer the students more learning facilities to encourage them in self-directed learning.

Indeed, the plan did not unfold without fault. The course material outline changed slightly and has not been evaluated by students. The learning experience was mine rather than the students’. The target of the action research changed from improving my teaching practice to improving my learning practice.

To move from conducting my course programmes as teacher directed and controlled to learner centred, directed and responsible I have to change my approach to teaching. A new classroom ethos must be developed to enable students to be self-directing.

Incorporate learning technology in a suitable way. I perceive a suitable way to be with guidance, connecting to syllabus and building on previous learning experiences.

Syllabus content constraints.

Classroom time available.

Preparation and evaluation time available.

From the start I envisioned myself creating something completely new, from scratch and all my own work. The WebCT learning environment would provide a platform for my innovation.

I started by composing a lot of factual text thinking it would give the courseware substance. I drew graphics and added them to the textual documents. Then I made a few instructional Flash movies to add to the movies I made for the last semester.

Then I searched the Internet and found some very good sites relevant to the subject matter and self-directed learning. I chose a selection of these, which included Virtual Laboratories, Computer Aided Instruction, tutorials, textual explanations and animations. At this point I was sure I had compiled the foundation for some interesting, beneficial and relevant learning to take place on my course.

With self-direction uppermost on the agenda I had to find a way of opening the door to the Internet resources in a user-friendly way for the students. For self-directed learning to be effective the learner must feel in control of their learning choices so this courseware must include interactivity to allow students to make their own decisions. This proved easier-said-than-done.

I had difficulties with the interactive aspects of Flash 4. WebCT proved to be quite difficult for loading and organising files and getting student access. I decided to put learning how to use WebCT aside and concentrate on the gathering of resource materials. However the only way implement the courseware as a benefit to students is to actually upload it to WebCt or on to a website. I will publish it on a website as a pilot to present it to students.

Research and design time

My knowledge and skill level of multimedia design.

Combining all of the web-based resources together in a manageable environment such as WebCT would provide the catalyst for my students to become self-directed learners for Alternating Current Theory.

With self-directed learning the curriculum is up to the learner although I assume for each student covering the exam syllabus will be primarily important.

John Dewey advocates that we learn better if learning is part of a living experience. Freire says that we would learn better if we were truly in charge of our own learning experiences. (Papert, 1993)

The learner is at the centre of the educational process so I should have consulted my students during the courseware design stage.

Perceptions and capabilities of self-directed learning

Student’s knowledge and skill at using web based material.

I realise I lost the focus of improving my teaching practice through ‘action research’. A lot of the ‘action’ was in the preparation of the web-based material and none in the evaluation, which is probably a contradiction. I aimed to produce a complete web based courseware package without consulting anyone but myself!!!

However to truly undertake an Action Research project I should have produced a small piece of web-based material and integrated it into the class at the early stages and got feedback for evaluation. I could then have worked with this to produce more courseware to again integrate into the class. In hindsight, this would have been a much better way to improve my practice by living my values, improving the quality of the web based courseware and introducing self-directed learning methods to the students.

Yes, this is a popular and controversial issue for all teachers designing computer based/ web based courseware. The intended message was " use computer technology to help self-direct your learning of this subject". However, it turned into " here are lots of facts about this subject". Because of this, I spent too much time trying to produce original material. The result was, less time to learn how to use WebCT and no time to actually incorporate learning through technology into my course and evaluate the improvements or learning benefits. The improvement I was trying to make was not dependent on original notes, graphics and animations produced by myself.

I should have concentrated more on the medium ‘ integration of web based material into the learning process’. The interactivity facilities of Flash, The discussion forums and chat rooms of WebCT, the hyperlink options to brilliant useful websites could have all been implemented with little or no data production from myself other than cut and paste to word documents and upgrading of the Flash movies I had originally made.

The message and the medium are both equally important and must remain in focus through all stages of the action research planner.

I feel that I tackled this action research project on a very solo bases. In essence, self-directed learning. I ran into lots of technical and practical difficulties. I did not take the opportunity for more collaboration with the lecturer and my fellow students through the WebCT (NIM) discussion forum and chat room, which would have been beneficial at these points. Instead I tended to remain alone. Part of the reason for this is because I assumed I would be doing all the taking with nothing to contribute to the group.

I have learned that self-directing one’s learning is about making the choices to experience learning that is most beneficial for the individual. It is not about autonomous learning but about being autonomous in choosing the methods and mediums of learning. Choosing collaborative, problem based, instructional or any variety of learning and enacting it, is, I believe the key to self-directed learning. Mistakes can be made. This is very cliché but "learning from our mistakes’ is constructivism in practice. In doing this assignment I have actually improved my learning in the way I hoped to improve my students’ learning. This in itself will help me improve my teaching practice as I can share my experiences of self-directed learning with my students.

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