1. A SYNTHESIS OF SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING DESIGN MODEL WITH
CONSTRUCTIONISM IN THE ENVIRONMENT OF NEW MEDIA IN
THAI HIGHER EDUCATION
Suthin Rojprasert
Ph.D. student, Learning Innovation and Technology Program,
Faculty of Industrial Education and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok Thailand
srojprasert@csus.edu, suthin999@yahoo.com, suthin.roj@dpu.ac.th,
Jariya Neanchaleay
Faculty of Industrial Education and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok Thailand
Jariya.nean@kmutt.ac.th
Dr. Surapon Boonlue
Faculty of Industrial Education and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok Thailand
surapon.boo@kmutt.ac.th
Conference: e.g. Atlanta, GA, Las Vegas, NV, etc.
Paper Category: e.g. Full Paper, Extended Abstract, etc.
Track: e.g. Business, Education, etc.
ABSTRACT
The study presents a self-directed learning design model with constructionism appropriate in the environment of new
media. The model intends to develop more effectively students’ creative thinking in Thai higher education. The
foundation of the model come from information collected through interviewing followed by brainstorming, opinions from
experts, and focus group discussion. The model consists of the following elements: identifying learning goals; analysis
learners; design of lesson content; identification of learning activities; preparation of a learning environment support
system; and methods of learning assessment. Each input was analyzed to determine elements appropriate for self-
directed learning design. The model is intended for use with new media in Thai higher education. The results of this
study will enable teachers to design curricula with social media technology in the instruction so students can be improve
deep learning.
Keywords: Self-directed Learning, Constructionism, New Media, Creative Thinking, Thai
INTRODUCTION
The Ministry of Education of Thailand has long fostered autonomous learning in educational practice. The Minister has
encouraged Thai educational institutions and agencies to provide substance and activities in line with learners’ interests
and aptitudes, while recognizing individual differences. The teaching and learning process should enable students to
develop at their own pace and to the fullest of their potentiality. To accomplish this goal, learning style must be
considered. Appropriate teaching methods must match students’ learning style, especially in higher education. Self-
directed learning, as autonomous learning, is the educational goal of the nation. Teachers and professors need to
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2. develop instructional strategies or models compatible with learners’ desire in order to help in higher education students
develop their creative and critical thinking.
Globalization, the development of the information society, and the acceleration of the pace of life, combine in influencing
people to design and implement network learning environments. Users have an urgent need for a more intelligent,
efficient and personalized internet to enhance learning management, user experience, and promote resource sharing.
The study of new learning technologies has attracted much attention from scholars and teachers, especially those in
higher education. The introduction of new media has made significant changes in education. Thai higher education
institutions provide online learning platforms with good network infrastructures. Using web 2.0 tools in higher education
provide a synthesis of the research literature in the field and a series of illustrative examples of how these tools are
being used in learning and teaching, draws out the benefits that these new technologies appear to offer, and highlights
some of the challenges and issues surrounding their use and exploring how web 2.0 tools can be used to support
evidence‐based practices in learning and teaching. The project has also produced two in depth case studies, which are
reported elsewhere (Galley et al., 2010, Alevizou et al., 2010).
Self-Directed Learning with Constructionism
Student-centered learning is an approach to education focusing on the needs of students, rather than those of others
involved in the educational process. Information technology provides educational techniques to attract maintain student
attention leading to student assumption of responsibility for learning. The location, discovery, and analysis of information
now shifts to the student, through the assistance of the professor. The new concept of learning, a phenomenon not
limited to time and place, allows teachers and students to get knowledge on their own, an activity called self-directed
learning (SDL). Knowles (1975) defined SDL as a process in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help
of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for
learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes. Brockett and
Hiemstra (1991) saw instructional methodology and learner personal characteristics coming together in an event where
the learner assumes personal responsibility for the educational experience. When individuals have primary responsibility
for planning, implementing, and evaluating their learning effort, Knowles (1975) views SDL as more aligned with our
natural tendencies and psychological development processes. Compelling evidence shows that proactive students learn
more and better than reactive learners, who stand passively waiting to be taught. Proactive students approach learning
more purposefully with higher levels of motivation, retain and apply what is learned better and longer than reactive
learners. As we mature and develop psychologically, an essential characteristic is the ability to accept increasing levels
of responsibility for our own lives and to become increasingly self-directed. Many of the new developments in
educational practices, including nontraditional study programs, universities-without-walls, and external degree programs,
place a heavy responsibility on the learners to take initiative and develop abilities of self-directed inquiries. Participants
involved in these programs without the ability to self-manage their learning will lead to anxiety, frustration and failure.
Self-directed learning, however, integrates self-management, social setting, resources, and actions. Students can
develop SDL, rather than enduring spontaneity. Academic staffs need to raise awareness of students' role in their own
learning and shift some of the responsibility for learning to the learners (Abdullah, 2001). The study of SDL has attracted
much attention from scholars and teachers, especially those in higher education institutions. However an understanding
of learner attributes and how the impact of learning theory in online learning contexts is equally important (Song and Hill,
2007). Therefore, SDL is defined in this development of learning skills to gain control over and input into their own
learning process and to accomplish their educational goals through their own engaged learning activities. The
enhancements of online technologies have provided more changes and variety pedagogical approach in the instructional
design model and self-directed learning is the basic ingredient for surviving and thriving and students with SDL are able
to learn more and believe to be more creative.
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3. Papert (1993) argued, “not very long ago, and in many parts of the world even today, young people would learn skills
which they could use in their work throughout life. Today, in industrial countries, most people are doing jobs that did not
exist when they were born. The most important skill determining a person's life pattern has already become the ability to
learn new skills, to take in new concepts, to assess new situations, to deal with the unexpected. This will be increasingly
true in the future: The competitive ability is the ability to learn” (Papert, 1993, p. vii).
Seymour Papert’s Constructionism favors learning through the creation and sharing of artifacts. These theories both
question conventional, objectivist ideas, arguing that knowledge is not transmitted from one person to another as a
finished product, but rather each individual acquires knowledge through personally meaningful experiences and
reflections. Constructionism and constructivism thus value learning by doing, and engaging in hands-on, intrinsically-
motivating, real-life tasks. Constructionism is based on two different senses of construction: people learn by actively
constructing new knowledge; and constructionism reminds us that the best way to learn is to build something tangible-
outside of your head-that is personally meaningful (Papert 1990). After that Papert (1999) says that knowledge is best
constructed in a social context where the participants make something shareable. This view is consistent with the
theories of Vygotsky, Lave, Wenger and others. Constructionism particularly applies to learning with digital technology.
The use of technology enables the creation of interesting things from which one learns.
The basic goal of constructionism is to place emphasis on creativity and to motivate learning through activity. Learning is
seen as more effective when approached as activity rather than passive involvement (Kafai and Resnick, 1996). The
importance of these ideas can be found in the shift away from thinking about education as begin centered solely in the
mind of the teacher and more as a partnership between teaching and student. Therefore, self-directed learning is
celebrated with students working to solve problems and develop students’ creative thinking.
Strategies of New Media by Web 2.0 Tool for SDL
The term “new media” are converging with digital media, specifically interactive media and media for social
communication. Besides new media means more than entertainment. World Wide Web–based modules combine
animation, voice and video clips, captions, and text to create accurate, well-organized, and pedagogically solid
productions. Therefore, the work was to isolate the specific digital production tools or online networks and interested in
the media ecology with social network sites, media fandom, and gaming of learning today and almost all situated in the
social and activities rather than in contexts of explicit instruction. The use of social media implies, for example, that
learners should be ‘active co-producers’ of knowledge rather than ‘passive consumers’ of content, and that learning
should be a ‘participatory, social process’ supporting personal life goals and needs (Lee and McLoughlin, 2010). Beside
internet applications is the web tools of contemporary social media are used by a lot of users. As such, the social media
is a sufficient critical mass of users and applications to be of genuine collective benefit and social significance.
Although there are multiple interpretations of the term “Web 2.0”, it can be defined as a second generation,
communicative form of the World Wide Web that emphasizes active participation, connectivity, collaboration and sharing
of knowledge and ideas among users (McLoughlin and Lee, 2007). Web 2.0 applications support self-directed learning
opportunities. Besides internet has various information sources for learning, it has applications to reproduce and enrich
the content.
In addition, there has been considerable thought already given regarding the Internet’s impact on SDL. Draves (2002)
lists various reasons why the Internet enhances learning, including such advantages as being able to learn at a peak
time of day, learning at your own speed, accessibility to much information, an ability to track personal progress, and the
capability to test personal learning efforts. He also believes cognitive learning via the Internet is actually better than in-
person learning. Long (2001) likes the virtual world’s potential for learning to go “beyond problem solving to problem
posing”. In addition, Kerka (1997) mentions the Internet’s time and place flexibility in supporting SDL. Ruelland (2003)
likes the flexibility the e-world provides in the learning rhythm. Therefore web 2.0 tools can be used to develop learning
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4. strategies that can enhance student motivation, improve participation, facilitate learning and social skills, stimulate higher
order cognitive skills, and increase self-directed learning (Redecker et al., 2009) and believes some SDL forms are well
suited to the internet: self-directed learning is important to keep up with change and it is plausible to expect the demands
of a changing world to lead to greater amounts of self-directed learning.
New Media in Higher Education
The study of online learning has attracted much attention from scholars and practitioners, especially those in higher
education institutions (Hill, Wiley, Nelson, & Han, 2003; Hofmann, 2002). Present, the popularity of new media or social
networking sites has increased, colleges and universities have begun incorporating these tools into their learning mix to
connect with everyone, these networks were an appropriate or effective resource for students to use. Likewise teachers
in many Higher Education Institutions are now looking beyond the traditional institutional virtual learning environment to
the wealth of new media and services which are freely available, many of which have significant educational potential,
and teachers who are simply seeking effective ways to support students’ learning. Students’ general use of social
networking is intrinsically personal and informal, free from significant constraints. If teachers wish to make use of social
networks in education they will need to be very clear about acceptable content, language, tone and etiquette.
The adoption of Web 2.0 tools at universities is associated with important challenges and an effective strategy to deal
with implementation problems may therefore include learning from experience, as well as open access to content and
reliance on open platforms for knowledge sharing and creation (Freire, 2008). There are indications that students
perceive benefits as well as difficulties arising from the use of Web 2.0 tools in university courses in comparison to the
use of traditional e-learning tools and classroom lectures (Kumar, 2009). Therefore, possibility to integrate student
artifacts that were created with Web 2.0 tools was investigated in relation to the use of wiki, blog, e-portfolio, online
community website, media sharing, and Moodle LMS.
New media provides an opportunity for higher education to take a fresh look at designing a better educational
experience. Residential programs, for instance, probably should focus on the educational activities. Then new media
learning materials could enhance the academy’s contribution to society by improving learning efficiency and expanding
higher education’s impact. Both the quantity and quality of learning could increase.
Summary
The model intends to develop more effectively students’ creative thinking in Thai higher education. The foundation of the
model come from information collected through interviewing followed by brainstorming, opinions from experts, and focus
group discussion. A more comprehensive SDL model is needed to incorporate context as a contributor to the overall
process.
A Conceptual Model for SDL with constructionism via new media
Conceptual model for self-directed learning (SDL) with constructionism via new media, before interesting and readiness for
SDL among undergraduate students. Learner have to make the self-planned and self-conducted learning projects, and
choose or influence the learning objectives, activities, resources, priorities and levels of energy expenditure than does the
other directed learner and describes self-directed learning is an increase in knowledge and skill. Including acceptation for
assessment, students are able to learn more, problem solving and believe to be more creative with constructionism. Beside
students get knowledge on their own with “learning by making” and “learning by doing” for included students’ opportunity
were share idea and skills, creative and critical learning in classroom environment with new media. Because new media are
converging with digital media, specifically interactive media and media for social communication on web 2.0 (with
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5. Technologies and Applications for the Android OS. And Knowledge Content) for online learning and social network and that
were created with Web 2.0 tools was investigated in relation to the use of wiki, blog, e-portfolio, online community website,
media sharing, and Moodle LMS. There are also some elements important for design in relationship causal for students’
creative thinking. The following section introduces a conceptual model for self-directed learning with constructionism in the
environment of new media. (see Figure: 1)
Learning Environment
Constructionism
Self-Directed
Learning
New Media
(Web 2.0 Application)
Creative Thinking
Figure: 1. A conceptual model for self-directed learning with constructionism in the environment of new media.
Conclusions
The major principles of that system, instructional system design for self-directed learning model with constructionism in the
environment of new media. Elements of learning include from scholars: Klausmeier and Ripple (1971); Naruemon Sirawong
(2005); Anirut Satiman (2007); Uthit Bamroongcheep (2008).
The following sections illustrate these points by describing how the SDL concept is integrated into the model, design and
implementation of for self-directed learning with constructionism in the environment of new media. Show in Figure: 2.
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6. Input
 Identify instructional goals and specification of objectives.
 Learner analysis.
 Content analysis and design.
 Determination of learning activities.
 Learning environment resources
Control
 Evaluation of learning design
 Steps of SDL with constructionism. F
 Constructionism in the Learning Process
Environment. E
 Self-directed Learning.  Climate of learning environment.
E
- Autonomy.  Determination of teacher.
- Positive orientation to the future.  Instruction model by self-directed learning with D
- Internalized evaluation. constructionism in the environment of new media. B
- Self-concept as effective Learner.  Activities reinforce of skills.
- Initiative and freedom for learning.  Reinforcement. A
- Self acceptance.
- Love to learning.
 Learning evaluation. C
- Ability to apply learning and problem K
solving skills.
- Open mindedness for learning.
Output
 Learning evaluation of authentic assessment by portfolio.
 Compare of students creative thinking score between before
And after learning by SDL with constructionism in the
environment of new media.
 Learning achievement of students by SDL with constructionism
in the environment of new media.
 The students satisfaction toward the SDL with constructionism
in the environment of new media.
Figure: 2. SDL Model with constructionism in the environment of new media.
The Promotion of learning as known as the knowledge is lifelong learning. Learner is important. The learners have
freedom to learn under their control. Lead to self-direct learning with constructionism and include self-discipline and
responsibility, and self-confidence. To be successful in self-study under the learning environment of new media that is
conducive to learning appropriate. From the concept which can be deployed in higher education following.
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