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The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of short video tutorials in a post‐graduate accounting subject, as a means of helping students develop and enhance independent learning skills.

In total, five short (approximately five to 10 minutes) video tutorials were introduced in an effort to shift the reliance for learning from the lecturer to the student. Data on students' usage of online video tutorials, and comments by students in university questionnaires were collated over three semesters from 2008 to 2009. Interviews with students were then conducted in late 2009 to more comprehensively evaluate the use and perceived benefits of video tutorials.

Findings reveal preliminary but positive outcomes in terms of both more efficient and effective teaching and learning.

The shift towards more independent learning through the use of video tutorials has positive implications for educators, employers, and professional accounting bodies; each of whom has identified the need for this skill in accounting graduates.

The use of video tutorials has the potential for more rewarding teaching and more effective learning.

This study is one of the first to examine the use and benefits of video tutorials as a means of developing independent learning skills in accountancy students – addressing a key concern within the profession.

The purpose of this paper is to discover Spanish history students' subjective perception of their information literacy (IL) status in order to find and suggest some academic and individual improvement actions.

The implementation of the IL‐HUMASS survey provides diagnostic data on two IL quantitative dimensions (belief in importance and skills self‐assessment) and a third qualitative dimension (learning habits) deployed along 26 variables, which are grouped into four categories (search, evaluation, processing, and communication‐dissemination of information).

The analysis confirms that variables related to information processing (above all schematising and abstracting information) show high scores of belief in importance and skills self‐assessment among students. By contrast, variables related to technological advances (above all the use of bibliographic reference managers) show the worst results. In sum, there is a lack of subjective digital literacy in a set of skills related to the technologies of search, processing and communication of information. Among the less valued skills, independent learning reaches an excessive priority. However, this is really just an isolated learning.

The help of classrooms and libraries as learning tools would improve these results. Policy makers and instructors need to improve their role in the learning process by means of more extensive planning processes and the promotion of specific courses, above all on skills related to the technologies of information search, processing and communication. The concept of independent learning needs to be clarified and enhanced.

This is a pioneering study that approaches IL from a triple perspective.

The paper reports a study that was intended to develop a self-assessment instrument to measure high school students' readiness for pursuing independent online learning.

The instrument was developed through the following steps: (1) developing the draft, (2) checking the instrument's face validity and (3) testing the instrument's validity, reliability and discriminant capacity using PLS analysis.

The study has developed a tool to self-assess high school students' readiness for independent online learning. The instrument consists of 36 statement items and is statistically proven to have good reliability, construct and indicator validity and a discriminating power.

The instrument items were designed to fit the context of Indonesian high school students. However, only responses from high school students in rather urban areas were used to test the validity and reliability of the instrument. This could imply that the instrument is only accurate in urban settings.

As a result of the research, a tool to assess high school students' readiness for independent online learning has been created. To better prepare students for independent online learning endeavors, the school might use the results to enhance areas that need improvement.

The study succeeded in developing a contextualized self-assessment tool for measuring Indonesian students' independent online learning readiness.

Open and distance education institutions such as Universitas Terbuka (UT) encourage independent learning among its students, which hopefully will lead to the ability of selflearning in the workplace. This is important so that graduates will meet the requirements of competence and performance in their job. Employer perception is imperative in assessing characteristics of independent learning skill, competence and performance in line with job requirements. This paper describes the perception of graduates and their immediate supervisors about competence and independent learning skill acquired during study which impacted on their job performance. The study finds that UT's graduates have adequately met the requirements needed in the workplace in terms of independent learning skill, competence and job performance.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have received wide publicity and many institutions have invested considerable effort in developing, promoting and delivering such courses. However, there are still many unresolved questions relating to MOOCs and their effectiveness in a blended-learning context. One of the major recurring issues raised in both academic literature and in the press about MOOCs is the consistently high dropout rate of MOOC learners.

In this study, we applied mixed methods as an exploratory case study, which prioritised the quantitative and qualitative approaches for the data collection processes. The data were collected using a MOOC Online Self-regulated Learning Questionnaire (MOSLQ) adapted and created from an existing measuring instrument. The quantitative data was analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Version 22) tool to conduct descriptive analysis. The qualitative results obtained from the transcribed focus group interviews in this study revealed the various behavioural patterns of how undergraduate students self-directed their learning. This focus group interview was conducted to reveal the various ways students organised and strategised their learning patterns in order to derive satisfaction in their distinctive learning behaviours and encourage motivation within their study approaches. Quantitative data collected online included a 30 items survey of which 17 respondents completed the survey items in the blended-learning study. The online course survey included 19 items of which data were gathered from 11 respondents.

Across the data, it is noticeable and clear that time management and goal setting were among the dimensions that are highly rated close to high level among SRL skills investigated in this study. We found that goal setting and task strategies predicted much better attainment of individuals controlling personal course goals, while help seeking was associated with lower goal attainment among majority of the participants.

The study also identified several challenges. For example, there were some challenges in learners completing the survey questions even when several reminders were sent out forth nightly. At this preliminary stage, learners participated as lurkers without engaging fully with other non-academic and academic interactive activities such as surveys, in course quizzes and forums. Most of the participants in this course said they enrolled to know more about the new trend MOOC, to make friends, to have fun and so on. Although, these are some of their intentions for participating, some of the participants at some points contributed to discussion forums.

Our platform currently allows learners to direct their learning within the course and also allow the choice of content prerequisite in order to recommend resources necessary for their learning. This study indicates the necessity to support SRL skills and directing development of self-determination skills among the participants. This study when applied to a larger sample will demonstrate effective measurement on areas of reliability and validity as results from this small sample has indicated some high SRL skill levels for individual learners within the research.

However, the success of any e-learning or MOOC platform should consider the following best practices and objectives: the learners' entire learning experience, the strategies used in developing the course content, the planning of the course delivery and the methods of delivery. Therefore, all e-learning platforms should be designed with a primary focus on the way students learn to improve their own learning skills and help them regulate their own independent learning habits. In another related study, the success of any e-learning course implementation should be carefully considered with regards to the course's underlying pedagogy and how learners engage with the content.

There are many e-learning platforms in existence globally, but little has been mentioned about the development of a MOOC platform in general that could allow independent learning and also adequately demonstrating the components and features used in these MOOC designs. This research's implication is to aid instructional designers to apply best practices in the development of an online course. The best approach in designing a good course is to consider the learners and how they could engage with the course resources independently and develop the ability to self-direct their learning. One of the main goals of e-learning platforms is primarily based on developing learning resources that would be suitable for linear course structure as directed by the course developer or instructor.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse some effective e-tools and interactive tasks to enhance language acquisition and competence building in today’s English for specific purposes (ESP) students in higher education programmes.

There are countless learning methods, often supported by the access of ubiquitous learning materials, which improve students’ engagement, group interaction and independent learning skills in foreign language learners. More frequently, students become successful, independent and cooperative creative learners by means of participating in multimodal virtual learning platforms that would help them to improve a variety of competences. This study is based on English applied to social work, a compulsory subject offered either in a blended (b-learning) or a distance (d-learning) learning environment as part of the degree in social work. It combines its correspondent course book with digital content and multimedia tasks.

Results suggest that a ubiquitous practice for ESP b/d learners can be innovative and successfully competence-addressed when implementing interactive learning tasks that can combine individual and group work inside and outside the classroom hours.

The challenge of this research is to integrate a ubiquitous learning approach so that students would interact more and, consequently, enhance their communicative language skills, both in b-learning and d-learning environments.

Research has documented post-school outcomes for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities and learning disabilities continue to be poor. To improve student outcomes for these populations, research has recommended implementing evidence-based practices and predictors in the classroom. The purpose of this chapter is to identify evidence-based practices and predictors targeted for students with emotional and behavioral disorders and learning disabilities in the area of secondary transition. We identify and briefly describe 12 evidence-based practices and 14 evidence-based predictors for students with emotional and behavioral disorders and learning disabilities. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

To meet the needs of the professional environment sector, environmental science graduates need to be suitably equipped in terms of their knowledge, understanding, and skills. At the University of Southampton, the first-year module Environmental Science: Concepts and Communication aids students in their journey into Environmental Science by preparing them to face the challenges of university study and beyond. This module thus engages students in independent learning and provides them with opportunities to develop and enhance the skills necessary to do so. Formative and student-led activities and tasks are considered important tools to achieve this aim. This review provides an overview of selected formative and student-led activities with focus on methods and approaches, values and benefits, and the practicalities of delivery. Three assessments are reviewed: a practice essay, a communication exercise, and a practice presentation. The intended benefits and value of these assessments are (1) engagement with environmental issues and topics and (2) development and enhancement of study skills. The value of such work is only realized, however, with student engagement. Delivering this module has demonstrated that formative elements are most effective when orientated to tutor group activities. Motivation for engagement appears most effective when the visibility – or absence – of students’ work is brought to the foreground through working in small groups. There is added value in that the collation and sharing of feedback within a small group permits students to learn not only from their own work but also from their peers.

The purpose of this paper is to report upon the design, implementation and findings of a research study investigating the perceptions of electronic library resources within the UK further education sector. While such resources are widely available to the sector, very little qualitative investigation has been done as to its impact upon teaching and learning and how it is viewed by those who have access to it.

The research uses a case study in which staff and students at three separate further education colleges are encouraged to explore and share their experiences of using electronic library resources. This is achieved through structured interviews with teaching staff and focused student discussion groups. Extensive reference to relevant literature is also employed as a method.

The findings of the research are entirely qualitative, and are reported through a sequence of annotated quotations, which reveal personal experiences and perceptions of using electronic library resources and the influence and impact they have had on teaching and learning activity.

The findings are limited to one case study, using three different colleges in the Merseyside area of the UK.

The qualitative data provided through the research provides insight into electronic resource use within a cross section of the further education sector. It is therefore of use to those studying the impact of electronic resources, particularly within the further education sector. The research provides evidence which can be used to inform future e‐resources policy. The findings can also be used to shape e‐resources guidelines for practitioners in the further education sector.