Personalized Learning, Self-Directed Learning, ICT and Student Motivation

The change from teacher-centered to student-centered learning- and teaching approaches that has been going on for decades as well as classroom heterogeneity have enhanced the importance of personalized learning-and teaching (P-learning) and learner autonomy. At the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland (UASB) in Eisenstadt, Self-Directed Learning (SDL) has been used and refined in the English classes of the business-related Master study programs for some years. It offers the students an autonomous approach to language learning by providing them the opportunity to define individual learning goals and choose individual learning tools to reach them. Students independently work on their SDL-project in their self-study time and realize it mainly by using online materials and specific online language-learning tools and/or apps. ICT enables students to access and use relevant teaching materials independent of time and place while at the same time it enables their teachers to monitor and give feedback at their convenience. Self-Directed Learning, together with personalized feedback for the learners, are used to ensure that through partial degrees of freedom regarding place, time and content of the course, students can work on individual learning goals and, consequently, remain highly motivated.