Autonomy and Complexity in Social Learning Space Management

Abstract

Over the past four decades, learner autonomy in language learning has been quietly moving across what might be viewed as three paradigms in applied linguistics. When learner autonomy was introduced in the late 1970s, language classrooms were largely teacher-dominated. At that time, learner autonomy offered a much-needed focus on learners as individuals capable of accepting responsibility for all aspects of their learning. Later, as Vygotsky’s (1978, 1986) neo-constructivist theories became known, learning came to be seen as being socially mediated; and the field of applied linguistics experienced ‘a social turn’. Now it is widely recognized that learner autonomy develops more through interdependence rather than independence. Currently in the field of applied linguistics, ecology and complexity thinking are becoming more widespread. This article explores the impact that this theoretical shift might have on the work being carried out in social learning spaces. By drawing on themes arising from an ethnography, a multiple case study, and a narrative inquiry investigating a social learning space, this article looks at how managers might facilitate the emergence of affordances for learning by fostering conditions for complex emergence. It begins by situating the research within the literature, and providing an overview of pertinent aspects of theories of complex dynamic systems and space and place. Then, illustrating the points with themes and anecdotes from the three studies, suggestions are made as to how learning space managers might support the emergence of affordances for learning through attention to distributed control, neighbour interactions, reciprocity, randomness, and physical design features of the learning space.

Self-Determination Theory: A Proposed Framework for Self-Access Language Learning

“…On the surface, conversation lounges seem to serve a simple purpose, but the dynamics and the psychological processes underlying how (and whether!) learners make use of such lounges can be quite complex (Murray, 2017(Murray, , 2020Mynard et al, 2020). Various factors can influence the dynamics of such a space: For example, its location; whether there is a language policy; staffing decisions such as whether to have teachers on duty; expectations, needs, goals, experiences and beliefs of potential users; sociocultural context; and the nature of emergent communities in the space.…”

“…They fulfil the need for autonomy if lounge attendance is an active choice and fits with learners' inner motivations. As many researchers have found (e.g., Hughes et al, 2012;Murray, 2017;Murray & Fujishima, 2013Mynard & Shelton-Strong, 2020a, 2020b, conversing with others in the target language is a great source of autonomous motivation for using a SALC, but it can also be perceived as a challenge.…”

Editorial

“…The literature on community-based access confirms the importance of this focus and attributes the rise in the number of regular users and an increase in achievement to "the staff's success in providing a relaxed and supportive atmosphere" and "creating a community of practice" (Thornton, 2016, p. 298). Following the social learning movement which places great importance on interdependence and interactions (Murray, 2017) and therefore the role of SALC as a "social learning space" beyond the access to physical resources (Allhouse, 2015;Murray & Fujishima, 2016), different strategies are indeed used to make the visited SALC an attractive educational and social hub that language learners become more and more eager to visit.…”

A Survey of Self-Access Foreign Language Centres in UK Higher Education Institutions: Format, Practices and Challenges in 2016

“…The literature on community-based access confirms the importance of this focus and attributes the rise in the number of regular users and an increase in achievement to "the staff's success in providing a relaxed and supportive atmosphere" and "creating a community of practice" (Thornton, 2016, p. 298). Following the social learning movement which places great importance on interdependence and interactions (Murray, 2017) and therefore the role of SALC as a "social learning space" beyond the access to physical resources (Allhouse, 2015;Murray & Fujishima, 2016), different strategies are indeed used to make the visited SALC an attractive educational and social hub that language learners become more and more eager to visit.…”