El resonador óptico

requirements of the IBDP was that students were supposed to be independent learners and thinkers. However, the findings presented in this section show that this idea of independent research may not necessarily subscribe to the IBDP’s definition of

an independent learner and thinker. Accordingly, this theme examines students who reluctantly become independent researchers and what students perceived to be independent research.

5.5.1 Reluctant Independent Researchers

Students were tasked to create a Wiki with minimal instruction so as to encourage them to do their own research. Though students complained that there was a lack of guidelines given in the construction of a Wiki and blog, they were more than capable of using the technological tools at their disposal to complete their task. Students clearly knew how to google and imitate the formatting of Wikipedia and when questioned further, Mike explained that he used “different sources instead of one source on Wikipedia” (Interview 2). Likewise, Nathan’s group used GoogleDocs to construct the Wiki on Fitzgerald’s background. Each student was assigned a different task and they imitated the headers that Wikipedia used. WhatsApp was used predominantly as a communication tool before one representative logged into LMS to construct the Wiki (Navin, Interview 2). It was not just in doing research that students were able to leverage on the world-wide-web and referenced different sources but even when they had to work on a task, they employed the technological tools at their disposal to complete it. As Jack explained, “we did research and … put the parts we wanted … in GoogleDocs as a draft first and then created a website … [to] transfer it” to LMS (Interview 2). Consequently, upon reflecting on the activity, they observed that “creating our own Wiki and putting the points … was quite meaningful. The work felt like, it [was] made by ourselves without much guidelines” (Noel, Interview 2). Ezekiel noted that they were “forced to think for [themselves] … on the different forums and wikis” (Interview 2). In acknowledging that text types could not be reduced to worksheet exercises meant that students were aware of the need to adhere to the authenticity of the given text. In some ways, they displayed the traits of the so-called digital generation by leveraging on technological tools (i.e. the world-wide-web) in a bid at independent research.

Nonetheless, though students preferred blended learning and found that “online tasks [were] … sometimes time-consuming and challenging” because they had

“to go online to research”, they realised that there were not only “a lot of online resources” but more importantly, they were exposed to differing perspectives (Georgia, Interview 2). After all, just having top-down lectures from teachers were “boring … [where all you do was] just listen, listen, listen but you were not doing anything” (Janson, Interview 2). This was problematic because students might not “know what [was] going on” and for students like Janson, he could “only learn when [he] actually did it” (Interview 2). Pran found that blended learning “forced [him] to research … before [embarking on] the task itself” (Interview 2) which he would not do if it was didactic teaching (i.e. lecture). Furthermore, he would probably not “remember” much from the lecture unlike an online task where the ‘forced’ research allowed him to “remember [the content] much better” (ibid). In reflection, the independent research not only “saved time” but also allowed him to “learn more,” in terms of retention of knowledge (Interview 2).

In short, students were more than capable of conducting online research and found the process helpful with their learning despite it being time-consuming and challenging at times. Their idea of independent learning was often one where they felt ‘forced’ into independent research via the Google search engine which often did not extend to independent learning or critical thinking. However, this issue with critical thinking was often closely correlated with the examination system, which will be further elaborated in sections 5.5.2 and 5.7.3.

5.5.2 Independent Learners in Blended Learning

Students were asked to consider how blended learning helped them to develop as an independent learner and thinker in Interview 3. Students shared that the online tasks played a key role in their learning.

Extract 5. Interview 3

Tim: As an independent thinker or learner … the use of all these forums and blogs … teach us how to use online materials more effective[ly] in our learning. It shows us how to gather knowledge, to use online resources to do research.

Interviewer: For example?

Tim: For example … like the Wiki online ... let’s say our knowledge of the book is limited …

we have to go online, search … and read … Wiki and SparkNotes about certain characters or themes to understand more of what's going on …

For Tim, he had become more effective as a Google Search user and was an independent learner in the sense that he was comfortable with searching online. There were also others like Ezekiel who regarded blended learning with minimal teacher’s guidance as an opportunity to develop their own independent learning in the way of answering questions.

Extract 6. Interview 3

Ezekiel: … blended learning is different from classroom learning … the question is posted online, and we are left to do our own research or figure out what the question demands from us and how to answer it in a way that’s appropriate, so I think that’s how we nurture our independent learning.

Both Don and Aron too agreed that blended learning had afforded them opportunities in understanding their learning materials better (Interview 3). Navin observed that it was through blended learning that he refined his “techniques of research” which was “important for [his] extended essay” on chemistry (Interview 3), thus displaying understanding that these research skills were inter-disciplinary. Regina noted that it was “independent learning” such as doing their “own research” that would be critical for their examinations (Interview 3).

The students measured their independent learning from the way they could proceed with a given assignment on their own. For example, though they might be working in group of threes on a given essay, the essay needed to be written “independently” and what they gained in their collaborative groupwork was merely peer support (Enzhan, Interview 3). The online platform allowed them to “openly see each other's work, comment and give [their] inputs,” which consequently, drove them “to do more research” (Jack, Interview 3). In fact, peer collaboration not only allowed them to engage in “independent research” but the co-construction of a larger resource database (Mike, Interview 3). Furthermore, the varying perspectives when collated together provided them with “a better understanding on the subject” (ibid).

Yet, there were others who felt that they were only “independent learners” in their academically strong subjects (Navin, Interview 3) or others who defined independent learning as one totally devoid of teacher’s guidance.

Extract 7. Interview 3

Jerome: As far as independent learning goes, I hate to be the wet blanket, but in my interpretation, independent learning would imply that you would go home and read the text and do some research on your own without prompting, but honestly speaking, does that really happen? It doesn't really happen because either we are too busy or we forgot about it, IB gets stretched. In that sense,

independent learning … hmm … some questions there.

Sally added that “it [was] not the fault of learning, self-learning thing,” but rather it was a personal decision: “If you are not going to study by yourself, then you are not going to study by yourself” (Interview 3). However, the online tasks that compelled them “to do background research” was some sort of “forced independent learning” (ibid).

The findings presented in this section highlight students as being initial reluctant researchers and yet possessing the means to engage in research, be it a simple Google Search. Nonetheless, they regarded themselves as independent learners, forced either by the nature of the online tasks given or by the need to supplement their knowledge in preparation for the examinations.

5.6 Theme 5: Students in Blended Learning II: Digital Generation or a Facet of It…