<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> Many users of online open education resources (OERs) are learners seeking insights into problems encountered as they pursue their everyday interests and activities. As well as benefitting from intrinsic motivation, such authentic learning activity provides context that helps the learner absorb and integrate the meaning of the knowledge. The purpose of this study was to explore barriers that prevent some online learners from using OERs in this way. Participants had experienced difficulties using music theory OERs to pursue personal music-making goals. Provided with online tutoring through an action research methodology, they appeared to benefit particularly from five aspects of active guidance: additional motivation, connections between generalized knowledge and personal experience, relevant learning activities, focus of attention, and goal-oriented feedback. In an environment rich in open content, providing these supports, in activities oriented towards learners’ goals, may be a particularly valuable use of teaching time.</p></abstract>

Many users of online open education resources (OERs) are learners seeking insights into problems encountered as they pursue their everyday interests and activities. As well as benefitting from intrinsic motivation, such authentic learning activity provides context that helps the learner absorb and integrate the meaning of the knowledge. The purpose of this study was to explore barriers that prevent some online learners from using OERs in this way. Participants had experienced difficulties using music theory OERs to pursue personal music-making goals. Provided with online tutoring through an action research methodology, they appeared to benefit particularly from five aspects of active guidance: additional motivation, connections between generalized knowledge and personal experience, relevant learning activities, focus of attention, and goal-oriented feedback. In an environment rich in open content, providing these supports, in activities oriented towards learners’ goals, may be a particularly valuable use of teaching time.

Offering Authentic Learning Activities in the Context of Open Resources and Real-World Goals: A Study of Self-motivated Online Music Learning

European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Many users of online open education resources (OERs) are learners seeking insights into problems encountered as they pursue their everyday interests and...

Offering Authentic Learning Activities in the Context of Open Resources and Real-World Goals: A Study of Self-motivated Online Music Learning

Published Online: Jan 23, 2018

Page range: 112 - 126

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/eurodl-2017-0007

Keywords
open education resources, authentic learning activity, online music learning, inquirybased learning, action research

© 2018

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Offering Authentic Learning Activities in the Context of Open Resources and Real-World Goals: A Study of Self-motivated Online Music Learning

Published Online: Jan 23, 2018

Page range: 112 - 126

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/eurodl-2017-0007

Keywordsopen education resources, authentic learning activity, online music learning, inquirybased learning, action research

© 2018

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
open education resources, authentic learning activity, online music learning, inquirybased learning, action research