BBrriigghhaamm YYoouunngg UUnniivveerrssiittyy BBYYUU SScchhoollaarrssAArrcchhiivvee Theses and Dissertations 2005-07-19 SSeellff--AAcccceessss CCeenntteerrss:: MMaaxxiimmiizziinngg LLeeaarrnneerrss'' AAcccceessss ttoo CCeenntteerr RReessoouurrcceess Benjamin L. McMurry Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Linguistics Commons BBYYUU SScchhoollaarrssAArrcchhiivvee CCiittaattiioonn McMurry, Benjamin L., "Self-Access Centers: Maximizing Learners' Access to Center Resources" (2005). Theses and Dissertations. 617. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/617 This Selected Project is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. ii Self-Access Centers: Maximizing Learners’ Access to Center Resources By Benjamin L. McMurry A master’s project submitted to the faculty of Brigham Young University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Linguistics and the English Language Brigham Young University August 2005 Copyright © 2005 Benjamin L. McMurry All Rights Reserved BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY GRADUATE COMMITTEE APPROVAL Of a master’s project submitted by Benjamin L. McMurry This project has been read by each member of the following graduate committee and by a majority vote has been found satisfactory. _________________________________ ____________________________________ Date Mark W. Tanner (Chair) _________________________________ ____________________________________ Date Neil J. Anderson _________________________________ ____________________________________ Date Glen W. Probst BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY As chair of this candidate’s graduate committee, I have read the project of Benjamin L. McMurry in its final form and have found that (1) its format, citations, and bibliographical style are consistent and acceptable and fulfill university and department style requirements; (2) its illustrative materials including figures, tables, and charts are in place; and (3) the final manuscript is satisfactory to the graduate committee and is ready for submission to the university library. _________________________________ ____________________________________ Date Mark W. Tanner Chair, Graduate Committee Accepted for the Department ____________________________________ Alan Manning Graduate Coordinator Accepted for the College ____________________________________ John Rosenberg Dean, College of Humanities ABSTRACT Self-Access Centers: Maximizing Learners’ Access to Center Resources Benjamin L. McMurry Department of Linguistics and English Language Master of Arts The Self-Access Study Center (SASC) at Brigham Young University’s English Language Center (ELC) is a self-access lab where students can work independently to improve their language skills. Although some students have discovered how to use the SASC effectively, the majority of them appear to be unaware of the resources available in the center. Their trips to the SASC end up becoming more like a cyber cafe situation, where friends send email and chat online. If the SASC is used merely as a computer lab, then students are not using the resources available to fine-tune their English skills. The current project addresses two points. First, in an effort to provide on-going support for students and teachers, a Web site and database were created to provide users with information regarding materials available in the SASC at Brigham Young University’s English Language Center. Second, a SASC orientation for both students and teachers at the ELC was implemented in September of 2004. It took place in the SASC and gave students and teachers a brief explanation about how to use the SASC effectively. ELC students later completed a survey as means of gathering feedback regarding the use of the SASC. The survey data showed that the students felt the website was very helpful and that the orientation had a strong influence on how students used the SASC. A analysis of the data showed that students tended to be more autonomous as a result of the SASC Orientation. The results from the 2004 survey, with regards to the materials that students reported using, indicate that students used the SASC more for individual use and group work than to fulfill assignments or requirements from their teachers. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my committee for their work and support. I would also like to recognize the staff, faculty and students at the ELC and thank them for helping me accomplish my goals. Finally, none of this would have been possible without my sweet wife. Thank you. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables...................................................................................................................X List of Figures.................................................................................................................XI Section 1: Introduction.....................................................................................................1 Section 2: Review of the Literature..................................................................................4 Defining Autonomy.......................................................................................................4 Promoting Autonomy....................................................................................................8 Using Self-Access centers to Promote Autonomy........................................................9 Self-Access..................................................................................................................12 Section 3: Rationale for the Project................................................................................15 Section 4 Project Design.................................................................................................17 Database/Web site.......................................................................................................17 Orientation...................................................................................................................22 Evaluation....................................................................................................................24 Section 5: Project Development.....................................................................................25 Database and Web site Construction...........................................................................25 Orientation Development............................................................................................26 Evaluation Development and Implementation............................................................26 Section 6: Results...........................................................................................................28 Feedback from students...............................................................................................28 Survey Demographics.................................................................................................29 Section 7: Conclusions, Implications and Suggestions..................................................35 Limitations..................................................................................................................37 Directions for Future Research...................................................................................38 ix References......................................................................................................................41 Appendix A.....................................................................................................................43 Appendix B.....................................................................................................................49 Appendix C.....................................................................................................................61