Rise like a Phoenix: Empowering Youth At Risk through Self-Directed Learning and Technology
Format
Individual Presentation
Location
Ballroom F
Strand #1
Social & Emotional Skills
Strand #2
Academic Achievement & School Leadership
Relevance
The proposed presentation cross sections between head and heart as it encourages students to complete school while they develop social skills needed in the workplaces such as communication, collaboration, problem solving, research skills. Students also learn to set goals, sustain motivation, complete tasks, and develop competency.
Brief Program Description
This presentation will demonstrate a self-directed learning system, Learner Power, in which students gradually take ownership of their own learning process while preparing for jobs in Georgia’s fast-growing film and television industry. Students develop essential workplace skills such as communication, collaboration, problem solving, goal setting, research skills.
Summary
Students should be able to assess what they don’t know and seek out opportunities to teach themselves. Learner Power is a teaching and learning system designed to teach this lifelong learning skill set to students. Learner Power was first developed by the local high school teacher and has been implemented with youths at-risk in a local second-chance high school classroom 4 times since 2012. This self-directed learning system supports the development of autonomy and responsibility that will transfer to an essential skills for success in life. Survey pre-post data shows the effectiveness of Learner Power for learning the lifelong learning skills such as goal setting, research, problem solving, communication and collaboration, and creativity. The drop out rate of the Learner Power class was lower than the school’s rate. For those who remained the course, they passed at 100% rate. Students reported a high rate of satisfaction with the learning system and improved in the areas of presentation, problem solving, and sense of responsibility for their own learning. Five Learner Power students were recently honored at the Southeastern Emmy Award Show for their class projects. We are proud that we prepare them for the many job opportunities in Georgia’s booming film production industry. Attendees will learn about the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of Learner Power, review the study’s results, discuss the underlying theories and strategies of self-directed learning to foster lifelong learning skills.
Evidence
Learner Power has been implemented with youths at-risk in a local second-chance high school classroom 4 times since 2012 to over 100 students. The class’s dropout rate was lower than the school’s rate. Student perceptions of learning effectiveness was rated higher than the district average. From pre-post survey , students reported a high rate of satisfaction with the learning system and improved problem solving, presentation, collaboration, and research skills. Students also reported increased sense of responsibility for their own learning and motivation.
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Eunbae Lee is an Assistant Professor of Instructional Technology at Georgia Southern University. Her research interests focus on developing lifelong learning skills for youth at risk.
Mr. Pasha Souvorin is a National Board Certified Teacher and currently teaches at Phoenix High School in Gwinnett County, Georgia. He holds a Master's degree in Instructional Design and Development from the University of Georgia. He has been developing and teaching pedagogically sound, technology-enhanced learning systems for his students considered at risk.
Keyword Descriptors
lifelong learning, self-directed learning, motivation, goal setting, collaboration, autonomy
Presentation Year
2015
Start Date
3-3-2015 1:00 PM
End Date
3-3-2015 2:15 PM
Recommended Citation
Lee, Eunbae and Souvorin, Pasha, "Rise like a Phoenix: Empowering Youth At Risk through Self-Directed Learning and Technology" (2015). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 152.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2015/2015/152
Rise like a Phoenix: Empowering Youth At Risk through Self-Directed Learning and Technology
Ballroom F
This presentation will demonstrate a self-directed learning system, Learner Power, in which students gradually take ownership of their own learning process while preparing for jobs in Georgia’s fast-growing film and television industry. Students develop essential workplace skills such as communication, collaboration, problem solving, goal setting, research skills.
