Professional Development for Learning Advisors:

Facilitating the intentional reflective

dialogue

Satoko KatoLearning Advisor

Kanda Institute of Foreign Languages (KIFL)satokokat@gmail.com

KIFL VISTA/KALL VISTA KIFL VISTA

Kanda Institute of Foreign Languages Established in 1963 (Two-year vocational/language school)

Number of students: 1600+

VISTA (Self-access learning center) Established in 2009 (Independent Learning Center, 1995)

KALL VISTA Kanda Adult Language Learning in VISTA

Started in November 2011: Providing language learning services for adult language

learners.

VISTA Learning Center

Learning Advising Service

Advising Service for students 45 minutes one-to-one session

500 sessions/year Japanese/English

Open: Monday-Friday 10:00-19:00 Independent Learning Course

SAIL program

Advising Service for adult language learners Open: Saturday 13:00-16:00

How do we become a Learning Advisor? Transforming from a teacher to an LA Idea of “Control”

“I had to do a complete 180 degree turn with respect to my thinking on the idea of ‘control’ “.

Dealing with uncertainty “The biggest departure from the traditional classroom

experience is that going into the advising session you are literally flying by the seat of your pants.”

Adjusting expectations “I expected learners would come to me with specific

language problems and ask for advice on how to fix them. In fact they may not even know what their

problems are.” 　　 (Crowe, 2006)

Initial training to become an LA Introduction to the new profession

Orientations/Presentations Self-directed learning and advising History and background of the center Learning materials/resources, learning

strategies to recommend

Readings, Discussions, Role plays, Practice Introduction to advising

Discourse in advising, advising skills Listen to other advisors’ sessions Practice advising (oral/written)

Self-reflection Record sessions Listen to the recordings Reflect on yourself Get feedback from senior advisor

Basic knowledge

+

Skill-basedPractice

On-going training Workshops (skill-based)

Kelly’s (1996) macro & micro skills Peer-advising Introducing skills from other professional

field (counseling, coaching, teaching, etc.) e.g. Kato & Sugawara (2008)

Discussion forum (concept-based) To raise awareness of the essential topics in

advising. “What is the definition of Language Learning

Advising in our context?” “What do we need to learn to work effectively

as an LA?”

Both skill-based and philosophical themes about advising need to be covered.

Advancedskills &

knowledge

+

Philosophical background

After a few years of training and having experience in actual advising

Training completed? No more? Do we have a full package of knowledge & skills?

LAs with more than one year experience Probably have established one’s preferred way of advising. Unlikely to challenge oneself and try different advising

styles.

Stagnation and fossilization start…

How can we keep growing as an LA? LAs’ roles?

Activating learners’ reflective processes through an “intentional” one-to-one dialogue.

The question is….“Are we good at reflecting on ourselves??”

The major theoretical roots of reflection Dewey (1938) Habermas (1974) Kolb (1984) Schon (1991)

Boyd and Fales (1983)

“Reflection is the process of internal examination to explore issues and concerns which are triggered by experience that may bring about conceptual changes in perspective.”

Types of reflection: Self-reflection Effective; may offer opportunities for deep

learning (may or may not be shared with others).

Not enough to promote transformatory learning.

Limited to the insights of individuals.

Looking critically at oneself is difficult.

Types of reflection: Reflective dialogue with others Learning becomes not merely an

individualistic process.

Offers possibility to reconsider assumptions and beliefs which will lead to transformation.

Existing values are challenged.

Can take learning one step further.

Focusing on “intentional” reflective dialogue Blockbank, McGill & Beech (2002)

…an intentional dialogue is different from an ordinary dialogue in a way that dialogue does occur naturally between people, but for effective reflective learning, intentional dialogue is necessary.

…reflection-with-others, or dialogue, offers the power of challenge and different perspective to the learner, and ultimately the potential for double-loop learning.

Research questions

1. Does intentional reflective dialogue deepen LAs’ reflection and enhance their professional development?

2. Does intentional reflective dialogue have an influence on LAs’ perceptions of their current and future advising practices?

The study Participants: 8 Learning Advisors with one to three years of

experience.

Two interviews with each LA 1st interview: Reflect on oneself as an LA, talk about future

vision, make an action plan to grow as an LA. 2nd interview: Reflect on the past months to see their

improvement.

Tools Fixed questions Wheel of Learning Advising

Wheel of Language Learning (Kato & Sugawara, 2008) Advising in Language Learning: Dialogue, Tools and Context (Edited by Mynard & Carson, 2011)

Wheel of Learning Advising (WLA) Adapted from Kato & Sugawara (2008)

Student talkDid you give enough space and time to students to explore and talk about themselves?

5

5

10

10

Active Listening skills

Questioning skillsCould you have asked questions that helped students to explore themselves more?

Advisor talk-Guiding, modeling, supporting-Linking, connecting, -Informing, giving options, etc.

Student progress in autonomous language learning.

Learner satisfaction (Your perception of whether learners’ expectations were achieved in the session.)

Data collection/Analysis Recorded interviews (16 sessions)

One session (40-70 minutes) 13.5 hours in total

Questionnaire

Self-reflective journal The researcher kept a journal throughout the

research to reflect on herself as an interviewer.

Interview framework Ask LA to complete the Wheel of LA Ask LA to explain his/her wheel

Not just focusing on particular session but “yourself” as an LA.

Ask fixed questions What is your ideal advisor? Where are you at now? If the wheel is giving you a message, what would it be?

Find the “hidden” issues, challenge the existing values.

Future vision & planning Accountability Reflecting on the session together.

Degree of reflection More awareness rising through the dialogue.

Semi-structured (not fully casual) sessions brought LAs to the level that cannot be usually reached by self-reflection.

“I often reflect on and talk about my advising sessions with my colleagues. But I realized doing this kind of semi-formal session (intentional dialogue) will bring me to a deeper level of reflection that I can’t usually reach.”

Self-reflection vs. reflecting with others. Intentional reflective dialogue offers challenges and different

perspectives.

Research Question 1:

Degree of Reflection?

New perspectives

“I could see about myself as an LA more clearly by talking about myself and getting feedback from you.”

“I came to certain understandings I would not have ordinarily been able to come to. I have a lot of internal dialogues with myself about advising but it is really different when talking to someone else. It helps unravel ideas as well as introduce new perspectives.”

“It helped me understand how students may view dialogue in advising we have with them.”

Research Question 2: Influence on the current and future advising practices?

Skill focused goals (more likely with 1st year LAs)

Active Listening, Questioning, waiting time, etc.

Clearer vision of now & future? “Who I am as an LA” Focusing on the career path

“This is my second year as an LA and I would like to learn more about……”

“I am thinking about taking courses from other fields (life coaching) to become a better advisor.”

Future training demands “I would like to keep discussing one-to-one like this so that I

can become more aware of where I am at now as an LA.”

Other Findings 1 1st Interview

Wheel of Learning Advising Effectively used in not making the sessions too casual

Fixed questions were helpful in finding LAs’ values and issues. “What is your ideal learning advising?” “Where are you at

now?” Rapport building

2nd Interview (After 2-3 months) Usually, LAs tend not to remember much about the first

session. Importance of reminding

More intense talk with a stronger rapport Lots of sharing and knowledge transfer happened WLA was not necessary

Positive feedback from LAs

Other Findings 2From the self-reflective journal written by the author

Importance of making it “Intentional” To make it “intentional”…

Structured Ensure that issues of the interviewee is

contained. May use the whole set of advising skills Not be instructive Trust and rapport building is important No blame approach vs. discussion?

Sharing experience/discussion

Other Findings 3 : Skill-based Building rapport (power balance) Active listening (verbal, non-verbal) Restating/Mirroring (verbal, non-verbal) Questioning Empathizing Summarizing Challenging (What if…? What would you do differently?

What other ways….? Reflecting Goal-setting Giving feedback Asking for accountability

A whole set of advising skills we need.

Unexpected Findings Original purpose of the study

Help LAs reflect deeper on themselves as part of their professional development.

Not just focusing on a particular session to reflect on, but to have an overview of oneself as an LA.

In fact… It was the interviewer (the researcher) who

received a very intensive training by interviewing 8 LAs.

Suggestions for the Future On-going Training

One-to-one Intentional Reflective Dialogue (Pair up LAs Interview each other)

Skill-based & concept-based workshops

Self-reflection (written/oral)Informal (casual) discussions

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Existing on-going training

Future Research: Scaffolding

Provide skill-based training (especially for novice LAs) To be able to conduct interviews

Restating, Listening, Questioning, Summarizing, etc.

Guidelines for self-reflection

Create a guideline for “Intentional Reflective Dialogue” Procedures, tools and interview questions

Feedback forum Provide opportunities for LAs to share their

thoughts and experiences.

Publication PR

English Language Learning Planner『英語学習手帳』

( forthcoming fall 2012 )Daily Planner + Strategies Booklet + Website

•It is not just a calendar-based planner.

Guides learners through an in-depth self-reflective process for a duration of 12 months.

•An additional booklet comes along with the planner.Introduces learning strategies according to a variety of learning goals.

•It is supported by a website. Downloadable goal-setting materials, task lists, study log sheets, etc. Tools for self-analysis are available.