a second round of individual sessions. In this case, the objective was to evaluate
processes and plan future strategies. The very last session consisted of a group discussion
to evaluate the project. In the following paragraphs will deal with the most relevant
elements of the project.
7.1.1 The preliminary stage
I consider that the preliminary stage was essential to get to know the participants
of the project. It certainly gave me a good idea of the kinds of learner I was going to
work with. Moreover, it opened the channels of communication. In general, the
interactions were very interesting and developed in an easy-going, friendly atmosphere.
The preliminary stage consisted in two sessions. The first one was the protocol
analysis in which each one of the participants and I discussed the content of their written
biographies (see section 6.1.1.1, p. 147, for the data I got from this interactions). I can
say that I learned a lot from these interactions about each individual, although, at that
moment, according to my field notes, I had the feeling that I was not getting anything
new in terms of other types of research I had read.
In the second session, I asked the participants to work in the SAC for 30 minutes
and come back to tell me what they had done. The purpose of this task was to get to
know the learners through their work. Basically, I wanted to know the way they worked
in SAC and how they made use of the resources there.
Although the information was far from being an exhaustive account of their
styles of self-directed learning, it made me realise the way they approach their learning
tasks (see section 7.2.1, p. 208, on orientation).
I must also say that, even though I was worried about the number of participants
(18), and I had realised that I was not going to have enough time to work with them on a
daily basis, I felt that I was in control of the situation; as I saw it, everything was going
according to the plan. Moreover, I was happy to be there, feeling at home, working with
students again and realising that some of them were looking forward to working with me.
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