Analysis of the Impact of IT and Media on Business English Major Students’ Autonomous Learning

Abstract

This study aimed to 1) analyze the impact of IT and media on autonomous learning among Business English majors at Southeast Bangkok College, and 2) improve the teaching strategy to suit the 21stCentury framework for learning. The experimental group for the study consisted of 16 second year Business English majors aged between 20 and 23, studying Reading Skills .The experiment took place in the second semester of 2015 academic year. It lasted for a period of four weeks. Research methodology was descriptive analysis based on the participants' learning outcomes assessed by their peers. The findings revealed that autonomous learning encouraged students to actively participate in independent group-work activities. They were motivated to search for materials through the Internet and media to undertake their projects and make presentation in class. In addition, the students’ outputs and diaries, including their oral feedbacks showed that they enjoyed autonomous learning which resulted in their development of interpersonal communication and presentation skills responding to the framework for 21st Century learning.