Introducing self-directed learning in an innovation-friendly institutional context

The setting of this experiment is that of the DEFLE, French Department for Foreign Students. It is an old department of the University of Nancy2, originally designed for the training of foreign students to prepare them to study a wide range of subjects. Studies of French as a Foreign Language (FFL) were organized exclusively in terms of classes (learning with a teacher), until the CRAPEL, through E. Carette, became head of the Department in 2003. She decided, with the CRAPEL researchers, to change the FFL training offer, introducing a part of self-directed learning sessions in students’ timetable. This research aims at analysing the potential obstacles to the introduction of self-directed learning sessions in the DEFLE, through direct observation of classes and self-directed learning sessions, analysis of questionnaires and practice sheets filled up by students, of outcome sheets filled up by counsellors, and of a collective discussion on advisers’practices.