Jo Mynard, Kanda University of International Studies, Japan
This is the 18th issue of SiSAL Journal and includes contributions from Australia, the USA, Iran, Turkey, the UK, Japan, and Ecuador.
The first article by Nga Thanh Nguyen, Donna Tangen and Denise Beutel is a study that explores how the concept of learner autonomy is understood and used in Vietnamese higher educational settings.
In the second article, Jordan Dreyer describes a study designed to investigate the effectiveness of using an online vocabulary study tool, Quizlet, in an urban high school language arts class in the USA.
The third article, by Afshin Mohammadi, reports on research which investigates learners’ views and practices with regards to two facilities at an Iranian university
The article by Tarik Uzun describes a study designed to identify the learning styles of students who use the Independent Learning Centre (ILC) on a regular basis at a state university in Turkey.
In the first instalment of a new three-part column (edited by Katherine Thornton), Michael Allhouse describes the changes that have taken place at the SAC his institution in the UK, and how he responded to those changes.
Drawing on theories of motivation and self-regulation, Mayumi Abe, Satomi Yoshimuta, Seigakuin, and Huw Davies present a visual tool developed in Japan that can be used in advising and teaching.
In their short article, Craig Manning, Brian R. Morrison, and Tara McIlroy present three different perspectives on using Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in educational contexts within Japan.
Finally, Janine Berger describes a ‘work in progress’ whereby EFL students in Ecuador are encouraged to take their learning beyond the classroom by using game-like learning techniques.
We hope you enjoy this issue and maybe consider submitting a paper for our upcoming special issue on ‘dialogue and advising and self-access learning’ to be published in March, 2015. Details can be found on the website: https://sisaljournal.org/for-authors/dialogue-and-advising/
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to authors, reviewers and members of the editorial team who helped to produce this issue.
SiSAL Journal 