Autonomous Self-Directed Learning as the Realization of Learning
Society
Study of Online Social Media as a Medium of Learning
Nia Oktaviani and Yanti Shantini
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, 229th Dr. Setiabudi Street, Bandung, Indonesia
Keywords: Autonomous, Self-Directed Learning, Social Online Media, Autonomous Learner, Learning Society.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to reveal the autonomous self-directed learning dimension by using social media
as a medium of learning. Autonomous self-directed learning is expected to be a way for the realization of a
learning society. The wide meaning of learning makes human beings as a learner creating various spaces,
dimensions, media and learning models that are seen as effective, efficient and optimal to support their
learning. Half of Indonesian population is an active Internet user with social media content as the most
frequently accessed medium. The use of the Internet has grown massively and become a medium that cannot
be separated from life. Empirically, the content available in social media helps our community to learn, this
is because the available social media can be an easy and cheap media to be accessed by anyone, so as to
provide incentives to the community to be the autonomous learner. Thus, not excessive presumably when the
ideals of realizing learning society have been in sight.
1 INTRODUCTION
This study tries to uncover the dimensions of informal
learning that are unwittingly done by every human
being. The study aims to investigate the self-directed
learning that occurs autonomously.
The study conducted focused on the use of online
social media as a medium of learning that can change
a person's life. Today's growing internet media that
can be used also as a medium of learning.
Technological progress is a positive impact of the era
of globalization, one application of information and
communication technology (ICT) is the internet.
Internet network served as a tool for human beings
finding a lot of information.
Media available on the internet is very diverse,
including Friendster, Twitter, Facebook, Path,
Instagram and others. These medias are said to be
social media because of their function to connect
people from all over the world in cyber media. Over
time social media then developed into a medium that
is able to provide benefits, especially in self-directed
learning.
The Commission of The European Communities
(2008) states that one of the main strengths of ICT is
to have the capacity to support informal learning.
Independent learning and peer informal learning are
so far two important mechanisms for improving
competencies.
Online discussion through the online community
provides the possibility to build collaborative
knowledge, where each member is able to share his
thoughts and learn from his group mates. (Kent,
Laslo, & Rafaeli, 2016)
Electronic networks related to interests or
professions provide a platform for accessing and
sharing information, to collaborate and develop
collectively skills and competencies. This ICT tool
not only presents new opportunities for Internet
learning but also offers great potential for connecting
exclusively grouped groups into public services,
learning and community interests. ICT has
transformed society and economy. The challenge now
is to achieve innovative transformation in the
provision of education and training. E-learning has a
role to achieving this result.
As an example of ICT transforming society and
economy are through the development of ICT, the use
of gadgets and other devices is increasingly
widespread and widespread. People began to engage
in social relationships through cyberspace, one of the
most popular of which are Facebook previously
Oktaviani, N. and Shantini, Y.
Autonomous Self-Directed Learning as the Realization of Learning Society - Study of Online Social Media as a Medium of Learning.
In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences (ICES 2017) - Volume 1, pages 469-474
ISBN: 978-989-758-314-8
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
469

preceded by Friendster but not so popular. A concrete
example is the formation of a cooking community.
This community is growing and according to various
testimonies from members of this community, many
of them learn to cook through this media, even make
the result of learning as an additional livelihood and
even become the main livelihood. A stay at home
mom is able to help the family economy just by
selling cookies or other beverages. Many of those
getting the knowledge from the community they had
followed online.
Whether or not these communities are aware of
our informal learning obligations and has enriched the
knowledge of each individual so as to realize the
learning society that has been the goal by exchanging
information in various ways.
2 THE MOST FREQUENTLY-
USED ONLINE SOCIAL MEDIA
Based on the survey results of the Association of
Internet Service Providers Indonesia (APJII) in 2016,
obtained the result that about 132, 7 million of 256.2
million Indonesians are internet users. 52.5% of
which are male and 47.5% are female users. The
largest population of Internet users stated in Java,
which is 65% or 86.3 million people. With the age
range 25-34 years as the highest user as much as
35.8% or 47.5 million people, with penetration rate of
76.1%. In terms of employment, 69.22% of internet
users are workers/entrepreneurs but the highest
internet penetration rate is 89.7% of students, this is
possible because many students use the internet as a
medium to help complete college assignments. The
APJII survey also shows some reasons for internet
use, 25.3% for information / news updates, 20.8% on
education, 13.5% for leisure, 10.3% for socialization,
9.2% Related education, 8.8% for entertainment,
8.5% for business, trading and looking for some
goods. 97.4% of accessed social media content,
96.8% accessed entertainment content, 96.4%
accessed news content, 93.8% accessed educational
content, 93.1% accessed commercial content and
91.6% of public service content.
From the data of the survey results, shows that the
society of Internet users today has more access to
social media with various interests, namely the
importance of socialization, information, and
commercial. The most visited social media content is
Facebook by 54%, followed by instagram 15%,
youtube 11%, google + 6%, twitter 5,5%, linked in
0,6%. Facebook is able to become a social media that
connects people through the virtual world. Through
the use of Facebook people are free to communicate
with anyone even to do a virtual transaction. Another
thing that most people do through Facebook is to form
a group based on the similarity of background,
common interest, similarity needs. Based on these
equations, our society is able to form a virtual group
of virtual which is then able to form a community, one
of the learning community.
The usual activities to access social media are to
share information of 97.5%, trade 94.6%,
socialization of government policy 90.4%, religious
doom 81.9%, and politics 75.6%. Of the data, about
97.5% share information, where we can see a lot of
information’s content shared on various social media.
Such information content is widely used as a basis to
meet the information needs, furthermore as the
fulfilment of the learning needs.
3 LEARNING SOCIETY
Illich (1970) provides a postulate that the learning
community is a decomposed society or a deschooled
society.
The learning society to be realized if every citizen
is always looking for and find something new and
meaningful, improve ability and develop themselves
through learning activities. Learning activities have
become the necessities of life and community habits.
(Sudjana, 2000).
Learning activities undertaken by every citizen is
not limited only to know or learn something (learning
how to learn), nor learn only to solve problems that
arise in life (learning how to solve problems),
learning activities that they do straight to the interests
and progress of his life (learning how to be or learning
how to live). Cisco (2010) argues that technologies
create learning opportunities not only in the school
context, but within the reach of the whole community
such as at work, at home, within a community.
Learners currently operate in a very different world
compared to 50 years ago. They live in fragmented
and complex networking environments. Lessons
previously monopolized by large formal education
institutions are now distributed and delivered by
public, private, and non-profit providers.
Human journey in the new age in the 21st century
demands superior man and the work of a superior as
well. Such excellence is a participatory excellence,
meaning a superior man who always participates
actively in a healthy competition to seek and get the
best from good. Participatory excellence by itself is
obliged to explore and develop all the individual
ICES 2017 - 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences
470

potentials that will be used in an increasingly
competitive life that increasingly sharp and will be
cruel to humans who do not want to work hard and
study hard. (Suryadi, 2009).
The development of society, in general, can be
divided into agricultural society, industrial society,
and learning society. The development of this
community also impacts on the learning process.
Looking at the plot, it seems that now the era has
begun to reach into the era of learning societies, there
is no choice that to manifest a superior man should be
made changes in attitudes and cultural behavior of
people who are not fond of learning towards learning
society. Learning is a process of continuous
interaction between learners with learning resources
in a learning environment than learning is an effort to
create conditions for interaction in learning activities.
Furthermore, Suryadi (2009) argued that in the
era of learning society is marked by the rapid progress
of information technology (internet, email, website,
animation, VCD / DVD and various educational
software) and telecommunication infrastructure
(teleconference, e-learning, m-learning). Thus
allowing the community to study anytime, anywhere,
with appropriate media without being limited space
and time so that learning can take place intensively.
Furthermore, Suryadi (2009) argued that in the era of
learning society is marked by the rapid progress of
information technology (internet, email, website,
animation, VCD / DVD and various educational
software) and telecommunication infrastructure
(teleconference, e-learning, m-learning). Thus,
allowing the community to study anytime, anywhere,
with appropriate media without being limited space
and time so that learning can take place intensively.
In line with CISCO (2010) citizens of the 21st
century need supplements for foundational skills with
a set of new skills that have higher demand than ever
before. There are eight skill groups in question
include:
a. Collecting. Synthesize and analyze
information
b. Working autonomously with high standards
but with minimal supervision
c. Give good influence to other autonomous
workers
d. Be creative and turn that creativity into action
e. Think critically and ask the right questions
f. Strive to understand the perspectives of others
and understand the whole issue
g. Communicate effectively and often use
technology
h. Work ethically, firmly based on your own
community and the planet as a whole
In addition to these cognitive skills, there is
growing evidence of the importance of non-cognitive
skills or dispositions, suggested among others: social
intelligence, emotional resilience, good behavior and
fun, self-imposed discipline in the soul.
Jarvis (2007) states that the concept of a learning
society is a metaphor to be described. The fact that
people encouraged to learn, usually in certain
situations and for a purpose that is vocational, when
we discuss the learning community, we need to see
learning as something other than the learning process,
it's about the opportunity to learn certain knowledge
and skills.
4 SELF DIRECTED LEARNING
Everyone must experience a thing called learning.
Many approaches in learning include self-study. Lots
of terms are found related to self-learning, such as
self-directed learning, self-regulated learning,
autonomous learning, self-initiated learning,
autodidact and so on. In the International Dictionary
of Adult and Continuing Education compiled by Peter
Jarvis (2002), there is a great deal of understanding
about self-study along with several terms that follow,
including:
a. Autodidact is someone who teaches himself
b. Autonomous learner is someone who has the
ability to learn independently and choose the
appropriate learning mode for the learning
task
c. Autonomy is a philosophical thought that
one's desires are governed only by their own
principles and rules rather than outside
influences. This is a philosophical position
held by adult humanistic educators
d. Auto-tutorial devices are tools made by
independent learners independent of teacher
dependence
e. Self-directed learner is someone who tries to
control and manage his own learning.
f. Self-directed learning is learning regulated
and controlled by learners, a personality trait,
sometimes regarded also as teaching
techniques, another example is learning
outside the educational institutions conducted
by learners with regard to their interests, needs
and desires.
From the various understandings above, there is a
red thread that can be drawn is that self-directed
learning is a person's ability to control and organize
learning in accordance with the interests and needs.
Autonomous Self-Directed Learning as the Realization of Learning Society - Study of Online Social Media as a Medium of Learning
471

Merriam (2008), defines self-directed learning as
a learning process whereby people have the initiative
to plan, implement and evaluate their learning
experiences. The study of Md Nor and Saeednia
(2009) in Tang Seng Chee, et al (2011), states that 9-
year-olds has the ability to make their learning as an
independent learning. In their study, they report that
children are capable of displaying discipline,
curiosity, independence, persistence, goal orientation,
responsibility and enjoying their learning.
Furthermore, Vignette argued that self-directed
learning is a natural process that develops from a
young age. (Tang Seng Chee et al, 2011: 9)
Based on that opinion, Chee et al (2011), notes
that learning is not only done in school but also in
everyday life and efforts to gain learning that
develops naturally from experience. Among youth
and adults, self-study is common. For example, after
purchasing gadgets with the latest technology, we
learn to use them and learn about their applications in
various ways. Some choose to learn it by exploring
through trial and error, while others choose to read the
user manual or some tutorials via youtube or other
networks. Another example of self-study is that in
many of us in everyday life fill out the tax bill, drive
to a new mall to find out the best parking space in the
mall, or learn to use a new camera.
In a broad sense, Knowles (1975) describes self-
directed learning as a process whereby individuals
has the initiative with or without the help of others in
diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning
goals, identifying material and human resources for
learning, selecting and implementing Appropriate
strategies and evaluate learning outcomes.
Gibbons (2002) argues that nothing is so natural
besides learning and achievement. We feel so curious
from our first breath. We enter the school with the
skills we already have and want more. We chase after
him, often accompanied by the passion in the rest of
our age. The need to survive, be competent, find
intimacy and maintain self-esteem to advance better
in life. Furthermore, according to Gibbons, we seek a
role and work better for friendship, colleagues, and
family, to understand each other and ourselves, to
master something and its fulfilment. Independent
learning is designed to nurture this moment, to
expand and deepen, to help the network of citizens
learn and filter it.
In relation to self-directed learning, Gross (1999)
called it Peak Learning, Sudjana (2000) translated it
into prime learning. Gross reveals some of the
characteristics of the peak learning which among
others is that the learner assumes that learning is a life
task that can and should be accomplished anytime and
anywhere. They feel proud to find challenges in
everyday life and feel proud if they can succeed well
in overcoming these challenges. Next, they realize
about their ignorance of something. In this
connection, they understand that there is always
something in life that must be known, appreciated and
done. They are not worried about their ignorance and
often ask others to assist in obtaining the information
they need.
Another feature is that independent learners,
looking for sources of learning in the environment, do
not wait for the often-limited and dry source of
information from contextual information.
Furthermore, a self-directed learner has confidence in
the ability to learn and understand something of
interest. They have the ability to process information,
have tools that can help to select the information
needed, store in memory and use it. The last feature
is the belief that the use of time for self-development
is the best investment to be utilized in the future.
From some of these characteristics, it gives an idea
that someone who is doing self-learning
activities/prime learning is the person who makes it
as part of the task of life, so that this becomes a call
to every person to become self-directed learners.
5 THE EVIDENCES OF
AUTONOMOUS SELF-
DIRECTED LEARNING
New technologies add to lifelong learning
possibilities, where technology has the potential to
increase access, add value and disseminate
knowledge creation processes. Some are able to do
more than that, they can create communities that
connect learners of all ages without taking into
account territorial boundaries. Chin (2015) argues
that learning is crucial in linking global development
goals to local realities. Progress in ICT allows new
avenues in learning that visible from the traditional
approach in the classroom. Globally, many people
have accessed the internet, another growing trend of
internet access via mobile phones, especially among
young people globally. This new reality means that
knowledge and skills training at all levels can now be
offered to population groups around the world as a
means of sustaining a sustainable generation.
Mao's (2014) research finds that Social media can
be used as an effective learning tool where students
can adjust and control their learning speed. This study
provides a powerful example of the importance of
contextual approach in the use of social media in
ICES 2017 - 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences
472

learning and also marks the multilevel strength of
youtube. Thus it can be seen that social media is a new
force for self-directed learning as part of informal
learning and the effort of the realization of learning
society.
UNESCO (2015: 8) states that information and
communication technology or commonly known as
ICT is used to strengthen education system,
dissemination knowledge, access to information,
quality and effective learning, and more effective
service provision.
Lately, social networking services, for example,
Facebook, have shown an exponential growth in the
number of users. With regard to the popularity of
these social networks, educational researchers have
explored the potential value of education from social
networks. While, several studies that have
investigated learner attitudes and the effects of social
networking in the classroom, testing of learners'
knowledge and cognitive processes through online
discussion has received limited attention. Although
the public interest in lifelong learning has increased
gradually, attention has been minimal, especially the
application of social networking services to mature
and sustainable education programs.
Facebook has become one of the most popular
social networking services. Several studies have
examined the link between using Facebook and
learning performance. Facebook has many matches
related to services that are free, easy to use, encourage
social interaction and have been widely adopted by
teenagers. Facebook can be easily and freely
accessible using mobile phones and from the
instructional side, Facebook is pressing development
costs.
Found, that elderly and women prefer to discuss
things that are not related to the topic of discussion on
Facebook, so it can be concluded that the social
nature of Facebook and characteristics of adult
learners can provide a very important role in this
regard. It also found that the sequence of off-topic
behavior to cognitive processes called works by
women's majority groups, this finding implies that
social interactions expressed as irrelevant discussions
can lead to meaningful thinking, where earlier studies
have suggested that Social interaction can be a key
element for the online learning environment. (Lin,
Hou, Wang, & Chang, 2013)
Groups on Facebook able to share more
information with specific topics, debate related to the
topics were comprehensive open wide. This process
was important to achieved learning objectives
cognitively. (Kelles, 2017)
There is growing evidence that social media
increasingly supports informal learning at home as
well as in society and that informal learning becomes
an important element of education for learners of all
ages. Informal learning is a learning that lies entirely
in the hands of learners through observation, trial, and
error, asking for help in others, the results of the
conversation with others, listening to stories, the
reflection of daily activities, or things stimulated by
interest. The personal learning environment is a new
construct in the context of online learning based on
the use of social media and gaining the place as an
effective platform for learning. (Dabbagh &
Kitsantas, 2012)
A study conducted in India that has even been
implemented in the form of '' The Hole in The Wall ''
program. Sugata (2012) revealed on January 26,
1999, his friend Vivek put a computer into an open
wall adjacent to his office in Kalkaji, New Delhi. The
screen is visible from the street and the computer is
available to anyone who passes by. The computer has
online access and a number of programs that can be
used, but there is no explanation on how to use it.
What happened next was very surprising. The
children ran from the local slums and looked closely
at the computer. They feel not enough and start to
click and explore. They begin to learn to use them
objects that are foreign to them. A few hours later,
surprisingly they have been surfing the web.
After the success of the experiment in Kalkaji, it's
time to think about some scientific explanations. The
computer remains abandoned there and is available to
anyone and for 6 months the children in the
neighbourhood have learned how to use the mouse,
can open and close programs and download games,
music and videos. When asked how they learned they
said they were learning dejectedly.
From the results of these experiments prove that ICT
can be accessed by anyone and easy to learn. In line
with the development of the era, now has developed
information technology that can be accessed by
anyone, anytime and anywhere with an easier and
cheaper reach. ICT media is apparently able to
become an easy learning media but a great medium in
influencing the development of learning in the
community even able to become a medium that
supports the welfare of the community.
6 CONCLUSIONS
Based on the above description that essentially every
human instinctively conducting learning activities
throughout his life. Self-directed learning is done
Autonomous Self-Directed Learning as the Realization of Learning Society - Study of Online Social Media as a Medium of Learning
473

almost half its life, learning is done to meet the needs
of life, both in the work environment, at home, and
live in the community. The idea that developed from
the past until now is to realize the learning community
(learning society), where from every dimension of
life filled with constant learning. By increasing the
usefulness of ICT especially communication media
that developed through the internet, then the
possibility of the realization of learner society wide
open. Apart from the negative effects of internet
usage, the community is now better able to use it as a
useful medium for its life, so as to be able to perform
an autonomous self-directed learning based on
applicable principles.
REFERENCES
Association of Internet Service Providers Indonesia
(APJII). 2016. Internet User Penetration and User
Performance of Indonesia: Survey 2016.
https://www.apjii.or.id/. Retrieved 07 May 2017
Chee, Tan Seng. et.al. 2011. Self- Directed Learning With
ICT: Theory, Practice, and Assessment. Singapore:
Ministry of Education
Chin, A., Jacobsson, T., 2015. TheGoals.org: mobile global
education on the Sustainable Development Goals,
Journal of Cleaner Production
CISCO. 2010. The Learning Society. CISCO System.
www.cisco.com/c/dam/en_us/about/citizenship/.../Lear
ningSociety_WhitePaper.pdf.
Commission of European Communities. 2008. The use of
ICT to support innovation and lifelong learning for all
- A report on progress. Brussels: Commission Staff
Working Document
Dabbagh, N., Kitsantas, A. 2012. Personal Learning
Environments, social media, and self-regulated
learning: A natural formula for connecting formal and
informal learning. The Internet and Higher Education,
15(1), 3–8.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2011.06.002
Gibbons, Maurice. 2002. The Self-Directed Learning
Handbook: Challenging Adolescent Students to Excel.
San Fransisco: Jossey Bass.
Gross, Ronald. 1999. Peak Learning: How to Create Your
Own Lifelong Education Program for Personal
Enlightenment and Professional Success. (revised
edition). New York: Penguin Putnam.
Illich, Ivan. 1970. Deschooling Society. Cuernavaca:
Habrow Books.
Jarvis, Peter. 2002. International Dictionary of Adult and
Continuing Education. London: Kogan Page.
---------------. 2007. Globalisation, Lifelong Learning and
the Learning Society: Sociological perspectives,
Lifelong Learning and the Learning Society (Vol. 2).
New York: Routledge.
Keles E., Use of Facebook for the Community Services
Practices course, Computers & Education. 2017, doi:
10.1016/j.compedu.2017.09.003.
Kent, C., Laslo, E., Rafaeli, S. 2016. Interactivity in online
discussions and learning outcomes. Computers &
Education, 97, 116–128.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.03.002
Knowles, Malcolm. 1975. Self Directed Learning: A Guide
for Learners and Teachers. New Jersey: Cambridge
Adult Education.
Lin, P.-C., Hou, H.-T., Wang, S.-M., Chang, K.-E. 2013.
Analyzing knowledge dimensions and cognitive
process of a project-based online discussion
instructional activity using Facebook in an adult and
continuing education course. Computers & Education,
60(1), 110–121.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.07.017
Mao, J. 2014. Social media for learning: a mixed methods
study on high school students' technology affordances
and perspectives. Computers in Human Behavior, 33,
213e223.
Merriam, Sharan. B (editor). 2008. Third Update On Adult
Learning Theory: New Directions For Adult and
Continuing Education. San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass.
Sudjana, Djudju. 2000. Pendidikan Luar Sekolah:
Wawasan, Sejarah Perkembangan, Falsafah, Teori
Pendukung dan Asas. Bandung: Falah Production.
-----------------------. 2000. Strategi Pembelajaran
Pendidikan Luar Sekolah. Bandung: Falah Production.
Sugata, Mitra. 2012. Beyond The Hole In The Wall. New
York: Ted Conference, LLC.
Suryadi, Ace. 2009. Mewujudkan Masyarakat Pembelajar:
Konsep, Kebijakan, Implentasi. Bandung: Widya
Aksara Press.
UNESCO. 2015. Education 2030 Incheon Declaration:
Toward Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education an
Lifelong Learning For all. Incheon: Republic Of Korea.
May, 2015.
ICES 2017 - 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences
474