Comparison between Transition Year in Irelans vs. Self-Direction Learning Semester in Korea through Online News Data Analysis

Background/Objectives: This study was aimed to derive directions and implications of self-directed learning semester policy by comparing similarities and differences between self-directed learning semester policy in Korea and transition year policy in Ireland and highlighting experiences of the transition year policy. Methods/Statistical Analysis: For this study, related news data online about Ireland’s Transition Year and Korea’s Self-Directed Learning Semester were collected by using JAVA. As data for the entire study, the news articles generated in Never from Jan 1, 2012, which was the previous year before Korea’s Self-Directed Learning Semester was demonstrated to Mar 6, 2016 for a total of 1556 days, were used. To calculate the frequency of words after removing the overlapped articles of news data collected from Naver, R package. Findings: In This study searched and collected (crawling) the articles from Naver on Transition Year, a role model for Self-Directed Learning Semester and Self-Directed Learning Semester to be enacted from 2016 and analyzed similarities and differences. Year, education, career path, self-directed learning, semester system, and experience were drawn as an important factor. Regarding Self-Directed Learning Semester, education, self-directed learning, semester system, career, and experience were drawn as important factors. Commonly in both Transition Year and Self- Directed Learning Semester, education, self-directed learning, semester system, career, and experience were drawn as important factors. Government’s policy towards Self-Directed Learning Semester is a good intention, but more positive supports are necessary at the government level for producing various programs and activities so that the Self- Directed Learning Semester can be well resettled and activated. Application/Improvements: This study compared similarities and differences between Self-Directed Learning Semester of Korea and Transition Year of Ireland based on online news articles and drew implications for the Self-Directed Learning Semester policy in light of Transition Year.