PROJECT-BASED LEARNING AS A FACILITATOR OF SELF-REGULATION IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM

This study examined 56 middle school students' self-reflections and self-regulatory behavioral development in a project-based learning experience. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected providing a more comprehensive evaluation of 1) students' perceptions of their self-regulatory behaviors in the project-based learning experience and 2) both the teacher's and students' perceptions of what aspects of the project-based learning experience were beneficial in facilitating students' self-regulatory behaviors. The overall findings in this study suggest that students had success in using metacognitive processes to self-monitor the development of their self-regulatory skills. The self-monitoring process was a deliberate approach used to teach students to self-identify their weaknesses and strengths in terms of three self-regulatory skills: learning strategy use, goal setting and time management. These skills are instrumental in students' achieving success by independently completing a project. The outcomes of the study imply that students need scaffolding support in project-based learning in order to facilitate the development of self-regulatory skills. As students completed the social studies class project, they required careful guidance to learn to sift through and to synthesize information from a variety of resources. It was important to design a collaborative learning environment where students were encouraged to share in the decision-making process of the project outcomes and the curriculum. Students used the Student Weekly Reflection Form (SWRF) to engage in self-reflection throughout the project. NUD*IST N6 was used to quantify and analyze the data obtained from the SWRF. Students' pre- and post-test scores on the Goal Orientation Index (GOI) (Atman, 1986) showed a significant increase in the Reflecting and Planning Subscales at the .01 level of significance using a one-tailed t-test. The Bandura Self-Efficacy for Self-Regulated Learning Scale (as cited in Pajares and Urdan, 2006) was used to measure students' perceptions of their self-regulatory abilities to complete goals. There was no significant difference between the students' pre- and post-test scores as measured by a one-tailed t-test.This study adds to existing social cognitive understanding. In order for students to identify and develop self-regulatory skills in this project, they first had to experience the opportunity to participate as managers in their own learning

Developing an ePortfolio as a Capstone Experience for Graduate Studies in Information Science: A Process-to-Product Model and its Implementation

As the world is rapidly changing into a knowledge and information society, it is important for higher education to prepare graduates for successful careers and life in facing the 21st century challenges. Lifelong learning is one of the much-needed skills. Since the turn of the century, pioneers have sought theories, pedagogies, and best practices to innovate education. ePortfolio has been proposed as a learner-centered approach to teaching, learning and assessment. Adopting ePortfolio is more than just an innovation in teaching, educators are transforming education from a positivistic paradigm built on behavior theory to a post-modern paradigm or multi-paradigmatic approach. What is ePortfolio? The notion is open for interpretation in various contexts from a collection of works to showcase a learner\u27s outcome according to standards to a capstone product that integrates learning outcomes across the curriculum and demonstrates professional promise. This paper presents a conceptual model and its implementations of a graduate-level capstone ePortfolio program as a degree requirement. The model conceptualizes ePortfolio as a process leading to product (eP-pro): 1. During the process, the learner: • works closely with an advisor to plan a personalized curriculum with the focus on learning outcomes to support the student’s career goal • self-assesses progress by accomplishing milestones • collects learning artifacts and reflects on them 2. As a final product, the learner • presents selected artifacts to showcase how the learner applied knowledge and what skills the learner mastered • reflects on learning experiences and achievement to project beyond graduation • delivers the ePortfolio on the Web To engage learners and foster self-regulated learning, the process is monitored by four milestones (A figure will be included in the paper): 1. learning goals and action plans 2. ePortfolio prototype (site architecture and navigation plus one artifact) 3. ePortfolio 4. ePortfolio defense To ensure high quality presentational ePortfolios across all learners, the presentational ePortfolio includes five sections: reflection, knowledge, artifacts, competences and projection. The sections are interrelated. For example, in reflection the learner highlights achievements in connection with learning goals and in projection the learner looks forward to the future in the chosen career path. The three sections knowledge, artifacts and competences are related in that the learner articulates selected concepts (or theories) and how they were applied to produce the artifacts, and how these artifacts demonstrate the skills (competences); further, learners make references (hyperlinks) between specific concepts and their artifacts, and between specific artifacts and their competences. Matrices are used to map learning goals with actions and to integrate and show the relationships among the knowledge, artifacts, and competences (K-A-C). The K-A-C matrix, which is displayed graphically as a table, visually demonstrates how artifacts are built upon specific knowledge concepts as well as the skills needed to produce artifacts. Ongoing action research is conducted every semester after all ePortfolios have been defended to understand the experiences of ePortfolio students and advisors and to solicit input and suggestions. The findings have been incorporated in order to improve the process and revise the guidelines

Scaffolding Reflection: Prompting Social Constructive Metacognitive Activity in Non-Formal Learning

The study explores the effects of three different types of non-adaptive, metacognitive scaffolding on social, constructive metacognitive activity and reflection in groups of non-formal learners. Six triads of non-formal learners were assigned randomly to one of the three scaffolding conditions: structuring, problematising or epistemological. The triads were then asked to collaboratively resolve an ill-structured problem and record their deliberations. Evidence from think-aloud protocols was analysed using conversational and discourse analysis. Findings indicate that epistemological scaffolds produced more social, constructive metacognitive activity than either of the two other scaffolding conditions in all metacognitive activities except for task orientation, as well as higher quality interactions during evaluation and reflection phases. However, participants appeared to be less aware of their activities as forming a strategic, self-regulatory response to the problem. This may indicate that for learning transfer, it may be necessary to employ an adaptive, facilitated reflection on learners' activities

Exploring the Relationship Between Self-Regulated Learning and Reflection in Teacher Education

Literature on teacher learning has shown links between being a self-regulated learner, reflecting effectively on one’s own practice, and being described as an “adaptive expert”. For instance, the metacognitive skills needed for effective reflection on teaching practice are seen as critically important to developing adaptive expertise in the context of the highly complex classroom environment. Similarly, self-regulated learning is often defined, at least in part, in terms of using metacognitive skill to adapt one’s approach to complex learning situations or problems. Although there is rich literature on reflective practice in teacher education, less is known about measuring teachers’ self-regulated learning or the relationship between self-regulated learning and teacher reflections. This research examines reflective practice and self-regulated learning through pre-service teachers’ written reflections. The study makes a novel adaptation of a rubric designed to evaluate teacher education candidates’ reflections to measure self-regulated learning. Findings suggest that the rubric could also be useful in understanding the self-regulated practices of teacher education candidates

Fostering medical students' lifelong learning skills with a dashboard, coaching and learning planning.

IntroductionTo develop lifelong learning skills, students need feedback, access to performance data, and coaching. A new medical curriculum incorporated infrastructural supports based on self-regulated learning theory and the Master Adaptive Learner framework to engage students in reflection and learning planning. This study examines students' experience with a performance dashboard, longitudinal coaching, and structured time for goal-setting.MethodsFocus groups with first-year medical students explored performance dashboard usage, coaching and learning planning. We analyzed findings using thematic analysis. Results informed development of a 29-item survey rated strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5) to investigate experience with the dashboard, coaching and learning goals program. The survey was distributed to one first-year medical student class. We performed descriptive statistics and factor analysis.ResultsIn three focus groups with 21 participants, students endorsed using the dashboard to access performance information but had trouble interpreting and integrating information. They valued coaches as sources of advice but varied in their perceptions of the value of discussing learning planning. Of 152 students, 114 (75%) completed the survey. Exploratory factor analysis yielded 5 factors explaining 57% of the variance: learning goals development (α = 0.88; mean 3.25 (standard deviation 0.91)), dashboard usage (α = 0.82; 3.36 (0.64)), coaching (α = 0.71; 3.72 (0.64)), employment of learning strategies (α = 0.81; 3.67 (0.79)), and reflection (α = 0.63; 3.68 (0.64)).DiscussionThe student performance dashboard provides efficient feedback access, yet students' use of this information to guide learning is variable. These results can inform other programs seeking to foster lifelong learning skills

Everyday classroom teaching practices for self-regulated learning

This study investigated everyday classroom teaching that provides opportunities for young adolescent students to self-regulate their learning. Evidence drawn from literature in the field of self-regulated learning (SRL) underpins this investigation that was focused on the transition years from primary school to secondary school. Research was conducted in Australia as dual case studies, with data collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations from eight teacher participants. The data were analysed through the lens of a conceptual framework that aligns the findings with the fundamentals for SRL. The four themes generated are best understood as teaching approaches that describe how teachers within social learning environments connect the goal orientated learning with purposeful engagement, facilitate the activation of thinking strategies through instructional support, and diversify learning opportunities that enable an expectation of success. The findings are illustrated by classroom examples of the core practices that influence students' self-regulatory capacity. An outcome of this research is the SRL model that offers a vision for pedagogy to support teacher professional dialogue and learning, and a practical decision-making tool intended to guide teachers to reflect, analyse and tailor practices for their everyday classroom teaching. The paper concludes with some suggestions that provide scope for future research

Self-regulated learning and knowledge sharing in the workplace

This study explores how experts in a global multinational company self-regulate their learning. It investigates experts‟ perceptions of the impact of knowledge sharing on their learning and work. Findings indicate that self-regulated learning (SRL) is a highly social process that is structured by and deeply integrated with work tasks. Experts tend to draw heavily upon their personal networks of trusted colleagues in the process of diagnosing and attaining their learning goals. In contradiction to existing models, SRL in the workplace does not appear to be a clearly delineated, linear process comprised of discrete stages. Further research is needed to understand tacit practices of SRL in the workplace