RECONTEXTUALIZING METATEXTUAL KNOWLEDGE AND TEXT STRUCTURE FEATURES IN SELF-REGULATED LEARNING AND ONLINE COMPREHENSION

Despite advanced and evolving research on the complex strategic decision-making demanded of successful online 21st century learners, many individuals lack requisite knowledge and skills to enact effective strategies, to make inferences, or to engage in self-testing. Researchers across theories and disciplines (e.g., New Literacies, Educational Psychology, and Multiple Source Use) have captured the complex intersection of cognition, metacognition, and motivation associated with learning online. Notably, few researchers have integrated traditional literacy elements related to the structure and function of texts with research on online learning. In particular, there is a need to integrate self-regulated learning literature with research on metatextual knowledge and knowledge of text types and structural features, within online learning environments. In this study, I applied think-aloud protocol data analysis to examine how metatextual knowledge and self-regulated learning processes related to online comprehension. Using 53 university participants, I explored the following: what kinds of metatextual knowledge were displayed during a complex online science task, the relationship between metatextual knowledge and learning gain, and how self-regulated learning processing varied across text types (e.g., argumentation, refutation). Results indicated the following: (a) learners enacted different processes related to structural and organizational functions of text (b) frequency of use of bold headings statistically significantly related to learning, and (c) a combination of metatextual variables, such as using headings to determine the expectation of the adequacy of content, and noticing lists, statistically significantly related to learning. Further, participants statistically significantly differed in their frequency of self-regulated learning processes (e.g., planning, monitoring, and strategy use) across different text types. Findings from this study align with previous traditional literacy research showing the awareness of structural components of text types related to learners’ ability to organize information into main ideas that aid comprehension (Akhondi, Malayeri, & Samad, 2011; Dymock, 2000; Roehling, Hebert, Nelson, & Bohaty, 2017; Wijeckumar, Meyer & Rei, 2012), retention, and recall (Richgels, McGee, Lomax & Shield, 1987). Results implicated potential avenues for more research, including continued exploration of self-regulated learning processes and strategies related to different text types and structural components of online learning. In addition, this study further illustrated the utility of think-aloud protocols as an approach to understanding self-regulated learning in context.Doctor of Educatio