Computer support for self-regulated student learning in individual project-based settings

Abstract

Higher education increasingly emphasises the importance of learner self-regulation and autonomy. Self-regulated learners are active participants in their own learning and employ strategies for sustaining motivation, metacognitive thinking, and self-monitoring. This work identifies four central aspects which are investigated in an individual project based learning setting, namely motivation, time management, progress awareness, and monitoring. Monitoring is the key driver of learner self-regulation. Time management has proven to enhance perceived control over time, health, and academic achievement. Progress awareness supports learner self-observation and self-evaluation. Finally, monitoring is the process of generating feedback both internally (own feedback) and externally (from others). In this work, a 17-week quasi-experimental study involving 378 participants was conducted, preceded by a less successful trial. The study employed a web-based monitoring system, combined with a monitoring scheme in the context of Master of Science (MSc) summer projects in the School of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton, implementing a set of features for each learning aspect. In the monitoring scheme, monitors met with groups of students weekly to monitor project progress.

Feedback was submitted online by students, monitors, and supervisors. It is shown that there are positive and significant relationships between feature use and weekly student progress and motivation ratings, and also with their dissertation mark. This suggests that some system features enhanced student self-motivation beliefs, self observation, and self-reflection. Also, features were ranked as to their impact on student self-regulated learning, and a narrative case study exploring processes behind the effects is provided. High impact features were graphical student progress visualisations, a ranking table, the virtual project page listing past feedback and providing project management tools, and weekly progress feedback. Evidence for between-monitor effects on student dissertation mark as well as system use and successful system support for information exchange is also presented. The contribution of this thesis is novel and noteworthy since it (1) shows the effects of web-based monitoring features on self-regulated learning, (2) shows how features can be used for implementing principles of good practice, and (3) draws on the effect of monitors in the context of this study.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Thanassis Tiropanis: orcid.org/0000-0002-6195-2852

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