Designers Should Provide Support by Promoting
Steven McGee, Bruce Howard, & Lisa Ann Scott
Copyright © 2001.
What is self-regulated
Similar to lifelong learning,
which encompasses a wide range of generally applicable knowledge and
skills, self-regulated learning simply means that students engage
in learning strategies that help them to take charge of their own
academic learning. For example, the problem-solving skills that students
acquire in independent science research are also useful in other academic
areas. Self-regulated learners not only engage in sophisticated learning
strategies (e.g., planning, setting goals, monitoring progress, and
self-evaluation), but they are also aware of the relative effectiveness
of learning strategies for different situations (Zimmerman, 1990).
Howard, McGee, Shia, and Hong (2000) identified five
learning strategies that self-regulated learners use in a problem-solving
context: (1) Problem representation. They seek to understand the nature
of a research question before proceeding with an investigation. (2)
Knowledge of cognition. They are aware of the mental operations required
to effectively engage in an investigation. (3) Subtask monitoring.
They break an investigation into subtasks and actively manage the
completion of each one. (4) Evaluation of subtasks. They evaluate
the execution of each subtask to ensure that it has been done correctly.
(5) Objectivity. They reflect on the relative effectiveness of various
learning strategies and take steps to improve them.
Why is promoting self-regulated
- Self-regulated learning leads to more effective
When students face complex, unfamiliar tasks, their ability to use
self-regulated learning strategies is a significant predictor of problem-solving
performance (Schwartz, Andersen, Howard, Hong, & McGee, 1998;
Shin, Jonassen, & McGee, in press).
- Self-regulated learning is particularly
useful for low-achieving students.
Research has shown that low-achieving students who use self-regulated
learning strategies are able to perform as well as, or better than,
their higher-achieving peers on problem-solving tasks (Howard, McGee,
Shia, & Hong, 2001; Swanson, 1990; White & Fredericksen, 1998).
How does a designer promote
- Provide reflective prompts for students during
Guided questioning (King, 1994) and reciprocal teaching (Palincsar
& Brown, 1984) both teach students a self-questioning learning
strategy. In each approach students are provided generic question-stems
that prompt them to self-check their understanding of the material.
Both lead to greater conceptual understanding, foster comprehension,
and build connections with prior knowledge. White and Frederiksen
(1998) describe an approach that teaches students to use a reflective
assessment learning strategy during investigations. Students are provided
with prompts throughout the investigation to help them assess their
understanding of the science as well as their ability to do the science,
communicate the science, and engage in teamwork. Use of these prompts
leads to greater understanding of the inquiry process and more positive
attitudes toward science.
- Strike a balance between action and reflection.
Students view the task of responding to a series of generic prompts
as repetitive and unnecessary (White & Frederiksen, 1998). Developers
must exercise creativity and variety in the prompts they use. They
should use prompts only at important transition points in the inquiry
process. Meanwhile, teachers should be encouraged to help students
see the benefit of the reflection initiated by such prompts.
Howard, B. C., McGee, S., Shia, R., & Hong, N. S.
(2000, April). Metacognitive self-regulation and problem-solving: Expanding
the theory base through factor analysis. Paper presented at the annual
meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans,
LA. Retrieved from http://www.cet.edu/research/papers.html.
Howard, B. C., McGee, S., Shia, R., Hong, N. S. (2001,
April). The influence of metacognitive self-regulation and ability levels
on problem solving. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American
Educational Research Association, Seattle, WA. Retrieved from http://www.cet.edu/research/papers.html.
King, A. (1994). Guiding knowledge construction in the
classroom: Effects of teaching children how to question and how to explain.
American Educational Research Journal, 31(2), 338-368.
Palincsar, A. S., & Brown, A. (1984). Reciprocal
teaching of comprehension-fostering and comprehension-monitoring activities.
Cognition and Instruction, 1, 117-175.
Schwartz, N. H., Andersen, C. A., Howard, B. C., Hong,
N., & McGee, S. (1998, April). The influence of configurational
knowledge on children's problem-solving performance in a hypermedia
environment. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational
Research Association, San Diego, CA. Retrieved from http://www.cet.edu/research/papers.html.
Shin, N., Jonassen, H. D., & McGee, S. (in press).
Predictors of well-structured and ill-structured problem solving in
an astronomy simulation. Journal of Research in Science Teaching.
Swanson, H. L. (1990). Influence of metacognitive knowledge
and aptitude on problem solving. Journal of Educational Psychology,
White, B. Y., & Frederiksen, J. R. (1998). Inquiry,
modeling, and metacognition: Making science accessible to all students.
Cognition and Instruction, 16(1), 3-118.
Zimmerman, B. J. (1990). Self-regulated learning and
academic achievement: An overview. Educational Psychologist, 25(1),