Fostering Agency in
Learning

Ideas

IDEA #8: Metacognition & Self-Regulation

"Self-regulated learning is not an innate ability, but rather a skill set that can be developed to help students direct themselves through the process of learning. … Self-regulation allows students to become less reactive and more proactive in their learning."
—MIT Teaching + Learning Lab

Learning Intentions

In higher education, there is more autonomy and less supervision than there was in secondary education; with a 1:2 ratio of in-class work to independent work. Providing the tools and modeling for them how to practice self-regulation and metacognition will give them the chance to develop the skills necessary for independent learning.

Modeling Metacognition and Self-Regulation

  1. Break down an assignment as an example.
  2. Walk students through your thinking process.
  3. Explain how you made mistakes, problem-solved, and altered the course of your process.
  4. Identify different strategies that students could use.
  5. Discuss how strategies can be implemented and reflect on their effectiveness.

Provide Tools for Self-Regulation

  • Divide assignments into sub-steps.
  • Provide due dates in advance, including for each step.
  • Provide time estimates for assignments.
  • Encourage the use of organizers, such as calendars or checklists.
  • Have students preview material before discussing it in class to activate prior knowledge.
  • Have students record their decision-making and reflections throughout projects.

Prompt Students

Encouraging metacognition and self-regulation involves prompting students rather than telling them how they are learning.

  • Ask students to check their work for alignment to assignment criteria.
  • Ask students what strategies they employed to learn or do something.
  • Ask students if there might be a better strategy to apply, and why.
  • Ask students to try several strategies and compare the results.
  • Ask students to include their strategic process as part of the assignment.

Resources