How can self-regulated learning be encouraged in higher education?

The step-by-step approach to SRL is not innate: it has to be consciously trained. Only through learning can students decide which strategies are best used in any given context to achieve a goal. Teachers therefore play an important role in this process. Research shows that SRL progresses more smoothly in a learning environment that deliberately supports it (Butler & Schnellert, 2015). This means that SRL always develops in a context involving other people.

SRL is not a general skill acquired once and then to be applied everywhere: for example, just because a student masters French grammar and applies it in written exercises doesn’t mean that they also manage to apply these rules while speaking. SRL also requires expert knowledge. A student who needs to make a design of a robot should know all about the robot's components. Just as for the teacher, where there is also no one-size-fits-all approach. Some students work more independently than others, so this should be taken into account. SRL therefore works best when offered in the context of the subject area itself and is tailored to the learner(s). ​ ​

Many students have learning strategies, including those from their secondary education, but they don’t always apply them. As a teacher, you can provide a tool, but a student must eventually be able to manage without this guiding hand. For example, when you do your first group work, you can include how much time students should allow for each section. After that, in any future group work, you can have students estimate out loud how much time they should allow and then briefly discuss their estimate. This is how SRL is seen as a gradual process from teacher-driven to learner-driven. The student should eventually be able to use the strategy, without the tools still being provided.

Because SRL is a gradual process, its development requires the support of an entire teaching team.

• Build knowledge about SRL together. Talk about it with each other. To what extent do you think it makes sense to focus on SRL with your students?

• Identify which strategies are important for your students. Give guidelines.

• Assess your students' level of SRL. Does a particular group or part of the group need extra guidance? How can you identify this?

• Within a study programme, consider a learning trajectory in SRL where you initially offer more tools and phase them out. What goal do you want to achieve with a particular group? For example, in the first year, students are given information about SRL in group work and are provided with various tools. In subsequent years, these tools will only be used with those student groups which need them. Eventually, students should be able to work independently in groups.

Familiarise your students with the process of SRL and expand their knowledge of strategies. In doing so, use the WWWH (WoW What Handy!) rule (Van Harsel, 2024). For example, in self-monitoring: What is the strategy of self-monitoring? Why is this strategy important in this context? When is it best to monitor yourself? How do you monitor yourself?

Incorporate SRL into your approach to teaching. Suppose you want students to make a mind map: demonstrate the strategy, remind students to use the strategy, question them on their use of the strategy or provide targeted feedback on the use of the strategy. In addition, it is of course crucial to also create practice opportunities to use the strategies taught and to allow them to become second nature.

• Provide time for familiarisation
  Set clear criteria for a task or exam, for example: answer in full sentences, give an example from current events each time, note down all intermediate steps. Go through these criteria with your students beforehand in class. Remind them to keep these criteria handy and reread them during their work.

• Ask follow-up questions when a student asks a question about the approach
  We tend to say what a student should do. But what works for you doesn’t necessarily work for the student. Moreover, this also means the student doesn’t learn how to shape their own actions. If you notice that a student has little self-regulation, then giving them concrete tips is a good idea. If you want to phase out this external control, asking questions is the easiest way. How would you get started on this?, How will you do that in practice?, etc. Keep asking until you notice the learner gets stuck. Only then do you provide guidance.

• Ask students about their preparation
  Students sometimes tend to dive straight in. During the lesson, ask some students to tell you deatails of their plan of action and direct them if/when necessary. Possible questions to ask here are: What’s your goal?, How will you achieve this?, How much time will you spend on that part?, etc.

• Use the board for modelling
  You can also model self-regulated learning and the use of strategies yourself during the lesson. You can do this out loud, even in a packed lecture hall. Also modelling metacognitive strategies is interesting in this situation. For example, demonstrate on the board how to figure out a structure for a writing assignment. In doing so, talk students through your thought process. ‘What do I already know about this?’ (jot down your thoughts), ‘In what order am I going to organise this information?’ (jot down figures, etc), and so on. Or write an exercise on the board and say, ‘I’ve got so far in the exercise, but what exactly was asked again?’ or ‘Is this result realistic?’ or ‘Maybe I should check this with a fellow student, anyway.’  Or ‘Maybe I should check with the teacher if I understood correctly’. At the start of an assignment, show two good examples from the assignments from a previous year. Ask why these are good examples.

• Provide opportunities for monitoring the learning process
  To adjust their own learning behaviour, students need to be able to check to what extent they’ve already achieved the learning objectives. To help them, you  can offer exercises with an answer key, do a short online or classroom quiz, or organise peer feedback on a first draft of a text (see also ECHO teaching tip, 2024).

• Promote self-reflection
  For a student, completing a task or exam often equates to the end of the learning process, and this means no reflection takes place. Therefore, regularly integrate reflection into the assignment. Reflection can be individual (the student reflects on their own work), through peer feedback (the student goes over a task or mistakes made in conversation with another student) and/or feedback from the teacher (the teacher gives written or oral feedback). Make sure to provide detailed guiding questions for this. Ask the student what went well or not so well, as well as what they would do differently in the future.

A learning outcome is determined not only by the extent to which a student is strong in self-regulated learning (SRL), but also by their motivation. Moreover, motivation and SRL influence each other. The lower the student’s ability to self-regulate their learning, the more a student benefits from structure and predictability to stay motivated. For instance, a clear layout of a course, a clear overview of criteria for a task, or the way a didactic video is designed to keep attention can influence the motivation to use the material effectively. The amount of choice within group work is also important. It should be tailored to the students' level of SRL. This way they feel competent to take on this responsibility, which in turn increases their level of motivation. It can also be more motivating to start from a relevant problem statement than from a mere theoretical fact. For example, you could replace the assignment ‘By next lesson, prepare the theory on the t-test’ with ‘It’s often said that girls are better at acquiring a language than boys, but is this true? By next week, consider how you could test this based on study results.’
The authenticity of an assignment also increases motivation and consequently SRL development: does the student associate with and feel involved in the content of an assignment?

Self-directed learning does not mean doing everything BY YOURSELF. Seeking help is also a strategy within SRL. Once a student realises they need extra help, you can encourage them to take appropriate steps.

For example, if a student doesn’t quite understand a chapter, you can suggest watching a YouTube video so that they hear someone else’s explanation. You can also provide a forum where students can help each other or you can organise a Q&A session specifically for students wanting more answers. If necessary, incorporate a moment into your lesson to listen to questions that students may have had during their preparation for the lesson.

Give more guidance for those who aren’t able to do something and less guidance for those who are able, otherwise this will lead to frustration among the latter group. Students who aren’t able to reflect well on their own work, for example, benefit from asking for help. If students do reflect well, they will actually feel that asking for help is a hindrance. So allow students to have autonomy in their actions. For example, if you ask students to convert a text to a diagram, some won’t be capable. You can then provide, online, an instructional video showing how to make a diagram as reference. You then don't have to explain to the whole group. You could also give a lecture to groups that need it, giving practical steps for how they (if they choose) can organise their group work. Or, during group work, you could have students start by identifying their individual strengths (e.g. planning, text editing, layout). Then let them discuss how the group can best showcase these strengths. For specific needs or coaching, students can also contact Student services and advice, the Tutoring service of your faculty (Mentoraat in Dutch) or the Monitoraat op Maat.

Build on what the student can do, but also challenge them to take the next step, moving from teacher control to student control. For example, ask yourself whether you provide students with a roadmap for a project or whether students are already able to create it themselves. Consider whether you provide concrete aims together with an assignment or whether students might be able to formulate these aims themselves.

Fellow students, i.e. peers, can play an important role in developing self-regulated learning. For example, you could have students orally model on the board during a practice session for students who still need a lot of external guidance. Or you could have a stronger student share their experience about their study method. You can bring in some master students during the first sessions of group work for the bachelor dissertation. Give master students info in advance about self-regulated learning (external guidance, modelling, asking questions, etc). Let the groups choose whether they want to use this support from peer tutors. Also consider asking master students to compile possible exam questions in a shared document. Let them know that you’ll select one of these questions for the exam. ​