Nurturing Self-Regulated Learners through Authentic Assessments Seah-Tay Hui Yong

Nurturing Self-Regulated Learners through Authentic Assessments Context Why Self-Regulated Learning? Why Authentic Assessment? Study: Method & Data Analysis Key Findings Implications Feedback

Knowledge becoming rapidly obsolete due to fast changing technologies Ambiguous job scope Rapid pace of social change A future where we can’t predict the problems, let alone provide answers and solutions Learners capable of thinking for themselves “their own solutions to whatever new problems they may face” in an increasingly uncertain future (Goh, 1997) Context

a confident person a self-directed learner an active contributor a concerned citizen Desired Outcomes of Education:

What is Self-regulated Learning? “ The degree to which students are metacognitively, motivationally, and behaviourally active participants in their own learning ” (Zimmerman, 1986)

What is Self-regulated Learning? P B E Reciprocal causation among three determinants of SRL (Schunk, Pintrich & Meece, 2008). Behaviour Environment Personal

What are Authentic Assessments? Activities that facilitate SRL involve Open-task structures in open- ended environments; Complexity; Autonomy; Collaborative work.

Link between SRL and Authentic Assessments Authentic Assessments give students the opportunity for contextual control and regulation, i.e., to exercise SRL gives the learner the will and skill to make sense of the feedback from the context so as to exploit the authentic assessment for learning SRL

Link between SRL and Authentic Assessments 1. What differences are there in students ’ use of self-regulated learning between a conventional paper-and-pen task and an authentic assessment task? 2. Specifically, what differences are there in forethought, performance control and self-reflection phases?

Link between SRL and Authentic Assessments Performance Phase Self-control Self-instruction Imagery Attention focusing Task strategies Self-observation Metacognitive monitoring Self-recording Performance Phase Self-control Self-instruction Imagery Attention focusing Task strategies Self-observation Metacognitive monitoring Self-recording Forethought Phase Task Analysis Goal setting Strategic planning Self-motivation Beliefs Self-efficacy Outcome expectations Intrinsic interest / value Goal orientation Forethought Phase Task Analysis Goal setting Strategic planning Self-motivation Beliefs Self-efficacy Outcome expectations Intrinsic interest / value Goal orientation Self-reflection Phase Self-judgement Self-evaluation Casual attribution Self-reaction Self-satisfaction Adaptive / defensive Self-reflection Phase Self-judgement Self-evaluation Casual attribution Self-reaction Self-satisfaction Adaptive / defensive Phases and subprocesses of self-regulation (Zimmerman, 2008)

Research Design Paper-pen assessment task Authentic assessment task SRL questionnaire QUANTITATIVEQUALITATIVE Interviews of unique cases A B C D Research Questions 1and 2 Authentic assessment task Paper-pen assessment task Research Question 3 SRL questionnaire Classes

Paper-and-Pen task : Evaluate arguments of given text Provide own input through personal insight and apt illustration Support own stand with well-developed explanations Research Design

Authentic Assessment Task: Choose one online news article Critique the chosen article and post the critique in online forum Feedback and critique by other readers Research Design

Self-report questionnaire: 5-point Likert scale Items cover the motivational, metacognitive and behavioural aspects of SRL Items based on Zimmerman and Martinez-Pons (2004) SRL cyclical model Instrument

Research Design Paper-pen assessment task Authentic assessment task SRL questionnaire QUANTITATIVEQUALITATIVE Interviews of unique cases A B C D Research Questions 1 and 2 Authentic assessment task Paper-pen assessment task Research Question 3 SRL questionnaire Classes

Research Design How did the following factors facilitate or hinder the students’ use of self- regulated learning : –the real life setting –the school setting –student control (with respect to choice of material) –student’s ability to self-assess.

Key Findings Small difference in favour of authentic task More interesting findings in the individual phases

Key Findings Forethought Phase: More self-regulated - Motivationally – Meaningful contexts - Metacognitively and behaviourally- Prior Knowledge

Key Findings Performance Phase: Metacognitive difference in SRL: - Real time context - Real time feedback

Self-reflection phase: - Self-generated feedback - Facilitated self- evaluation Key Findings

Reacts to personal factors Self- efficacy and self- assessment Implications for teachers P B E Behaviour EnvironmentPersonal Engagement because of real life connection and choice Seeks feedback Effect from school setting and time constraints

Implications for teachers P E Environment Personal Engagement because of real life connection and choice Tap on the cognitive and emotional connection to the task

Reacts to personal factors Self- efficacy Implications for teachers P B Behaviour Personal Greater engagement  Greater self- efficacy  Greater ownership

Seeks feedback Self- assessment Implications for teachers* P B E Behaviour Environment Personal Real life context gives accessible and timely feedback to help learners evaluate own progress *Need to support weaker learners

Implications for teachers B E Behaviour Environment Effect from school setting and time constraints Effect of -Emphasis on being a reflective learner -Time constraints

Implications on Policy Assessment High stakes exam conditions do not offer context for students to exercise SR strategies. School grades should signal the kinds of Knowledge Economy capacities that employers value.

Implications on Policy Authentic assessments involve skills and dispositions that provide a sound basis for learning in the long term.

Implications for researchers More research needed on each phase. Indications that Self-reflection phase plays a bigger role in SRL, given the current research and literature that argue the importance of post- assessment effects.

Limitations Study was designed to enhance transferability by - ensuring methodological standards (Falk & Guenther, 2007) - making logical inferences based on evidence to form analytic generalisations (Yin, 2006) Limited by the characteristics of the participants and the context of the setting as a whole.

Conclusion Understanding of 2 key phenomena : Self-Regulated Learning and Authentic Assessments. Relevance to all who seek to develop self- regulated learners with the capacities needed for the 21 st century.

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