Abstract:

This paper offers a reflective analysis of an educational scenario implementation supporting the student’s Self Regulated Learning (SRL). This scenario has been developed in the context of an Erasmus Plus Project, SuperRED, led by University of Florence and aimed at fostering teachers’ learning design (LD) skills to support students' autonomy in managing their learning processes. SuperRED has been conceived starting from the main challenges faced during the remote education during Covid-19 pandemic, related to the low level of digital competences of students and teachers in using digital technologies for teaching and learning (Carretero-Gomez et al., 2021; Ranieri, Gaggioli, Borges, 2020).

This study has been conducted in an italian lower secondary school between March and April 2023, involving a class of 18 students, 10 males and 8 females (age 12-14y, mean 12y). An educational scenario on the theme of Internet Safety has been co-design by teachers and researchers using a digital game specifically developed within the project.

In-class observations have been conducted using an observation grid, constructed based on pre-existing frameworks Community of Inquiry (Garrison et al., 2000) and Zimmermann's SRL model (Zimmermann, 1989). To ensure objectivity and consistency in data interpretation, two researchers independently coded the classroom observations made by a third observer using a dedicated software. In addition, to assess the impact of the learning scenarios, the study utilized pre and post questionnaires, completed by the students, for a direct comparison between students' self-reported perceptions before and after the implementation of the project. The quotations observed captured the contextual nuances and unique classroom dynamics, providing a richer understanding of the impact of the experimentation.

According to the observation grid, teachers foster the students’ SRL competence, especially in the forethought and performance dimensions. In the forethought dimension, teachers focused on the aspects related to the sharing of learning objectives, activating the prior knowledge, supporting students in selecting the content of learning. In the performance dimension, teachers provided emotional/motivational support for students during the learning activities, while not focusing on other aspects such as monitoring time during the task’s activities or encouraging students to make choices aimed at avoiding distractions. Interestingly, no aspects of the self-reflection phase have been supported. The data from questionnaires highlights that comprehension of the learning objectives is generally high among students, pointing to the effectiveness of teachers' communication strategies. However, the feedback also underscores that during the usual class lessons they often felt a lack of say in shaping the activities. While during the scenario they experienced a flexibility in content selection, indicating a student-centric approach to learning. Yet, marrying this flexibility with the need for more student input in the decision-making process can further enhance the learning experience.

These promising results suggest that a strategic and well-integrated use of innovative tools, combined with a collaborative approach, can indeed enhance SRL among students. Therefore the SuperRED project represents a significant contribution to the ongoing efforts to equip students with the necessary skills to manage their learning effectively.

Keywords:

Learning Design, Self-Regulated Learning, Digital Technologies, Learning scenarios.