Abstract:

Self-regulated learning is an approach to learning that is typically observed among and undertaken by expert, as opposed to novice learners. By definition it involves not only an ability of the learners to manage and regulate their learning, but it also entails learners having a good grasp of the self and exhibiting good self-awareness and self-management. Awareness of the self regards awareness of the learners abilities and aptitudes, strengths and weaknesses, values, motivations and persuasions. With the self-awareness as the starting block, learners also need to have clear learning goals, linked to clear strategies for attaining those goals, access to resources that support the attainment of the goals, and an assessment mechanism with an explicit feedback loop into the learning process. Self-regulated learning, as an approach to learning is seldom instituted nor encouraged as the learning strategy for most educational institutions, from primary to tertiary level. The bulk of the self-regulated learning is observed within the personal professional development sphere, which is typically accompanied by a level of learning maturity where the learning goals are clear and the high motivation for attainment of those goals is coupled by an ability to access the necessary resources towards the achievement of those goals. In the majority of tertiary and higher education institutions, teaching and learning is directed, managed and regulated by the lecturers. This umbrella approach to teaching and learning typically misses out on the student-focus, student-orientation and student-sensitivity that is necessary within the education space.

The recent developments in learning technologies and in particular personal learning technologies, lend support towards effective self-regulated learning. This is typically through enabling the learners access to learning material and resources. Other technological tools allow for the improved management of the learning process, and yet others afford the students an ability to reflect on the learning process – which according to John Dewey is the critical step in the education process. This ability to reflect on and assess the learning undertaken is a critical step within any education system and learning assessment can be a complicated process, which according to Fink needs to be aligned to the learning goals and approaches.

In this research we present our intervention in incorporating Temporaly-framed Expertise Assessment (TEA) as a tool for augmenting self-regulated learning within the context of a higher education institution in South Africa. TEA introduces a novel approach to assessment where the threshold for for success is the demonstration of skills and mastery of the subject at the level of an expert, notwithstanding the time that it takes to achieve that mastery level. The preliminary evaluation of this approach suggests that TEA can provide the necessary feedback loop to support self-regulated learning by the students.

Keywords:

Self-regulated learning, assessment, temporaly-framed expertise assessment.