DISCUSSION FORUMS ON CONCEPTS RELATED TO SELF-REGULATION Discussion Question: From a behavioral theory perspective, Schunk explains that self-regulation

involves choosing among different behaviors and deferring immediate reinforcement in favor of delayed, and usually greater, reinforcement. People self-regulate their behaviors by initially deciding which behaviors to regulate. They then establish discriminative stimuli for their occurrence, provide self-instruction as needed, and monitor their performances to determine whether the desired behavior occurs. This phase often involves self-recording the frequency or duration of behavior. When a desirable behavior occurs, people administer self-reinforcement (Schunk, p. 401, 2012). With this information at hand: 1. As a student, how have you incorporated the three key subprocesses of self-regulation (self-monitoring, self-instruction, and self-reinforcement) for the last 14 weeks of the semester in your Psychology of Learning online class? 2. Throughout your experience as a graduate student, what learning strategies have helped you become a more integral self-regulated individual? Reference: Schunk, D. H. (2012). Learning theories: An educational perspective (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Adam, I appreciate the practicality and simplicity of your question. I recently developed an assignment for my Academic Strategies class that allows students to put into practice the three phases of the cyclical process of self-regulation. The objective of the assignment is to give students an opportunity to actively work with the material learned in an Academic Strategies class, and to produce fluency and transfer of use by conducting an oral presentation. The Academic Strategies class orients students to TCC campuses and college services, and requires students to analyze and apply study techniques and behavior patterns essential to college success. One of the study techniques involves teaching students how to communicate for success inside and outside the classroom setting. Below are the actual instructions I provided to my students for preparation of their oral presentation: During the forethought phase, students are required to perform a 5-7 minute presentation that illustrates a process or technique (academic strategy) that aids success in college or life. These topics may include instructions for creating an effective PowerPoint, a reading or notetaking technique, a time management or goal-setting strategy, as well as career information and/or tips pertaining to job interviews and application processes. The topic may be one not covered in class, or it may be a new twist to a technique we have studied. Students are required to share new information with the group, minimizing information about their topic that we have already discussed in class or assigned in readings. Pursuing this further, during the performance or volitional control phase students have an opportunity to investigate a study technique they know little about or to share a technique that works well for them with other classmates. Independent study creates involvement in the class and a deeper connection with the course content. Presenting in front of a class also helps students

develop oral communication skills which are critical to future employment opportunities. This performance phase, as stated by Schunk, involves processes that occur during learning and affect attention and action (Schunk, p. 411, 2012). Research indicates that students learn best when they enjoy what they do and when they find a connection between the new concepts being learned and what they have learned in previous experiences. For this activity, I reinforce the idea of being creative and using humor as a means of increasing the students opportunities to evaluate their learning progress (Schunk, 2012). As I was developing this assignment, I kept thinking about the different attributions described by the Goal Theory as it pertains to motivation. Schunk (2012) states that learning goals focus students on processes and strategies that help them acquire capabilities and improve their skills. The task focus motivates behaviors and directs and sustains attention on task aspects that are critical for learning. [] Perceived progress in skill acquisition and self-efficacy for continued learning sustain motivation and enhance skillful performance (Schunk, p. 412, 2012). To enhance skillful performance students are required to keep in mind the following items throughout their presentation: Introduction Time restrictions Rich content: This presentation should provide the audience with concrete tips that will help each member be successful in life or in school. Students should think of this activity as a process presentation, listing how-to details and/or step-by-step instructions for completing a technique or strategy. Engage class: students are required to do some activity in their presentation that includes class involvement. Speakers may have students role-play using the technique being

discussed, call classmates to the front for a demonstration, or they may ask others to do a quick-write at the beginning of the presentation. Use of visual aids Provide a handout or an electronic version of the topic including a short essay summarizing the presentation. Students get the opportunity to earn a good score by simply following instructions and by including each of the items described above. Schunk (2012) asserts that telling students that they will earn rewards based on what they accomplish instills a sense of self-efficacy for learning (p. 411). Their score is complemented as they write a paragraph explaining their experience, including obstacles faced and the college resources they used in working with this activity (selfreflection phase). I also require participants to provide a method to check their classmates comprehension. For instance, students can provide a facts-check question or two at the end of the presentation or one scenario question in which students must apply the new information learned. Those that voluntarily participate are eligible to earn two extra-credit points that will be added to their presentation final score. As a final note, Schunk (2012) validates that having students self-monitor their performance and evaluate their capabilities or progress in learning makes it clear that they have become more competent, and this perception strengthens self-efficacy and enhances self-regulated learning efforts (p. 413).

Reference: Schunk, D. H. (2012). Learning theories: An educational perspective (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Shoko, I liked the way you connected Chapter 9 to your behaviors as a self-regulated individual. In your post I was able to visualize the different steps that are followed in constructing and implementing learning strategies. You explained that before you start reading a chapter, you identify the number of pages that each chapter contains. I see this as the analysis stage in which self-regulated individuals identify a learning goal and important task aspects that pertain to the goal. I can see that you are a very dedicated student that likes to plan ahead and completes assignments on or before the deadlines (affective learning techniques). Self-regulated learners believe acquisition of proficiency is a strategically controllable process and accept responsibility for their achievement outcome (Schunk, 2012). [] Self-regulated learners are metacognitively aware of strategic relations between self-regulatory processes and learning outcomes, feel selfefficacious about using strategies, and have academic goals of learning (Schunk, 2012). This statement can be exemplified with the different actions that you take as you work on any written assignments. I was able to follow your plan and found how you structure your papers in the brainstorming/outlining stage of the writing process quite creative (plan). Pursuing this further, I noticed that for this weeks readings, you were able to employ tactics to enhance not only your learning process memory (Schunk, 2012), but the learning process of your classmates in general. In your reply to Adams post, you devised a plan that you wish to incorporate once you become a classroom facilitator (implement). I firmly believe that your students will relate to your instructional design given that you will be sharing with them your personal experience as a student that once took Math. Throughout this semester, we all have been receiving positive feedback/constructive criticism from Dr. Vaneman. During the presentation of your case analysis, Dr. Vaneman invited you to keep tutoring your niece and

encouraged both you and your nieces mom to read Dweck's book on mindsets as a means of improving self-efficacy and to give both of you strategies to provide appropriate praise to encourage learning rather than performance. Feedback is a helpful tool that can help individuals assess goal progress to determine how well tactics are working (monitor and modify) (Schunk, 2012). As the semester comes to an end, it is important to stop for a minute and evaluate the growth of our metacognitive knowledge. You mentioned that at the beginning of the semester you did not have a clear understanding of how to define self-regulation. As I read your discussion question, I see how you demonstrated transference of skills by defining self-regulation using your personal experience, which correlates with the Constructivist assumption of self-regulation in that understanding always goes beyond the information given (Schunk, 2012).

Reference: Schunk, D. H. (2012). Learning theories: An educational perspective (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.