Assimilation of technology in every sector has greatly improved the services provided. In education, it has led to the development of online learning platforms that have helped conquer geographical barriers. In the wake of the covid-19 pandemic, many education institutions have incorporated virtual learning platforms. This new learning environment raises the need for the learners to become self-regulated in their learning and behavior. Learners should manage their learning processes in online environments without in-person teacher support. In an online learning environment, I would teach the 9-12 grade levels.
The learners in 9-12 grade levels have an increased ability in personal decision-making as they can postpone immediate pleasures to gain desired long-term goals. In an online environment, many distractions may influence learners' self-regulations. In addition, asynchronous online learning environments can be extremely challenging and overwhelming for students (Ormrod et al., 2020). The age group also has many skills and knowledge that help them navigate online learning platforms. Therefore, I need to be aware of the unique features of online learning platforms to help my students self-regulate. I could use several strategies to help my students’ self-regulated skills grow.
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The first strategy that I would use is collaboration, which would promote positive social interaction through the social space. I can achieve this by setting up online discussion boards where students reflect on their learning and receive feedback from their instructor and peers. In addition, participating in the discussion boards ensures the student will actively engage with the course content rather than passively observing instructions (Carter et al., 2020). The second strategy would be motivating the learners by connecting instruction to students' interests. It also involves providing timely responses to students' questions, using positive words and suggestions on improving an assignment (Carter et al., 2020). This strategy would help the students develop a sense of ownership over the learning process and encourage them to assess their learning progress.
Additionally, I would advise my learners to set achievable goals. This strategy would help improve their timing in completing the required course or topic on time. Setting goals improves asynchronous online learning as it enables students to complete their work based on their own time as soon as possible. Lastly, I would remind students of the distractions they face in online learning. The use of technology to learn provides a distraction to students' self-regulations. Reminding them of these distractions will help them avoid them by using the same technology to block temporarily the platforms that are not needed during a class. Furthermore, in an online learning platform, learners' self-regulation can mostly be achieved through motivation. Often, learners’ motivation is reflected in their investment and their cognitive and behavioral engagement in certain activities. There are different theories developed concerning motivation, such as self-determination.
Self-determination theory gives the reasons why learners might engage deeply in certain activities. The theorist stated that people have additional needs that include the need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Ormrod et al., 2020). The need for autonomy creates the desire of learners to pursue activities by themselves. Therefore, students needing autonomy are likely to be motivated during class activities. The need for competence makes the learners believe they are good at dealing with their environment effectively. Students spend more time exploring and gaining mastery of various activities to achieve a sense of competence. Based on relatedness, the learners need to feel socially connected to and have the love and respect from their peers. It helps establish a sense of belonging to a particular group or school.
The main ideas from the self-determination theory are autonomy, competence, and relatedness. I could use several strategies to maintain students' engagement and motivation in online platforms. First, to enhance autonomy, I could preset instructions during the class in an informative way rather than a controlling manner. Also, I could provide opportunities for independent work and decision-making through application papers and online discussion boards(Ormrod et al., 2020). Second, I could help the learners achieve genuine success based on competence by giving them timely feedback on their progress and answering their questions in depth (Ormrod et al., 2020). Lastly, I could encourage the students to collaborate in assignments and discussion boards to attain a sense of relatedness. In addition, I could develop a good student-teacher relationship that promotes the student's academic performance.
The inclusion of technology in learning institutions will be a great way to ensure continuity of education amidst the pandemic. As teachers, we are tasked with developing strategies that will motivate and increase the quality of learning through the platforms. Therefore, developing an effective self-regulation culture for students will create successful online learning platforms.
References
Carter, R. A., et al. (2020). Self-regulated learning in online learning environments: Strategies for remote learning. Information and Learning Sciences , 121 (5/6), 321-329. https://doi.org/10.1108/ils-04-2020-0114
Ormrod, J. E., Anderman, L. H., & Anderman, E. M. (2020). Educational psychology: Developing learners (10th ed.). Pearson.
