Using Metacognitive Prospection to Understand, Promote, and Assess Undergraduates’ Self-Regulated Learning Strategies

Abstract

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is a beneficial skill for college students to develop and is an important step on the path to lifelong learning. Instructional techniques like flipping the classroom and project-based learning are proven to foster SRL, but wholescale transformation of traditional lecture and discussion-based courses is not always feasible or desirable. This article introduces metacognitive prospection, an easy-to-use instructional method for fostering and applying SRL skills, and reports on the results of using the technique across four sections of an introductory-level college course at a small, liberal arts college. Results indicate that students exposed to this technique are able to identify weaknesses in their learning behaviors and develop effective adaptations for future learning, with nearly half indicating they will employ agentic learning strategies in the future.