Learn more about the research on Unlocking First Generation Student Success below! ... View more

Learn more about the research on Goal Setting and Reflection Surveys below! ... View more

Planning falls into the forethought phase of self-regulated learning (SRL), where a learner is responsible for setting goals for a task, identifying critical features of a task and planning strategies accordingly. Setting task-specific goals allows students to have a self-generated criterion against which to assess, monitor, and guide their learning. Identifying the critical features of a task allows students the opportunity to first search their memory for relevant prior knowledge before they begin, as well as judge the relevance of the task and how easy or difficult it will be to accomplish. This sets the stage for recognizing what learning strategies they can use, how these strategies can be performed, and when and why to use them. Learn more about the research on Self-regulated Learning: Planning below! ... View more

Monitoring is a skill associated with self-regulated learning (SRL). Self-monitoring skills fall into the performance phase of SRL, where an individual is responsible for tracking their current state of performance, deploying learning strategies, and monitoring their progress towards a goal. To do this, students need to recognize whether they understand information and identify gaps in their knowledge in order to self-select a strategy to bring performance closer to the goal. Monitoring skills can be broken down into self-control skills, such as self-instruction or attention focusing, and self-observation skills, such as self-recording and systematically varying behaviors to change performance Learn more about the research on Self-regulated Learning: Monitoring below! ... View more

Learner experience (LX) design is a multidisciplinary approach to design, incorporating user experience, instructional design, and learning science pedagogies to create digital learning experiences that effectively manage cognitive load and foster student understanding. LX shifts the focus from what learners need to know and be able to do, to ways in which instruction or tools can support learners as they construct their knowledge. LX design cycles are done in rapid iterations and include participatory design from students. The goal of LX is to create experiences that center the learner—not just through instruction and assessment that accomplishes the learning outcomes, but also in the aesthetics, enjoyability, and quality of the learning experience. Learn more about the research on Learner Experience Design below! ... View more

Formative assessment fulfills the “iterative processes of establishing what, how much and how well students are learning in relation to learning goals and expected outcomes in order to inform tailored formative feedback and support further learning.” (Gikandi et al., 2011, p. 2337). It is comprised of both feedback (external) and self-monitoring (internal). The goal of instruction should be to facilitate the transition from feedback to self-monitoring by teaching students to: Understand the learning goal Compare actual performance to learning goal Take action to close this gap Learn more about the research on Formative Assessment below! ... View more

Formative feedback is information given to a learner during the learning activity to help them improve by modifying their thinking or behavior. Feedback is best delivered using a variety of channels: learner-instructor, learner-peer, and learner-self. Effective formative feedback: Clarifies good performance and behaviors through goals and criteria Facilitates self-assessment and reflection Delivers high quality information about learning Encourages instructor-peer dialogue Encourages positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem Gives opportunities to close performance gap Provides information to instructors to shape their teaching Learn more about the research on Formative Feedback below! ... View more

Authentic assessment is relevant, skill-based assessment that is challenging, evokes reflection, encourages collaboration, and transfers to real-world contexts. Primary skills that are assessed include higher-order, critical thinking skills as well as self-regulated learning skills; there is often also an emphasis on human-focused workplace skills such as communication, collaboration, and problem solving. Learn more about the research on Authentic Assessment below! ... View more

Metacognition refers to our knowledge and self-awareness of our cognitive processes—in other words, the way we “think about our thinking.” When a learner uses metacognition to improve their learning, they adapt different strategies to bolster their self-awareness about their knowledge. A subset of this is known as self-regulated learning, a set of interrelated skills and motivations that control learning. Self-regulated learning can consist of up to three stages: Planning: forethought, where learners set goals, identify critical features around tasks, and plan strategies Monitoring: performance, where learners track their current state and monitor their progress towards a goal Evaluating: self-reflection, where learners assess their solutions, determine whether they met their goal, and review the strategies used. Learn more about the research on Metacognition (Self-regulated Learning) below! ... View more

Active learning is the practical application of the theory of constructivist learning, in which students use new information and lived experience to form or modify their mental models. Instead of traditional lecture, which is a form of passive learning, active learning focuses on engaging students in the process of learning. Students engage in active learning when they reflect on their ideas and how they are using them regularly assess their comprehension, and gain knowledge through participation. This is accomplished through class discussion, group work, and problem-solving activities. Successful active learning in classrooms requires students to use metacognitive skills and critical thinking skills in order to judge their understanding and activate higher orders of thinking. Learn more about the research on Active Learning below! ... View more

The two basic types of motivation are intrinsic, or doing an activity for its inherent satisfaction, and extrinsic, or doing an activity for a separate, external outcome. Extrinsic motivation can range in quality. The more a student can internalize external values and integrate them into their behaviors, the higher quality their extrinsic motivation becomes. Learn more about the research on Motivation: Self-Determination Theory below! ... View more

Productive involvement with an academic activity is at the core of academic engagement. This includes both observable and unobservable qualities of student interactions with learning activities. Engagement is multidimensional including (but not limited to): Behavioral: involvement in academic tasks and class-based activities including effort, persistence, attention, concentration, and help-seeking. Cognitive: self-regulating, setting learning goals, persisting on challenging tasks. Emotional: positive emotional reactions to teachers, peers, and classroom activities, as well as valuing learning and having interest in the learning content Learn more about the research on Academic Engagement below! ... View more

Backwards design is a three-stage approach to designing learning experiences: Identify desired results, or what students should be able to know, understand and do. Examples: learning objectives, discipline-wide standards Determine acceptable evidence, or how we will know when desired results have been attained. Examples: assessment, performance tasks Plan learning experiences and instruction, or what content and methods will enable these desired results. Examples: texts, activities Rather than content development occurring first, learning objectives should be the first stage of developing a class or learning experience. Assessments can be constructed to cover a specific objective, and content can be developed to support those assessments. Learn more about the research on Backwards Design below! ... View more

Learning objectives are granular, specific statements of what a learner should be able to know, think, or be able to do as part of a learning experience. Learning objectives should be measurable by multiple forms of assessment; include specific, observable behaviors that describe success; and be appropriately challenging. Effective learning objectives are created in a hierarchy, with broad top-level learning objectives describing cognitively complex outcomes after completing a learning experience, and more specific lower-level learning objectives that provide the building blocks for the top-level objectives. Learn more about the research on Learning Objectives below! ... View more

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a design framework for creating learning experiences that are equitable, flexible, and accessible to all learners. UDL is built upon three principles: providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression to meet the needs of all learners. UDL principles inform implementation guidelines that promote high level learning goals of self-regulation, comprehension, and executive function; strategies to build these areas of expertise; and methods to remove unnecessary barriers to learning. Through this lens, there are no “right” types of assessments, methods, or materials; instead, design focus should be on having multiple options for diverse learners. Learn more about the research on Universal Design for Learning below! ... View more