Karl Steffens

A Conceptual Framework for Research on Self-Regulated Learning

In the international community of educational researchers, self-regulated learning has become an important topic in educational and psychological research over the last three decades. One reason for this is that it has been found that the extent to which learners are capable of regulating their own learning markedly enhances their learning outcomes.

Self-Regulated Learning in Technology Enhanced Learning Environments

Self-regulated learning refers to learners’ ability to plan, conduct and evaluate their own learning. Research into self-regulated learning dates back to the 1970s, but the topic has received new attention in the discourse on competency-based learning, starting at the end of last century. It can also be argued that advances in digital technologies have helped to create technology enhanced learning environments that support self-regulated learning, but at the same time also require this competence to a greater degree than traditional learning environments. In our contribution, we will first present a short overview of the state-of-the-art of research in self-regulated learning. We will then discuss different aspects of self-regulated learning in technology enhanced learning environments. In particular, we will focus on metacognition, assessment, and personalisation of learning environments. We will conclude our contribution with a note on the role of self-regulated learning in enquiry learning and provide the reader with an outlook on challenges and promises in the field of self-regulated learning in technology enhanced learning.

Technology Enhanced Learning Environments for Self-Regulated Learning: A Framework for Research

Self‐regulated learning (SRL) has become an important topic in education during the last three decades. At the same time, advances in technology have made it possible to create complex Technology Enhanced Learning Environments (TELEs). While there is some evidence that these TELEs have the potential to foster SRL, there is only little research on the question as to whether they will indeed do so. There are empirical studies which try to relate aspects of TELEs to learning outcomes and SRL, but it seems to be difficult to get a more holistic picture. This is probably due to the fact that SRL in TELEs is an extremely complex phenomenon. Researchers have only recently begun to apply maturity modelling to the realm of education which might do justice to this complexity. In this contribution, a framework for research on SRL in TELEs based on maturity modelling will be proposed.

Technologies for Self-Regulated Learning

Over the last three decades as Western societies have turned into knowledge societies, self-regulated learning (SRL) has come to be an important topic in educational research. In such societies learning not only takes place in traditional educational institutions, but in the form of lifelong learning far beyond these institutions. In education, the focus is therefore shifting from teaching to learning. This places more responsibility on the individual learner; learners’ strategies for self-regulating their learning are therefore becoming more important.

Are MOOCs Promising Learning Environments

Este trabajo reflexiona sobre los MOOC como entornos de aprendizaje. El numero de cursos masivos abiertos y en linea (MOOC) ha crecido exponencialmente en pocos anos desde que fueron introducidos. Los MOOC son considerados una nueva forma de entornos virtuales de aprendizaje potenciados por la tecnologia. Se consideran dos tipos de MOOC: unos los organizados por Siemens y Downes (cMOOC) y otros los desarrollados en lugares como Stanford, con muchos estudiantes y loables objetivos (xMOOC); estos tienen tambien sus debilidades. Aunque han sido recibidos con altas expectativas, tambien han encontrado una fuerte oposicion que esta aumentando con el tiempo, lo que nos permite estudiar este fenomeno en profundidad. Aunque todavia hay pocas investigaciones empiricas sobre los efectos de los MOOC en el aprendizaje, este estudio trata de arrojar luz sobre el tema desde un punto de vista teorico. En primer lugar exploraremos las expectativas positivas y negativas generadas. Los MOOC pueden constituir una buena propuesta a gran escala, lo que solo es posible para unas pocas grandes instituciones. No hay estudio de mercado, ni modelo de negocio, ni investigaciones empiricas que permitan confirmar los anuncios de sus efectos positivos. Revisaremos las teorias del aprendizaje recientes y clasicas respecto a su capacidad para explicar el proceso de aprendizaje y compararemos los cursos en linea tradicionales, los xMOOC y los cMOOC en relacion a su potencial para apoyar el aprendizaje y su auto-regulacion.This article reflect upon MOOCs as technology enhanced learning environments. The increase in numbers of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) has been dramatic in recent years. MOOCs may be considered to be a new form of virtual technology enhanced learning environments. Two types of MOOCs may be distinguished: cMOOCs as proposed by Siemens, based on his ideas of connectivism, and xMOOCs developed in institutions such as Stanford and MIT. Although they have received a great deal of attention, they have also met with criticism. The time has therefore come to critically reflect upon this phenomenon. While there is still relatively little empirical research on the effects of MOOCs on learning, this study tries to shed light on the issue from a theoretical point of view. It will first explore positive and negative expectations regarding MOOCs. MOOCs might constitute a good option if they can be delivered on a large scale, and this will only be possible for a few big institutions. There is no empirical research which would uphold the claims concerning their positive effects. It will then review classical and more recent learning theories with respect to their capability to explain the process of learning in order to compare traditional online courses, xMOOC and cMOOC with respect to their potential to support learning and its self-regulation.

ICT Use and Achievement in Three European Countries: What Does PISA Tell Us?.

During the last decade, in many European countries large investments were made to foster the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in education with the expectation that ICT would make teaching and learning more effective. This would, for example, become evident in scores obtained by students in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). PISA studies show, however, that PISA achievements do not increase with ICT use. The question for research is why high-frequency ICT use tends to be related to lower PISA achievements. To answer this question, the author has looked at PISA results published by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as well as at the results of his own analyses of PISA data. While it seems that ICT use as well as PISA achievements are related to cultural capital, the findings are not clear-cut and vary among the three European countries chosen for investigation.

Self-Regulated and Technology-Enhanced Learning: A European Perspective.

Self-regulation of learning, learning to learn, and their potential stimulation by specific information and communication technologies (ICTs) are main topics in European policy. This issue of the European Educational Research Journal (EERJ) focuses on research to develop, integrate and evaluate self-regulation of learning and the potential and actual uses of ICTs in educational practice. In this issue, the authors introduce five articles on self-regulated and technology-enhanced learning representing development and research conducted in preschools, primary and secondary schools, and universities of various countries. This research was presented at two symposia of the European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) in Cádiz (2012). The symposia were part of the ECER network 16 ‘ICT in Education and Training’. The research exemplifies three different models of ICT-based learning, ranging from ‘traditional’ via ‘more flexible’ to ‘optimal’ learning. The authors discuss the main characteristics and outcomes of the five articles. They conclude with theoretical and methodological aspects that may promote further development and research of self-regulated and technology-enhanced learning in a European perspective.

Recent Developments in Technology-Enhanced Learning: A Critical Assessment

Our societies are considered knowledge societies in which lifelong learning is becoming increasingly important. At the same time, digital technologies are entering almost every aspect of our lives and now play an important role in education. The last decade has seen numerous new developments in the field of technology-enhanced learning. In 2004, George Siemens presented connectivism as a learning theory for the digital age. His ideas inspired the creation of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which have recently received a great deal of attention. Theoretical works on the use of digital devices for learning have focused on the affordances users perceive in these devices. Design research has also shown us that learning environments enriched by digital technologies are extremely complex and should be viewed as learning ecologies. The discussions on connectivism and MOOCs, affordances of digital devices, and design research have taken place in different discourses that have paid hardly any attention to each other. It is important to point out, however, that the developments in technology-enhanced learning not only can but need to be related to each other.ResumenNuestras sociedades son consideradas sociedades del conocimiento, donde el aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida obtiene cada vez más importancia. Al mismo tiempo, las tecnologías digitales forman parte de casi todos los aspectos de nuestra vida y juegan un papel importante en la educación. En la última década se han visto numerosos avances en el ámbito del aprendizaje enriquecido por la tecnología. En 2004, George Siemens presentó el conectivismo como teoría del aprendizaje para la era digital. Sus ideas inspiraron la creación de cursos online masivos abiertos (MOOGs), que han sido objeto de gran atención recientemente. La literatura científica relacionada con el uso de dispositivos digitales para el aprendizaje se ha centrado en las potencialidades que los usuarios perciben de estos dispositivos. La investigación del diseño también nos ha mostrado que los entornos de aprendizaje enriquecidos por la tecnología son complejos y deben ser vistos como ecologías de aprendizaje. Las discusiones sobre conectivismo y MOOGs, las potencialidades de los dispositivos digitales y la investigación del diseño han aparecido en diferentes discursos observados de manera aislada. En este sen tido, es importante señalar que los avances en el aprendizaje enriquecido por la tecnología no solo pueden sino que deben mostrarse relacionados entre sí.

Son los MOOC una alternativa de aprendizaje

Este trabajo reflexiona sobre los MOOC como entornos de aprendizaje. El numero de cursos masivos abiertos y en linea (MOOC) ha crecido exponencialmente en pocos anos desde que fueron introducidos. Los MOOC son considerados una nueva forma de entornos virtuales de aprendizaje potenciados por la tecnologia. Se consideran dos tipos de MOOC: unos los organizados por Siemens y Downes (cMOOC) y otros los desarrollados en lugares como Stanford, con muchos estudiantes y loables objetivos (xMOOC); estos tienen tambien sus debilidades. Aunque han sido recibidos con altas expectativas, tambien han encontrado una fuerte oposicion que esta aumentando con el tiempo, lo que nos permite estudiar este fenomeno en profundidad. Aunque todavia hay pocas investigaciones empiricas sobre los efectos de los MOOC en el aprendizaje, este estudio trata de arrojar luz sobre el tema desde un punto de vista teorico. En primer lugar exploraremos las expectativas positivas y negativas generadas. Los MOOC pueden constituir una buena propuesta a gran escala, lo que solo es posible para unas pocas grandes instituciones. No hay estudio de mercado, ni modelo de negocio, ni investigaciones empiricas que permitan confirmar los anuncios de sus efectos positivos. Revisaremos las teorias del aprendizaje recientes y clasicas respecto a su capacidad para explicar el proceso de aprendizaje y compararemos los cursos en linea tradicionales, los xMOOC y los cMOOC en relacion a su potencial para apoyar el aprendizaje y su auto-regulacion.This article reflect upon MOOCs as technology enhanced learning environments. The increase in numbers of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) has been dramatic in recent years. MOOCs may be considered to be a new form of virtual technology enhanced learning environments. Two types of MOOCs may be distinguished: cMOOCs as proposed by Siemens, based on his ideas of connectivism, and xMOOCs developed in institutions such as Stanford and MIT. Although they have received a great deal of attention, they have also met with criticism. The time has therefore come to critically reflect upon this phenomenon. While there is still relatively little empirical research on the effects of MOOCs on learning, this study tries to shed light on the issue from a theoretical point of view. It will first explore positive and negative expectations regarding MOOCs. MOOCs might constitute a good option if they can be delivered on a large scale, and this will only be possible for a few big institutions. There is no empirical research which would uphold the claims concerning their positive effects. It will then review classical and more recent learning theories with respect to their capability to explain the process of learning in order to compare traditional online courses, xMOOC and cMOOC with respect to their potential to support learning and its self-regulation.

¿Son los MOOC una alternativa de aprendizaje? = Are MOOCs Promising Learning Environments?

Este trabajo reflexiona sobre los MOOC como entornos de aprendizaje. El numero de cursos masivos abiertos y en linea (MOOC) ha crecido exponencialmente en pocos anos desde que fueron introducidos. Los MOOC son considerados una nueva forma de entornos virtuales de aprendizaje potenciados por la tecnologia. Se consideran dos tipos de MOOC: unos los organizados por Siemens y Downes (cMOOC) y otros los desarrollados en lugares como Stanford, con muchos estudiantes y loables objetivos (xMOOC); estos tienen tambien sus debilidades. Aunque han sido recibidos con altas expectativas, tambien han encontrado una fuerte oposicion que esta aumentando con el tiempo, lo que nos permite estudiar este fenomeno en profundidad. Aunque todavia hay pocas investigaciones empiricas sobre los efectos de los MOOC en el aprendizaje, este estudio trata de arrojar luz sobre el tema desde un punto de vista teorico. En primer lugar exploraremos las expectativas positivas y negativas generadas. Los MOOC pueden constituir una buena propuesta a gran escala, lo que solo es posible para unas pocas grandes instituciones. No hay estudio de mercado, ni modelo de negocio, ni investigaciones empiricas que permitan confirmar los anuncios de sus efectos positivos. Revisaremos las teorias del aprendizaje recientes y clasicas respecto a su capacidad para explicar el proceso de aprendizaje y compararemos los cursos en linea tradicionales, los xMOOC y los cMOOC en relacion a su potencial para apoyar el aprendizaje y su auto-regulacion.This article reflect upon MOOCs as technology enhanced learning environments. The increase in numbers of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) has been dramatic in recent years. MOOCs may be considered to be a new form of virtual technology enhanced learning environments. Two types of MOOCs may be distinguished: cMOOCs as proposed by Siemens, based on his ideas of connectivism, and xMOOCs developed in institutions such as Stanford and MIT. Although they have received a great deal of attention, they have also met with criticism. The time has therefore come to critically reflect upon this phenomenon. While there is still relatively little empirical research on the effects of MOOCs on learning, this study tries to shed light on the issue from a theoretical point of view. It will first explore positive and negative expectations regarding MOOCs. MOOCs might constitute a good option if they can be delivered on a large scale, and this will only be possible for a few big institutions. There is no empirical research which would uphold the claims concerning their positive effects. It will then review classical and more recent learning theories with respect to their capability to explain the process of learning in order to compare traditional online courses, xMOOC and cMOOC with respect to their potential to support learning and its self-regulation.