1. Transformation of student self-regulated learning over a Problem-Based Learning year Sarah Hyde [email_address] Pip Yabsley [email_address] Donna Read [email_address] CSUEd 2009, Albury

2. Overview of presentation

• Introduction to concepts of self-regulation and problem-based learning, previous literature

• Overview of the context of the study

• Outline of research questions and method

• Results so far

• Our interpretation of the results, theoretical perspective

• Implications for practice

3. What is self-regulated learning (SRL)?

• Student ability to monitor and control their own learning processes

• Self-reflection is a key process

• Indicators: goal setting, motivation, time management, seeking help, use of resources, reflection, metacognition

4. Traditionally accepted definition

• • Students can be described as self-regulated to the extent that they are metacognitively , and behaviourally active participants in their own learning process

• • (Zimmerman 1989)

5. Problem based learning (PBL)

• A social learning experience; student-centred

• Small groups; authentic problems

• Clinical reasoning process

• Students assume responsibility for their own learning driven by own learning issues

• Relies on prior knowledge

• A process of collaborative knowledge construction

6. Context

• Bachelor of Clinical Science course

• First cohort of third year students

• Rural pathway program

• PBL in final year only: Integration of 2 year long subjects:

• • HLT310 Reflective Clinical Practice (4 modules)

• • HLT320 Research in Clinical Practice

7. PBL implementation

• 10 students at beginning, dropped to 9

• 3 x 1.5 hour compulsory PBL sessions each week + 6 hours resource sessions

• Two groups in first half of year

• One group in second half

• Different tutor each module

• Content expert in last module

8. Assessment

• A reflective portfolio kept for the year (50%), collected at random

• Participation in PBL self, peer, and tutor evaluation (30%)

• End of year exam (20%)

• Ethics form, lit review, oral and poster presentation, research project

9. The literature says.

• PBL enhances self-directed learning, knowledge retention, increased motivation, metacognition, and self-evaluation (Finucane, Johnson et al. 1998; Hadwin 1996; Hendry, Frommer et al. 1999; Norman and Schmidt 1992; Ryan 2000)

• Contextual factors around how PBL has been implemented can minimise these effects

• AND, development over time not known

10. Key study

• Evensen et al. (2001) study of 6 medical students in a PBL stream:

• the ability to successfully regulate learning is contingent on the learners ability to satisfactorily negotiate personal attributes with environmental affordances and constraints to invoke efficacious learning strategies

11. Our research questions

• How do Clinical Science students regulate their learning in a PBL year?

• 2. How does this change over time?

• 3. How effective is the PBL design in achieving high levels of student academic regulation in third year?

12. The study

• Scholarship in Teaching grant

• Survey of Self-Efficacy for SRL, and SRL scale of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) at beginning and end of year

• Observation of groups

• Interviews at two time points

13. Survey 1

• SE for SRL based on Banduras model

• • 15 questions

• • 7 point Likert scale (1 = cannot do 7 = can do excellently)

• • E.g. How well can you evaluate your own learning needs?

• • E.g. How well can you admit aloud in class that you do not understand something?

14. Survey 2

• Pintrich and DeGroot (1990) SRL scale from the MSLQ

• • 11 questions

• • 7 point Likert scale (1 = not at all true of me 7 = extremely true of me)

• • E.g. I try to change the way that I study in order to accommodate the material covered in each area

• • E.g. When studying, I try to determine which concepts I dont understand well

15. Survey results

16. Comments on survey

• Lowest scoring SE for SRL question (beginning): How well can you study when there are other more interesting things to do

• • Mode = 3 (Not too well)

• Highest scoring SE for SRL question (beginning): How well can you find the information you need from a textbook

• • Mode = 6 (Very well)

17.

• Lowest scoring MSLQ question: When reading for this course I make up questions to focus my reading

• • Mode = 3 (Not true of me)

• Highest scoring MSLQ question: When I become confused about something Im reading for the course I go back and try to figure it out

• • Mode = 6 (Very well)

18. Interview results

• Interviews coded in NVivo by two of the researchers

• Overall theme:

• • lack of motivation across the cohort over the year as a result of perceived lack of structure, assessment, and group dynamics

• HOWEVER, levels of reflection were very high and capacity for self-evaluation improved throughout the year

19. How do students regulate their learning? Evidence

• Identify the learning objectives; SDL

• put in every ounce of effort I have (Alex, int 1)

• Asking for help/clarification

• Deriving personal satisfaction from learning itself

• Maintaining interest and motivation despite the group dynamic (not wanting to be like them)

• Self-evaluation

• Setting goals

• Improved use of resources

20. Self-evaluation

• we had to learn, you know evaluate each other in class and that sort of thing and yes it does force you to look at yourself and how you do participate and that sort of thing you have to look at yourself but you have to learn to take criticism and feedback and that sort of thing

• (Dani 1)

21. Self-evaluation

• you have to explain it in a way that other people can understand and then it makes you realise how what you really do and dont know. Like even though Ill always know it in my head Im like oh yes, I know that but then coming to explain it to someone else its just different

• (Toni 1)

22. SDL

• I probably do a lot more research [] I engage in it off my own back, Im not told what to do. I do a lot of my research, [] because I want to, not because its what Im supposed to be doing or I guess not being spoon fed the information anymore

• (Terry 1)

23. Motivation

• when youre presented with a case you actually, youre motivated and you want to find out things, which makes doing the work, for me more enjoyable, you know, less a job and more of a interest type thing. Yes thats pretty much my main motivation, just wanting to know the information

• (Terry, 1)

24. Use of resources

• Ive pretty much been using the data bases, because theres so much focus on the research so you actually want to have their research project and their method and all that to have the results, whereas in the last couple of years I would mainly have used the text books from the library, because they were just giving you the facts and they werent giving you the actual research study that brought about those facts

• (Toni 1)

25.

• I look for as many different resources as I can, so Id look at text books, Id look at internet websites, Id look at journal articles and things like that and then I would sift through the information that I have and sort of analyse what seems to be consistent across all the different resources and thats what I would generally accept as the right answer

• (Jay 1)

26. Knowledge retention

• In year one and two you would just learn that tiny little bit about this point that they wanted you to know for the exam, [] and there was so much of that you kind of didnt really have the capacity to learn extra, and now I think because Im not writing hundreds of pages of notes on every thing, Ive just, I dont know, like now, I never used to be able to retain anything from just reading it, but now I can

• (Toni 1)

27. Goals

• Wanting high marks; To get into medicine

• Personal growth

• I have to get in to medicine, well not I have to but I mean like want to my aspirations, my dreams (Alex 1)

• I do aim to get the highest grades (Jamie 1)

• Using the criticism constructively to change what I was doing (Terry 1)

• Try and contribute more in PBL, develop confidence (Toni 1)

28. Change over time

• Data still to come: from observations, second interview, portfolios to be coded

• Alex as a case study so far:

• I think Ive kind of learnt a better way of forcing myself or getting in to the mood of trying to do work and its not really a chore anymore I dont actually mind doing work, keeps me busy (Alex 1)

29. Alex

• Ill just clarify everything, which is something Ive never ever, ever done. I was always a person that was like if I need help Ill work it out myself; I was never a person whod go ask for help

• Using lecturers and tutors more than in in previous years

• Change in goals more high eg. l ike first year a bad mark for me would be a fail, now a bad mark for me is a credit. Like thats where Ive come or even a high credit its like Im only satisfied if I get a distinction plus

30. Q3: How effective is PBL for SRL?

• Affordances and constraints for learning

• The effect of group dynamic and of others on learning

• However data set incomplete at this stage

31. Affordances and constraints for learning

• Affordances

• Small PBL group

• Communicating learning verbally

• Self, peer and tutor-evaluation assessment tasks

• New library

• Contact with staff

• Content expert tutors

• PBL process

• Content based lectures

• Authenticity of cases

• Constraints

• Lack of exams; motivation

• Effect of others in learning; group disinterest

• Lack of defined boundaries for learning

• PBL cases being too straight forward and common sense

• Small numbers

• Having only one subject coordinator

• One PBL group

• Not being busy enough

• Being the first cohort

32.

• other people are more positive towards everything, which then helps me to be more motivated and keep going with this year

• (Jamie 1)

Working as a group

33. Authenticity of cases

• we thought oh god, you know, its going to be actual real cases and we can question the patient and that sort of thing. The things were all busting to do, because were getting in to Medicine soon

• (Dani 1)

34. One subject coordinator

• if you stuff up on one thing theyll know it, if you stuff up on everything theyll know it. Its not like you can stuff up on one subject and be okay, you can fail one subject the other lecturer wont know

• (Alex 1)

35.

• found it hard to motivate myself to do self directed learning because theres no like knowledge assessment in the course theres know one telling you to go and learn this

• (Tony 1)

Lack of exams

36.

• because the first two years were so full on and this year isnt, [...] we just dont feel like were busy enough I guess there was more motivation because you had to do exams

• (Dani 1)

37. The effect of others

• I say okay Im going to get more involved and Im going to research and do everything that Im supposed to do and other people are not, so it makes me feel, well maybe I shouldnt be showing off and I shouldnt be talking so much in class because know no one else is really being involved themselves

• (Jay 1)

38. Constraint - others

• you just let other people affect you for a while and then you just have to like, it might take a little while and then you realise like why am I letting the affect me so much?

• (Toni 1)

39. Equal contribution

• if people have actually researched something for the class, like its those classes that always run so much better than the other ones because its the ones where know ones done any prior work that they just feel pointless and we go off track

• (Toni 1)

40.

• Social processes Individual;

• Interdependence of social and individual processes in any learning environment, but especially in PBL

What do the results show overall?

41. Improvements needed

• I think may be there could have been more, more material to sort of engage us and keep us occupied, not occupied, sort of stimulated through out the week. (Chris 1)

• Changing the focus of it [] playing a role that would be similar to the ones we hope to endeavour to be. Because you (Dani 1)

42. Strategies to improve

• More assessment

• Have more than one group

43. Response to research questions

• How do Clinical Science students regulate their learning in a PBL year?

• 2. How does this change over time?

• 3. How effective is the PBL design in achieving high levels of student academic regulation in third year?

44. Implications for practice

• May need to embed/facilitate SRL earlier in the course, prior to PBL

• Support strategies for students in the PBL year mentors?

• Early intervention

45. References

• Evensen et al (2001)

• Finucane, Johnson et al. 1998; Hadwin 1996; Hendry, Frommer et al. 1999; Norman and Schmidt 1992; Ryan 2000)

• Pintrich, R. R., & DeGroot, E. V. (1990). Motivational and self-regulated learning components of classroom academic performance , Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 33-40

• Zimmerman, B. J. (1989a). "A social cognitive view of self-regulated academic learning." Journal of Educational Psychology 81(3): 329-339