Supporting Students in Online Learning Environments with the Settings, Exchanges, and Events (SEE) Framework

Abstract

Literature review

Students in online learning environments require greater self-direction for their learning; however, students can overcome this challenge when they develop strong self-regulated learning (SRL) skills (Barnard-Brak et al., 2010; Broadbent & Poon, 2015; Hong, 2021). Teachers can play an important role in fostering their students’ SRL skills, but do not always have the time, training, know-how, and resources to do so, especially in online environments. The Settings, Exchanges, and Events (SEE) Framework outlines seventeen research-based practices that teachers can implement to improve SRL in their classrooms. “Settings” involves creating an environment conducive to SRL and includes several practices such as fostering supportive student-teacher relationships, using routines and participation structures, facilitating collaborative learning, and enabling adaptive help-seeking and help-giving. “Exchanges” involve interactions between educators and students that foster SRL, which can include explicit instruction, modeling, SRL feedback, prompts and cues, and creating connections between SRL and success. “Events” provide opportunities to utilize SRL skills (i.e., multiple opportunities for learning, rich learning tasks, long-term tasks, appropriate challenge level, allow student autonomy, self-assessment, peer co-learning, SRL worksheets). The SEE Framework was initially developed to support teachers within in-person settings, and less research has examined if these classroom practices lead to gains in SRL within online learning environments. The purpose of this presentation is to address this need by reporting upon a systematic review and a meta-analysis. This presentation will begin with a brief overview of SRL and a description of the SEE Framework, before reporting our results.

Methods

Scientific journal databases were searched, revealing 2,977 articles from 2000 to 2020. Abstract reviews revealed a pool of 132 articles for full article reviews. We examined the number of studies supporting each practice, which SRL processes were supported most often, the research designs used, and then pooled effect sizes.

Results

Collectively, the 17 practices were supported by 74 articles, and each individual practice was supported by at least one article. We found more evidence for some practices (e.g., feedback, prompts and cues, and positioning all members as learners) than others, and some SRL processes were supported more often (i.e., strategy use, self-evaluation, and global SRL). In brief, our meta-analysis indicated an overall moderate effect of SEE Practices on SRL skills (g = 0.65) across 62 effect sizes from 32 studies. The largest effects were found for the following practices: positioning all members as learners, peer co-learning, and modeling. These findings can help educators decide which practices to implement in their courses, as well as which practices show more evidence to improve specific SRL processes.

Presenters