Sustaining the autoregulation of the management of the studies and learning

The role of self-assessment in activities promoting student achievement in the first year of university

Abstract

In order to promote success in the first year of university education, numerous methodological support schemes are organized at the University of Namur, Belgium. These schemes focus on supporting the self-regulation of management of studies and learning and on the self-regulation of this management. To this end, students are required to complete self-assessment questionnaires about their study and learning methods. The regulatory process that underlies the development of each of these questionnaires and guides the accompanying actions is underlying and guiding. The objectives of the formalization of this process are threefold: to allow the design of new self-assessment questionnaires aimed at supporting of the self-regulation, to serve as a point of reference for students to conceptualize self-regulation, to be explicit to favor the self-regulation transfer to other learning situations. The question of the place of assessment in the self- and hetero regulation of the management of studies and learning in higher education is also discussed. Then, a "typical" self-assessment questionnaire on how to put the students' to work placement and their perseverance in carrying out a task is described and the links with the three-step regulation process are established. Finally, the way in which self-assessment questionnaires can contribute to the supporting of student’s self-regulation in the management of studies and learning is discussed. Perspectives on future research are also identified to evaluate the methodological support actions in terms of self-regulation supporting ; and to evaluate the pedagogical actions of teachers who incorporate self-regulatory process and the self-assessment questionnaires into their courses.