Educational technology, self-regulation & conceptual understanding in STEM

To be successful in higher education, STEM students not only have to develop conceptual understanding in wide range of science topics but also self-regulated learning skills. This PhD researches how educational technology can influence both the development of self-regulatory learning skills and conceptual understanding in mechanics. The research builds on earlier work of Hardebolle et al. (2020) and the framework of Tormey et al. (2019), who found that the “Learning Companion”, an app combining an online learning diary with a learning analytics dashboard where students can assess their learning habits and receive feedback, supports self-regulation of first-year undergraduate students. Since teaching self-regulated learning strategies is most effective when it is linked to the discipline in which they are to be used (Hattie, Biggs, & Purdie, 1996), the aim of is to adjust the concept of the Learning Companion to the specific discipline of mechanics. By asking students well-addressed questions, we want to identify misconceptions in mechanics they are dealing with and make students aware of them. The final goal is to investigate the impact of these interventions on students’ self-regulation and conceptual understanding in mechanics.  • Hardebolle, C., Jermann, P., Pinto, F., & Tormey, R. (2020), Impact of a learning analytics dashboard on the practice of students and teachers, SEFI 47th Annual Conference: Varietas Delectat... Complexity Is the New Normality, Proceedings, 1622–1632. • Hattie, J., Biggs, J., & Purdie, N. (1996), Effects of Learning Skills Interventions on Student Learning: A Meta-Analysis. Review of Educational Research, Vol. 66, No. 2, 99–136. • Tormey, R., Hardebolle, C., Pinto, F., & Jermann, P. (2019), Designing for impact: a conceptual framework for learning analytics as self-assessment tools, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 1–11.