Hello everyone. This is Hirata, an M1 student.

I would like to introduce the paper for this English seminar.

As I mentioned in a previous post, my research involves the development and evaluation of a system that encourages learners to notice problems in their own learning and select the necessary learning methods for improvement. In various fields of pedagogy, “Self-Regulated Learning” is attracting attention as a theory regarding approaches where learners optimize their learning by comparing their current status with their goals while exercising metacognition and other skills.

Therefore, in this English seminar, I will introduce a paper on Self-Regulated Learning.

Paper Title: An English vocabulary learning app with self-regulated learning mechanism to improve learning performance and motivation
Journal: Computer Assisted Language Learning, 32(3), 237-260

Authors: Chin-Ming Chen, Liang-Chun Chen, and Shun-Min Yang

Year: 2019

In recent years, English vocabulary learning environments using mobile devices have increased, but it has become clear that the effectiveness of autonomous English vocabulary learning is influenced by the learner’s Self-Regulated Learning ability. Self-Regulated Learning refers to a way of learning in which learners actively engage in their own learning activities and regulate their own learning. Specific elements of Self-Regulated Learning include “self-evaluation,” “monitoring,” “goal setting,” and “planning, using, and monitoring learning strategies.” Previous studies have reported that learners with higher academic achievement have higher Self-Regulated Learning abilities.

In the study I selected this time, an English vocabulary learning app based on a Self-Regulated Learning mechanism was developed, and it was verified whether it contributes to the improvement of learners’ learning performance and learning motivation.

To verify the effectiveness of the app, a two-week experiment was conducted with 46 fifth-grade elementary school students in Taiwan. In the experiment, the subjects were divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group used the app with the Self-Regulated Learning mechanism, and the control group used the app without the Self-Regulated Learning mechanism to learn English vocabulary. The app incorporated elements of Self-Regulated Learning, providing support for setting learning goals, monitoring, and raising awareness of goals.

As a result of the experiment, the experimental group showed higher learning performance and learning motivation than the control group. Furthermore, the effect of the app was confirmed regardless of gender, and it was found that there was a greater benefit in improving learning performance and learning motivation for learners with a field-dependent cognitive style than for those with a field-independent cognitive style. From this, it is considered that the Self-Regulated Learning mechanism contributed significantly to the improvement of learners’ learning performance and motivation.

Finally, as for my thoughts, this paper evaluates an English vocabulary learning system using Self-Regulated Learning theory and its mechanisms, which I felt would be very useful for my own system design. On the other hand, I think it would have been more interesting if there had been a discussion based on data from the learning process. For example, I felt that insights based on logs, such as a comparison of learning time and the number of words learned per day between the two groups, were necessary to understand why the app leads to improved learning performance. In future research, I would like to deepen my knowledge of analyzing learner behavior based on such learning logs.