Self-Regulated Learning

Successful design learning aligns the studio, project, and teacher with the self-regulative learner. A self-regulated learner is a student that chooses to participate metacognitively, motivationally, and behaviorally in his or her own learning. Leading researchers Dale H. Schunk and Barry J. Zimmerman (1998) define self-regulated learning as the belief that meaningful learning comes from an individual actively participating in his or her own learning. A central feature of SRL is the use of goals to monitor and guide learning. More than 30 years of research has shown SRL to be a strong predictor of academic achievement.

When design educators orchestrate the studio, project, and their own instruction to support student self-regulation, then they nurture the most important element of successful design learning and achievement: encouraging self-regulated learners.