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Jim Ranalli is an assistant professor in the Applied Linguistics Program at Iowa State University. His research focuses on the intersection of second language (L2) writing, technology, and self-regulated learning. He is especially interested in innovative uses of computers for 1) helping students become more skilled and self-directed in learning how to write in English for academic purposes and 2) facilitating research into learner self-regulation and strategy use.

Self-regulation is a way of understanding human behavior based on the complex interplay of cognitive, affective, motivational, and behavioral components by which individuals dynamically adjust their actions and goals to achieve desired results under variable conditions (Zeidner, Boekaerts, & Pintrich, 2000). Self-regulated learning (SRL) is self-regulation applied in educational contexts, with the unit of analysis typically being the educational task.

Self-regulated learning can be challenging for students for a multitude of reasons including a lack of understanding of tasks, lack of knowledge of appropriate standards for evaluating one’s performance on tasks, lack of knowledge/skill in the selection and use of strategies appropriate to particular tasks, and shortfalls in the attentional capacity needed to metacognitively monitor and control one’s engagement in tasks (Winne & Hadwin, 1988).  

In the learning of writing, especially more complex forms such as writing for academic purposes, students face a dual challenge in that completion of the task itself imposes considerable demands on one’s attentional capacities, leaving little surplus capacity for making observations or developing skills that could be transferred to future writing tasks (Rijlaarsdam & Couzjin, 2000).

For L2 students, the self-regulated learning of writing is even more difficult because, in addition to the above-mentioned challenges, they are burdened by effortful language processing. This can help explain L2 student behaviors that indicate apparent breakdowns in self-regulation, such as favoring simpler, local revisions of grammar or vocabulary to the neglect of more complex, global revisions of meaning or structure, despite the greater relevance of the latter for writing quality. 

L2 writing instructors can help their students improve their self-regulation and self-regulated learning by facilitating goal-setting, monitoring and self-assessment through the use of activities such as journals and reflective notebooks (Andrade & Evans, 2013). For example, L2 student writers tend to leave insufficient time for tasks and mass all the work into a single writing session, not understanding (1) that good writing takes time, even for skilled native speakers; and (2) that their evaluation and revision will benefit from a rest period after an initial draft has been completed. Andrade and Evans (2013) suggest having students submit timeline cover sheets to help students monitor and document when and for how long they worked on an assignment.

The portfolio approach to L2 writing assessment and pedagogy also has great potential to foster self-regulated learning through its emphasis on independence, responsibility, and reflection (Lam, 2015).

References

Andrade, M. S., & Evans, N. W. (2013). Principles and practices for response in second language writing: Developing self-regulated learners. New York: Routledge.

Lam, R. (2017). Taking stock of portfolio assessment scholarship: From research to practice. Assessing Writing, 31, 84-97. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2016.08.003

Rijlaarsdam, G., & Couzijn, M. (2000). Writing and learning to write: A double challenge New learning (pp. 157-189): Springer.

Winne, P. H., & Hadwin, A. F. (1998). Studying as self-regulated learning. In D. J. Hacker, J. Dunlosky & A. C. Graesser (Eds.), Metacognition in educational theory and practice. (pp. 277-304): Mahwah, NJ, US: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.

Zeidner, M., Boekaerts, M., & Pintrich, P. R. (2000). Self-regulation: Directions and challenges for future research. In M. Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Handbook of Self-Regulation. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.