Self regulated Learning in Engineering and Computing Classrooms

Self regulated learning is one of the modern educational approaches aiming at improving the student’s motivation and ensuring progressive learning throughout modules. Extrinsic motivation in educational behaviour refers to the desire of learning to attain the desired outcome such as grades out of assignments or final exams; rewards for classroom activity or competition. However, once the rewards are no longer offered or desired outcome has been achieved, student’s interest in the classroom is lost and may require to offer continuous reward to ensure progressive learning in classroom. Intrinsic motivation refers to the student’s own desire to learn new things and new challenges and gain knowledge. It has been known that intrinsic motivation produce self-regulated learners/students as they can control their attributes and desires to achieve their goals (not just grades) and master their interest in a particular topic. Videos, research portfolios, seminars and hands on lab experience constitute key resources to be integrated in a balanced and structured way to build student’s intrinsic motivation and ensure progressive learning, particularly in engineering and computing classrooms. Nowadays students are hooked up to videos and it is easier to motivate them to watch learning videos about technology and related concepts/processes. Interviews/documentary or historical videos on the topic help students to understand how engineering and computing technologies and concepts/processes have changed or evolved from previous years till now. Success stories of research showing outcomes the students can achieve are another motivator. Current research portfolio will enable the students on how to develop and solve engineering and computing problems and go beyond the state of the art. Seminars from successful researchers will give students role models and motivation. Experts from industry or other institutions will discuss their practices and broaden students learning and motivation. It also improves students experience and their employability. Finally, achievements demonstrated by hands on experience in labs are also motivators. In short, successful and balanced integration of intrinsic motivation with the student’s learning together with extrinsic motivation is key to keep students motivated throughout their learning journey in an engineering and computing classroom.