Self-regulated learning (SRL) is essential to higher education. An increasing body of knowledge has attested to the significance of assessment activities in promoting SRL strategies. However, the influence of assessment practices on SRL in higher education is considered a neglected research area. Aimed to fill this gap, this paper presents a systematic review of six peer-reviewed articles focusing on the effective employment of assessment strategies to promote SRL. Five key features of the compelling interplay between assessment activities and SRL strategies were noted in the review: feedback-driven, discussion-focused, specific assessment designs that provide continuous SRL opportunities, and learning contexts that influence motivation and purpose, with educators' assessment competency as a pre-requisite for successful implementation.
TopIntroduction
Many of the skills associated with self-regulated learning (SRL) were synonymous with the essential skills required in higher education (Liacuna & Mason, 2022; Steh & Saric, 2020). Goal setting, learning monitoring and ownership, constant reflection and evaluation are some of the skills critical in higher education context (Hawe, Dixon & Hamilton, 2021). A considerable research attention has been given to the role of specific assessment strategies in promoting SRL (Broadbent, Sharman, Panadero & Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, 2021; Weldmeskel & Michael, 2016). A myriad of assessment methods, such as peer and self-assessments, reflective journals and process-based assessments (Fraile, Izquierdo, Iglesias & Zamorano-Sande, 2020; Hawe & Dixon, 2016; Weldmeskel & Michael, 2016) have been increasingly valued for their potentials in propelling SRL (Hawe & Dixon, 2016). Nevertheless, effective assessment practices in yielding SRL in higher education were still a neglected research focus (Bevitt, 2015).
Despite the promising link between classroom assessment strategies and SRL, existing literature has reported mixed findings. While assessment strategies have been found to positively influence students’ capacity to regulate their learning (Hawe et al., 2021; Waluyo, 2018; Weldmeskel & Michael, 2016), some studies conveyed less than promising findings (Broadbent et al., 2016; Fraile et al., 2020; Simon, 2019). Hence, there is a need to understand salient features of assessment practices that could potentially lead to favourable impacts on SRL. Aiming to fill the gap in the existing literature, the critical focus of this paper is to explore assessment strategies and practices that promoted SRL. Drawing upon these discussions, a systematic review of influential and impactful formative and summative assessment tasks for promoting SRL is presented. The review involves six articles published between 2016 to 2022, with a specific focus on SRL practices in the context of higher education. The discussion on Methods details the scope, search procedures and criteria for inclusion of articles selected for the systematic review.