Designing for independence: Supporting self‑regulated learning in digital environments

When you were at school, did you ever struggle to stay on track with your learning?

Many readers may recognise the challenge of staying focused, particularly when working independently. Self‑regulated learning (SRL) refers to how we manage our thoughts, emotions and behaviours to achieve our learning goals. This can include setting specific targets, monitoring progress, adapting strategies and seeking help when needed.

A familiar example is homework. While the task is set externally, it’s up to the student to decide how to approach it.

Research tells us that students who successfully self-regulate their learning tend to achieve better outcomes. This makes SRL an important consideration for digital assessment and learning design.

How SRL can support learning in digital environments

AQA is developing a new digital product for the learning and assessment of numeracy. With limited teaching time available, students are likely to use the product independently. To do this successfully, they’ll need to self‑regulate their learning.

To understand how we can support students with SRL, we carried out a review of the research literature, alongside interviews with teachers and students about what helps and hinders. We explored the factors that influence SRL and how these might be supported within digital environments.

Increasing motivation

“I’d do a million questions if you gave me £5 for each.” – Student

“If I’m actually interested about something, then I don’t mind doing it.” – Student

Motivation is a key factor in successful SRL. Students are more likely to persist when tasks feel engaging or when there are clear rewards for completing them.

“You got points and you worked towards something. And then that helped me get on with it, because I could focus on trying to get to the next stage of it.” – Student

Structured incentives, such as points or progress through levels, can support persistence and focus. Students’ confidence in their ability to succeed (self‑efficacy) is also an important part of sustaining motivation.

Clear expectations

“Knowing what you’re doing correctly, it’s quite important, so you continue doing what you’re doing correctly.” – Student

Clear expectations for students and teachers are consistently highlighted as important for effective SRL. Students need to understand how the process works, how success will be measured, and what needs to be done and by when.

Digital platforms can support this by providing regular feedback and prompts to encourage reflection, such as checking understanding or reviewing progress. These behaviours align with established SRL strategies, including planning, self‑monitoring and self‑evaluation.

Social support

Interviewer: “Who have you got … to ask for help?”

Student: “My mum and my dad, or I can chat to my tuition person.”

Research highlights the importance of social support for successful SRL. Students benefit from being able to ask for help and discuss challenges with others. For example, one study found that achievement and motivation were higher in medical students who had more support from family and teaching staff.

In digital environments, immediate support from a teacher is less available. Some students may therefore require support in developing the communication skills to explain what they need, particularly in writing.

A live chat function could allow students to work together and support each other with tasks they find difficult and help foster communities of learners.

Intuitive design features

“[An important design decision is] having a dynamic layout that you can shape for yourself.” – Student

Digital learning platforms need to be clear and easy to use. Key information should be presented in a way that is easy to access and interpret – for example, through dashboards showing goals, deadlines and progress. Visibility of progress can also be motivating for students.

Features such as reminders, notifications and personalised schedules may support time management, which is an important aspect of SRL.

Experience and confidence

Research findings suggest that students with more experience of using technology for learning, and a more positive attitude towards it, are more likely to be successful in SRL when using digital environments.

Giving students opportunities to build confidence and familiarity with digital tools is therefore important and can help to promote fairness and accessibility, particularly for those with less experience of digital learning.

Key takeaways

These findings highlight the importance of designing digital learning in ways that help students stay motivated, understand what is expected of them and engage effectively when working independently.

They also underline the need to support students in building confidence and familiarity with digital tools, particularly where prior experience is more limited.

As learning and assessment continue to evolve in more digital contexts, supporting SRL will become increasingly important for student success.

Read the full literature review for more detail on the evidence behind these findings and how it is shaping development of the numeracy product.