Techniques to Promote Self-Regulated Learning: Webinar with the US Department of State

In this webinar titled Empower Students: Techniques to Promote Self-Regulated Learning hosted by the U.S. Department of State, Dr. Darlene Wiggins Dockery introduces Dr. Linh Phung, a dedicated language educator, researcher, and founder of the Eduling app. Dr. Phung shares a systematic framework for promoting SRL, offering practical techniques such as SMART goals, vision boards, and the WOOP method. Participants explore actionable strategies to develop learners’ self regulation, build lasting learning habits, and support lifelong learning in any classroom context.

This webinar has been edited and added to the Language Innovators podcast. Watch the full webinar here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-kRBUtDuz0

Highlights

1. Defining Self-Regulated Learning (SRL)

To provide a foundation for the session, Dr. Phung unpacks the three terms within "self-regulated learning":

• Self: Refers to the learner’s own thoughts, actions, and decisions.

• Regulation: Involves managing or controlling one’s own learning processes.

• Learning: The actual process of gaining knowledge and skills.

Combined, SRL is the process by which students decide what to learn, plan their approach, stay motivated, track their progress, and adjust their strategies when necessary. Dr. Phung references the scholar Zimmerman, noting that SRL involves how learners cognitively, motivationally, and behaviorally promote their own academic success. In simpler terms, it means students must pay attention to their thinking, have clear reasons for their activities, and take active ownership of their learning.

2. A Systematic Framework for SRL

The webinar centers on a systematic approach created by Dr. Hayo Reinders and contributed to by three other experts including Dr. Linh Phung and published by Oxford University Press. This framework consists of six essential components:

1. Motivation for SRL

2. Identifying Needs

3. Setting Goals

4. Making Plans

5. Task Regulation

6. Self-Assessment

3. Component 1: Motivation for SRL

The first step in promoting SRL is helping students understand what it is and why it benefits them. Dr. Phung suggests that teachers define SRL simply as "taking charge of your learning".

• Leading by Example: Teachers should model lifelong learning by sharing their own experiences, such as learning new technology like Google Docs or video editing tools.

• Vision Boards: A powerful motivational activity involves creating a "vision board," which is a collage of images representing how a student wants to use English in the future. Visualizing these future roles helps students stay inspired and define their intentions clearly.

4. Component 2: Identifying Needs

Teachers can help students become more aware of two types of needs:

• Language-related needs: Specific skills like vocabulary, grammar, or speaking.

• Learning-related needs: Habits like goal setting, tracking progress, and seeking feedback.

Dr. Phung demonstrates how self-assessment checklists can help students identify these needs. For example, a high-level student might realize they are confident in group discussions but need to improve their ability to follow fast, natural speech. For younger or lower-level learners, simple "tick or cross" forms can be used to assess basic skills, such as recognizing animal names or using greetings.

5. Addressing Learning Needs

To further address learning-related needs, Dr. Phung suggests teaching students how the brain and memory function.

• Growth Mindset: Students can be presented information about growth mindset with the idea that that intelligence is not fixed; the brain grows as we learn.

• Memory Types: Understanding sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory helps students realize why paying attention and regular rehearsal are necessary for retention.

• Review Cycles: Teachers should encourage students to plan reviews of past lessons immediately after class, after a week, and after a month to prevent the natural "dip" in memory. Teaching others is highlighted as one of the best ways to solidify this information.

6. Forming Productive Habits

Habits are vital because they sustain a student when motivation fluctuates. Dr. Phung provides five tips for habit formation:

• Persistence: Try a new habit for 30 days or four weeks.

• Monitoring: Use a simple checklist to mark off completed tasks, which provides a sense of satisfaction.

• Reminders: Use alarms or notes to prompt action.

• Anchoring: Attach a new activity to an existing one, like reviewing vocabulary while drinking morning coffee.

• Rewards: Treat yourself with something small, like a short video, after completing the task.

Learn more from the How to Become a Power Learner course on the Eduling app.

7. Components 3 & 4: Setting Goals and Making Plans

Goals and plans must be specific to be effective. Dr. Phung advocates for the SMART acronym:

• Specific

• Measurable

• Attainable

• Relevant

• Time-bound

She also introduces the WOOP technique for mental contrasting:

• Wish: A challenging but achievable goal.

• Outcome: The best positive feeling or result from achieving the wish.

• Obstacle: An internal obstacle that might prevent success.

• Plan: An "if-then" strategy to overcome that obstacle.

For instance, if a student's obstacle is not practicing Spanish daily, their plan might be: "If I finish a lesson on my phone, then I will listen to one Spanish song".

8. Component 5: Task Regulation

Task regulation is how students manage specific academic assignments. Students should learn to:

• Select useful resources.

• Apply step-by-step strategies (what to do first, next, etc.).

• Monitor progress using learning logs or checklists.

Dr. Phung emphasizes that teachers should introduce these strategies and help students to monitor their progress through tools such as checklists. 

Check out pronunciation strategies and techniques in the Pronunciation for Teachers course on the Eduling app.

9. The Role of Feedback and Engagement

A critical takeaway from the webinar is that "feedback doesn't lead to learning; engagement is where learning happens". If a teacher provides extensive feedback but the student does not interact with it, no progress is made. Dr. Phung shares an example of using AI to provide initial grammar feedback, while she provides personalized audio feedback for pronunciation. She then has students discuss the feedback in class and redo the task to ensure they are truly engaging with the feedback.

10. Component 6: Self-Assessment

Positioned at the center of the framework, self-assessment should be done frequently. Dr. Phung recommends simple "exit ticket" questions for the end of a lesson:

• What was the lesson about?

• What did I learn?

• What made it difficult?

• What’s next?

More broadly, students should reflect on whether they are on the right track and if their goals have changed.

11. Conclusion: Taking Action

Dr. Phung concludes by reminding teachers that "whatever we practice will grow". Knowing these strategies is only half the battle; the most important step is for teachers to put them into practice and share their successful materials with the wider community. Participants end the session by committing to one specific strategy, such as the WOOP method or vision boards, to apply in their next class.

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