Summary of My #LearningProject about Self-Regulated Learning

My #LearningProject

My #learningproject this term for #EDCI569 was to learn more about Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) in the Intermediate Classroom.  My understanding at the beginning of this project was pretty basic.  Prior to last summer, I had many preconceived ideas about what SRL was based on my experiences.  Last summer, I was introduced to the idea that SRL was so much more than just behaviour management.  I reflected on this realization in my blog post, The Case for SRL in the Elementary Classroom.  This realization captured my interest.  So this term, when I was given the opportunity to learn something of my choice, I chose to do research on how SRL might look in the intermediate classroom.

Another important aspect of my #learningproject was to learn how to do scholarly research and in the end, work towards writing a literature review on the topic.  On this aspect, I have taken time to learn specifics about research such as learning how to do online academic searches, accessing the library, connecting with scholars, and writing a literature review.  My hope is that this part of my #learningproject will help others in their journey as a graduate student conducting research in the field.

Overview of my #learningproject journey:

Here is a brief overview of my journey in the last three months learning about SRL.

• Introduction
• Learning about how to do research and a literature review
  • Tips on Writing a Lit Review
  • Using Boolean search techniques
  • Using the UVIC library as a distance student
  • Locating and reading ‘In Press’ research
  • Monthly Documentation of my journey in researching SRL
• Networking with Experts
  • Connecting with leading experts in the field
  • Skype chat with Lyndsay McCardle
• • Connecting with Sabrina Vandevelde to read her research
• Reflections on my learning and practice in regards to SRL
  • SRL in the Classroom
  • The Case for SRL in the Elementary Classroom
• Summary of #learningproject

Where I am at

There are three ways in which I have found my #learningproject has changed me.

First, I feel much more informed and connected to the research field of SRL.  I have made numerous connections with leading experts around the world.  I have read a variety of research based articles and blogs, and reflected on their implications in the classroom.  Through Twitter, Google+, and email, I feel as though I have created a basic network of people and resources for me to easily tap into throughout the rest of my journey in this #learningproject.

Secondly, I have noticed that my thinking about learning has begun to change.  I have realized that in essence, I have been learning about learning.  This excites me, because it connects directly to an inspiring quote that I am fond of in Richardson’s (2012) book Why School?. “The illiterate of the 21 century will not be those who cannot read and write.  The illiterate will be those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn” (Herbert Gerjuoy as cited in Richardson, 2012).  In regards to myself, I am constantly assessing my own strategies and methods to learn.  I am acknowledging my own strengths and weaknesses about how I learn.  When I am teaching in my class, I am constantly thinking about the barriers to learning that my students are facing, and how I can begin to help them take some ownership over overcoming these barriers.

Finally, as my thoughts have begun to change, I have noticed my practice also changing.  An example of this can be found at my blog post, SRL in the Classroom.  I constantly point out when my students are displaying strategies of monitoring and assessing their learning.  I find myself discussing these things, and my own learning, with my students, explicitly teaching them through modelling and class discussion.  I have begun to notice that a few of my students are latching on to the idea that they can monitor and change their learning behaviors.  This is the most exciting outcome of my #learningproject!

Where Am I Going?

My #learningproject has really only just begun.  The hope is that this project forms a foundation for me to take further research action in developing a resource for teachers to implement SRL in the classroom.  As my research and learning forms my understanding of SRL and how it is best implemented in the classroom, so does my vision for what my final resource will look like.  Initially, I imagined it to be a simple resource that gives teachers the opportunity to teach SRL as a separate unit.  Now I realize that SRL is so interwoven into learning that it should not be separated out as it’s own entity.  This week, as I read Daniel Thompson’s blog (2015), Misconceptions of Self-Regulated Learning Implementation, I was struck by his quote by Dr. Stuart Shanker, “Self-regulation is a process and not a packaged program that comes complete with a predetermined set of ‘regulating tools’.” I need to be very careful as I begin this next part of my #learningproject that I do not created a packaged program but rather a resource that encourages the use of SRL strategies in all aspects of learning within school and out.

“Therefore, SRL is not an ‘add-on’ to what we do in class.  It is simply capitalizing on student’s dispositions, wonderings and inquiries, while helping them develop new strategies to navigate the process successfully.” (Thompson, 2015)

Discussing SRL with Lindsay McCardle

Today I had the amazing opportunity to meet with Lindsay McCardle and discuss Self-Regulated Learning (SRL). Lindsay McCardle is just finishing her PHD on the topic of SRL at UVIC studying in the department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies.  She teaches classes about self-regulated learning (ED-D101) at UVIC.  I first connected with Lindsay earlier this term when I contacted Allyson Hadwin to get some advice on my research into Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) in the Elementary Classroom.  Since Allyson Hadwin was on a study leave, her PHD student, Lindsay McCardle responded instead.  At the time, Lindsay offered to meet with me to discuss the research they are doing on SRL at UVIC and some potential ideas for the direction of my #TIEGRAD Med Project.

Here’s a couple of key things that I took out of our conversation today, followed by some video footage of our conversation.

• When a student doesn’t understand the task or how to accomplish it, they will procrastinate.  They need goals and a plan to help them manage their time appropriately.
• Most teachers focus on teaching SRL strategies.  But if the student doesn’t have ‘task understanding and goal setting’ skills, they will just be picking strategies in the dark and not using them in a meaningful and purposeful way.
• Students need to be able to ask themselves, “How do I know I did a good job?” and answer this question with details other than, “the teacher gave me a good mark”.
• Inquiry learning requires a LOT of SRL!  There’s not enough attention given to this.  Students need some guidance with inquiry, even at a university level.

This first clip is of our conversation about how SRL might play out in the elementary school classroom, and possible project ideas for my #TIEGRAD project. 

This second clip is our conversation about how interconnected SRL is with Inquiry Based Learning.

The Case for Self-Regulated Learning in the Elementary Classroom

Last summer when Mariel Miller was asked to speak to our class about Self Regulated Learning, I was less than enthusiastic.  Self Regulated Learning sometimes feels like an overused term in education.  After working for seven years in a local inner city school, you can imagine I have heard the term more often than most.  Our school seemed to put ALL our efforts and much of our finances into helping our behaviorally challenged students learn to regulate their actions, and to be honest, it was very important because when those students could learn to regulate their behaviour, we could all breathe a collective sigh of relief and attempt to teach the rest of the class.

Now on the flip side, I have joined a new school with a new environment, and although we still deal with behaviours to a degree, I am ready to learn something new… like how to teach literacy and numeracy, or inquiry learning, or project-based learning or maker education… but no more “Self Regulation”.

I was exhausted of regulating behaviours.

Enter Mariel Miller.

Not once did she mention behaviour.

Not once did she mention ‘green, yellow, and red zones of emotions’ or ‘how full is your tank? and how is your car running?”

Mariel Miller introduced me to the idea that SRL is so much more.  In fact, SRL is the key barrier that is holding back so many of my bright students from engaging in autonomous, meaningful, and authentic learning.

What is Self Regulated Learning?

Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) is generally defined as learners who are motivated to learn, metacognitive, strategic, and willing to make adaptations (Johnson & Davies, 2014; Perry & Rahim, 2011; Pino-Pasternak, Basilio, & Whitebread, 2014; Winne & Hadwin, 1998, 2008).  A self-regulated learner is a student who is able to control, evaluate, and adapt his or her own learning process (Zimmerman & Schunk, 2011). Rather than giving up on a task at hand, a self-regulated learner persists through challenges and makes changes necessary to complete a task (Perry & Rahim, 2011).  With careful monitoring and evaluation, a self-regulated learner is constantly experimenting with their learning and fine-tuning it over and over again (Perry & Rahim, 2011; Winne & Hadwin, 2008). Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) is essential to meaningful learning in the classroom (Zimmerman, 2008).

In the following video lecture, Deborah Butler and Nancy Perry (2014) define SRL in the elementary classroom.

What is Self Regulated Learning? (Drs. Deborah Butler & Nancy Perry – Part 1) from Shawn Lam on Vimeo.

Why is it important? (a case for SRL)

Despite the prevailing ideas from the past and what they tell us, research now shows that SRL can be developed in learners as early as preschool (Corte, Mason, et. al. 2011).  SRL is not inherent in children.  It must be developed through thoughtful instruction, modelling, and experience.  It becomes more and more apparent that large amounts of students in our schools are lacking SRL skills.  Those students who have strong SRL skills perform better academically in literacy and numeracy than those who do not (Corte, Mason, et. al. 2011; Harris, Graham, Reid, & Mason, 2011).  It is imperative that our school system begins to change to include the widespread implementation of SRL instruction (Corte, Mason, et. al. 2011).

Final Thoughts

As I continue my research in SRL, I am reminded with each new article, how important it is that I, as a teacher, explicitly teach SRL in my classroom across the curriculum.  With the new push for inquiry-based learning in the classroom, it is more important than ever that our students are able to set goals, make plans, and monitor their progress.  It is more important than ever that our students gain the skills to adapt their strategies and plans when things aren’t going as well as they hoped.  In a world where information and knowledge is at our finger tips and readily available for all, it will be those who have the capability to strategically and adaptively learn who will always be a step ahead.

“The illiterate of the 21 century will not be those who cannot read and write.  The illiterate will be those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” – Herbert Gerjuoy (as cited in Richardson, 2012)

Sources Used

Corte, E. De, Mason, L., Depaepe, F., & Verschaffel, L. (2011). Self-Regulation of Mathematical Knowledge and Skills. In D. H. Schunk & B. J. Zimmerman (Eds.), Handbook of Self-Regulation of Learning and Performance (pp. 155–167). New York: Taylor & Francis Group.

Harris, K. R., Graham, S., Reid, R., & Mason, L. H. (2011). Self-Regulated Learning Processes and Children’s Writing. In D. H. Schunk & B. J. Zimmerman (Eds.), Handbook of Self-Regulation of Learning and Performance (pp. 187–199). New York: Taylor & Francis Group.

Johnson, G., & Davies, S. (2014). Self-regulated learning in digital environments: theory, research, praxis. Retrieved from http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au/R?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=203527

Perry, N. E., & Rahim, A. (2011). Studying Self-Regulated Learning in Classrooms. In J. Zimmerman & D. H. Schunk (Eds.), Handbook of Self-Regulation of Learning and Performance (p. 504). Taylor & Francis. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=XfOYV0lwzGgC&pgis=1

Pino-Pasternak, D., Basilio, M., & Whitebread, D. (2014, November 4). Interventions and Classroom Contexts That Promote Self-Regulated Learning: Two Intervention Studies in United Kingdom Primary Classrooms. Psykhe. doi:10.7764/psykhe.23.2.739

Richardson, W. (2012). Why School? How Education Must Change when Learning and Information are Everywhere (eBook). TED Conferences. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.ca/Why-School-Education-Information-Everywhere-ebook/dp/B00998J5YQ

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). London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Winne, P. H., & Hadwin, A. F. (2008). The Weave of Motivation and Self-Regulated Learning. In D. H. Schunk & B. J. Zimmerman (Eds.), Motivation and Self-Regulated Learning: Theory, Research, and Applications (pp. 297–314). New York: Taylor & Francis Group.

Zimmerman, B. J. (2008). Investigating Self-Regulation and Motivation: Historical Background, Methodological Developments, and Future Prospects. American Educational Research …, 45(1), 184–205. doi:10.3102/000283120

Zimmerman, B. J., & Schunk, D. H. (2011). Self-Regulated Learning and Performance: An Introduction and an Overview. In B. J. Zimmerman & D. H. Schunk (Eds.), Handbook of Self-Regulation of Learning and Performance (pp. 1–14). New York: Taylor & Francis Group.

Locating ‘In Press’ Research Articles

Last week I received a Google Scholar Alert that informed me of a new article on Self-Regulated Learning written by Sabrina Vandevelde called The challenge of promoting self-regulated learning among primary school children with a low socio-economic and immigrant background. The article caught my immediate attention since in connected to my #learningproject so directly.  When I got to the site though, I was frustrated to find the article was not available.  The further I looked, I realized that it wasn’t even published yet.  It was “In Press”.  With some further inquiry, I realized that this meant that the article was waiting to be published in a specific journal and not yet available.

I felt like I had hit a roadblock with this article and considered deleting the email and article from my reference manager.

Instead, I decided to put my question on Twitter.  What do you do when you want to read an article but it’s “In Press”?  My UVIC professor, Valerie Irvine, got back to me shortly and said that I could either just wait for it, or try contacting the author for a copy.

I started by looking up the author, Sabrina Vandevelde, on Twitter. Unfortunately, I didn’t find her in this space.  Next, I googled her and found her profile page at the Ghent University webpage (Belgium).  Here I found her email address and sent her a quick email asking her if she would consider sharing her article with me for the purpose of my project.

Three days later I received her upbeat response; thanking for my interest and providing her article with me.  She also said that since “the manuscript is still in press, please consider the document with confidence”.  For this reason, I won’t be sharing her article on my blog.

Once again, in my #learningproject on SRL, I am made aware of the powerful impact the internet has on our ability to learn and connect with people and materials that would’ve otherwise been unavailable.  Within three days, I had not only created another connection to a researcher in the world of SRL, but I also obtained access to her personal research which is yet to be published.

SRL in the Classroom: My Learning Becomes Visable

In the past month I have delved into the world of self-regulated learning (SRL).  I have spent many hours reading and researching current trends and prominent theories supporting SRL.  The more I learn, the more I become enthusiastic about how crucial SRL skills are for my students.

Slowly, over the month, I have seen some of this learning start to seep in and reshape my thoughts and actions as a teacher.  I have seen this happen in two distinct ways; first, a change in my thinking, and second, a change in some of my teaching methods.  Although these are small steps in my journey, I think they are noteworthy in showing how my learning for my #learningproject and lit review are beginning to make permanent changes who I am as a teacher.

My Changing Thoughts

All of my learning about SRL has had an impact on the way I think about my job as a teacher, as well as how I view my students learning successes and challenges.  Over and over again, my research has shown me that students are capable of learning SRL strategies at all ages and that it is imperative that teachers incorporate instruction in this area into their classrooms.  This month, in my classroom, I have started to notice how quickly some students give up due to their lack of ability to set goals, make plans, and use SRL strategies.  Even more so, I have noticed how incapable they are of adapting these goals and plans when they do not play out exactly as they had hoped.  I am a ‘big picture’ person.  I like to assign interesting projects to my students that provide them with choice and inquiry.  Yet over and over again, I watch most of my students stare at me like a deer in the headlights (after their initial excitement), clearly not yet ready for my ambitious inquiry projects.  They do not have the strategies and learning skills to follow through on the plan.  My research in SRL is making it clear to me why they are struggling with to much learning responsibility and where I can begin to help them on their journey to become more autonomous learners.

My Changing Teaching Practice

This week, I adapted my teaching to reflect the research I am reading.  Most every article that I’ve read has pointed at goal setting and planning as a foundational starting point for SRL.  Learner need to set goals and create a plan, and then be willing to monitor and adapt as they strive to complete a task or activity.  I’ve been thinking a lot about how I can better help my students learn to monitor and adapt their goals and plans.  I think we often help our students set goals and then come back to them in a couple weeks to determine if they achieved them or not.

As a part of her action plan, this student had a tally on her desk to keep track of her classroom participation.

On Wednesday, my class set some very simple and achievable goals around classroom behaviour and created a 3-step action plan to meet those goals within three days.  We pinned these goals and plans up on the wall. The next morning in our class meeting I asked the students how they were doing with their goals.  Several said they had already met them, others said they were working on it still, and a couple made it obvious that they had already given up on them.  I took this opportunity to teach my students about the skill of monitoring and adapting our goals.  Here are a couple of our discussion points:

• If your goal has already been achieved, you have the opportunity to adapt or change it to help you to keep on growing.
• If you feel like giving up, your goal might be too hard for you.  Or maybe you’re just having a tough day and the simple goal you set yesterday seems unsurmountable today.  In this case, you need to adapt or change your goal to reflect what you are capable of today.
• Adapting and changing goals does not mean we failed, but that we are capable of understanding ourselves and what we need to do to continue working towards the end task.

After this discussion, I handed out sticky notes and sharpie pens for the students to go up to the board and make their adaptations to reflect their new goals and plans. Our beautiful goal setting bulletin board is now covered in sticky notes and scratched out words that clearly show my students growing ability to be able to monitor and adapt their goals and plans to help them be successful in class.

#learningproject: My Own Self Regulated Learning

These may seem to be tiny changes in the grand scheme of things; however, according to Winne and Hadwin’s (1998) model of SRL, these changes to my cognition and practice show that my learning is permanent.  The fact that my learning plan and strategies being used for my #learningproject are changing my thoughts and behaviours shows that the information is entering my long term memory and the process I am using is working!  It turns out that I get to put everything I am learning about how to help my students regulate their learning into practice in my #learningproject.

Source Used

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). London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Borrowing Books from the UVIC Library as a Distance Student

As I continue on in my discussions with SRL experts for my #learningproject, I have come across some key readings that I cannot seem to find online.  UVIC PHd student, Lindsay McCardle, recommended that in order to become more familiar with the leading SRL model I should read two chapters written by WInne and Hadwin from 1998 and 2008.  No matter how hard I search, I could not seem to find anywhere online that would allow me to read these chapters for less than $40!

Then, as a last resort, I went to the UVIC Library Website.  I sure wish that I had made this my first stop! In no time, I found both books that I needed.  They were both available in the library.  I recalled that when the librarian had visited our EDCI515 class last fall, they had mentioned that they could mail us books.  So I thought I would give it a try.

I located the contact information for the Distance Ed Library and sent her an email to ask how I could have a book delivered to me.  That same day (it was the weekend), she responded and said they would be in the mail on Monday morning.  I was ecstatic to discover how easy this was!  By Wednesday afternoon I had both books in my hands.  And to my delight, they send you a mailing slip that allows you to mail the books back at no cost!

Most of my readings in the last year and a half have been either online or on printed papers.  It has been a wonderful treat to receive these books in the mail.  It has been enjoyable for me to curl up on my favourite reading chair, with an actual book, and a cup of coffee.

An Unfortuate Challenge

When I initially received the books, I was pleased to find out that I did not have to return the books till April 30.  That’s over 3 months!  I thought that it would be nice to have the books with me as a reference as I continue this project.  To my surprise, two weeks later, I received an email that said the book had been recalled, and I needed to send it back as soon as possible.  I wrote to inquire why this was.  It turns out that UVIC has a policy that all students should have a chance to access every book.  So if someone requests the book while you have it, the library will ask for it back.  So you are only guaranteed 7 days with the book.  Upon closer look of the return slip, I realized that this was written clearly on it.  I find this very frustrating because of the uncertainty of how long you can have a book.  When I went to university, we got to borrow a book from the library for 3 weeks.  I preferred this because we could be certain how long we would have it for and plan our projects around that.  If no one had requested it, we could take it out for another 3 weeks.  Unfortunately, this has put a big damper on my initial excitement of borrowing books from the library.

Overview 

For UVIC distance students doing research and looking for specific books, I highly recommend borrowing books from the UVIC library.  It is quick and easy, and there is nothing quite as great a holding a book with pages in your hands.  However, be aware that you can only be certain that you have the books for 7 days.  After that, at any point, you may be requested to return in immediately.

Steps to borrowing books from the UVIC library:

1. Find the book you want
2. Copy the title and the call number
3. Email the library at infoline@uvic.ca and request the book (give them the call number!)
4. Sit back and wait
5. Pick up your books at the local post office when they arrive
6. Make a cup of coffee, and start reading!
7. After 7 days, be prepared to have to send it back of someone else wants it
8. When finished, use the prepaid mailing slip provided to send the books back to: UVIC-Continuing Studies Library SVCS, PO Box 1800, Victoria BC, V8W 3H5

Using Boolean Operators in Academic Searches

This is a revised post from #EDCI515 last term.  I have adapted it to show my current learning about SRL in the intermediate classroom.  I have also included some of the searches that I am currently using in my academic research.  Boolean Operators in my searches around SRL have become more and more important in narrowing down the articles I have to review.  Here is my post about learning how to use Boolean operators.

As I have started doing some searches for academic literature for my SRL #learningproject and Lit review in #tiegrad, I’ve come to the stark realization that I am terrible at internet searches!  Typically, if I want to know something, like ‘how audio only multimedia compares to audio and visual multimedia?’ I simply go to google and type in…

Last summer I discovered google scholar and realized I could narrow down my searches to an academic/scholarly approach.  So then I began to do this…

I kept wondering why everyone was so worried about how to search for information. This technique had always worked for me in the past.  Recently, I have discovered that by searching this way, I am missing out on many important articles on a specific topic.  In EDCI 515, Valerie mentioned the importance of using Boolean Logic in our searches.  The following blog is my journey in learning about what Boolean Logic is, and how/when to use it.

What is Boolean Search Logic?

According to the New York Public Library, Boolean Search is a method of symbolic logic that is derived from the ideas of the mathematician George Boole in the 19th century.  A Boolean Search uses Boolean Operators to limit, broaden, or define a search (New York Public Library, 2011).  These Boolean Operators are AND, Or, or NOT.  These are simple words, but they can make the world of difference to a search.  When used correctly, the result will be many relevant hits instead of hundreds of irrelevant ones.  A good researcher is able to use these Boolean Operators to create meaningful searches that produce important research on a specific topic.  The operators act as “extremely effective filters for finding just the information one needs on databases and on the web” (Exploratorium Learning Studio, 1998).

Boolean Operators can be used in most databases, libraries, and online browsers.  It is important to find out if the database or search engine has some slight differences in Boolean Operators.  For example, Googles recognizes the minus (-) symbol instead of NOT).

Understanding the Boolean Operators

• AND: using AND helps to narrow the search by combining two or more terms.
• OR: using OR widens your search to include more than one word that you are looking for.  The search will produce all articles that use either of the words.
• NOT: using NOT using exclusion to narrow down your search (search engines like google may recognize the minus symbol instead of NOT).  According to Exploratorium Learning Studio, NOT can be potentially dangerous to use in a search because all articles with that term will be excluded.

Here is a great video that explains the use of these Boolean Operators.

Using Quotations in Your Search

If it is important that two or more words appear right next to each other in the search, quotation can be used.  For example if you wanted to look up visual multimedia, you could simply put quotes around it to ensure that these words are next to each other in the article (i.e. “Visual Multimedia”)

Combining Boolean Operators

Searches can be more advanced and specific when Boolean Operators are combined.  For example, if I was researching about Audio AND Visual Multimedia in elementary school but NOT high school, I could use both operators to do my search (ie. Audio AND Visual AND elementary NOT “high school”).  As a person becomes comfortable with using Boolean Operators, they will be able to manipulate topics to create precise and logical search statements which will result in the desired information (Exploratorium Learning Studio, 1998).

Steps for Formulating a Search

Here are the steps laid out by the Exploratorium Learning Studio in formulating a relevant and focused search.

1. Identify concepts
2. List keywords for each concept and their synonyms
3. Specify the logical relationships among the keywords using Boolean Operators (AND, OR, or NOT)

Tips for Searches

Here are some easy tips that I found at the Exploratorium Learning Studio website that anyone can start using today!

1. Learn about the database or search engine you are using.  It may have some variations on Boolean Operators.
2. Find the synonyms or alternative spellings for your terms
3. Check Spelling
4. Experiment with different search engines
5. Attempt many different versions of your search.  If you are not happy with the results, keep trying with alternative terms.  They more you try, the better you will become at it!

Specific Boolean Searches on the topic of SRL in the Intermediate Classroom

In speaking with my professor, Valerie Irvine, she helped me to further narrow down my searches by looking at key terms and tags used in research articles.  We searched through several high ranking articles to find some of the following terms to help me narrow down my search.

• “self-regulated learning”  (the most obvious one!)
• AND (one or more of the following) primary, grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, grade 6, grade 7, intermediate, elementary,
• AND Learning supports OR learning support OR teaching methods OR instructional design OR Scaffolding OR Strategy development OR learning strategies

Sources Used:

Barker, J. Basic Search Tips and Advanced Boolean Explained. Retrieved from the Berkeley Library at University of California website: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Boolean.pdf

Burns, S (2011). What is Boolean Search?. Retrieved from the New York Public Library website: http://www.nypl.org/blog/2011/02/22/what-boolean-search

Introduction to Logic Used in Electronic Searching. Retrieved from the Exploratorium Learning Studio website: http://www.exploratorium.edu/lc/search/boolean.html

Vincent, C (2012) Boolean Operators: Pirates vs. Ninjas.  Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdx9dACkvyI

Research Focus: Starting to Get Things Going!

This is the first of my research focus updates that has been on the same topic as my last reflection.  This is great news because it means that I have finally chosen a topic and am into it enough that I am not going to change it again!

At this point in the journey I am pleased with my choice of topic.  I think that Self Regulated Learning is really the gateway for our students to authentic real life learning.  I think it is the hub for developing students into life-long learners.  What more could we hope for?  Winne & Hadwin (2008) say that change and adaptation is the Hallmark of SRL.  First, a student must notice that there is a discrepancy between the task they are working on and the standards set, and then they must act to change this discrepancy.  So many of my students recognize that they are not meeting the mark and then decide to give up.  They need to be given the proper tools to understand what they can do to change or adapt their learning techniques to help them achieve their goals.

At this point in my journey, I am still uncertain about what my final #tiegrad project will be.  However, I know that the topic is Self Regulated Learning Skills.  I am using my literature review to help me understand SRL better from an academic perspective.  I am hoping that my research, readings, and discussions with leading experts in the field will help me to shape what my project will be.  I feel excited about this because I think it means that I am going to allow the current academic research to determine what would be most effective in regards to SRL in the intermediate classroom.

I finally feel like I have started this project and have begun to enjoy the process.  I am currently doing the following things to help support the development of my SRL literature review.

• Getting in contact with leading experts in the field to determine important readings, theory, and research (for more details, see my last blog post: Getting In Touch with SRL Experts)
• Finding and reading articles by these leading experts in the field
• Reading about and familiarizing myself with Winne and Hadwin’s (1998) model of SRL.  I have decdied that this model will be the theoretical framework for my #tiegrad literature review
• Documenting my learning strategies and journey in #EDCI569 as my term #learningproject
• Meeting regularly with Wendy Burleson (my reading group) to support each other in lit review development
• Writing the theoretical framework section of my literature review
• Reading and taking detailed notes on current research articles in the field of SRL
• Developing an ever changing draft outline of my literature review

Source Used

1. H., & Hadwin, A. F. (2008). The Weave of Motivation and Self-Regulated Learning. In D. H. Schunk & B. J. Zimmerman (Eds.), Motivation and Self-regulated Learning: Theory, Research, and Applications (p. 416). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

#learningproject: Getting in Touch with SRL Experts

As a part of my #learningproject, I have taken some time to contact the leading researchers in the field. I started by contacting Mariel Miller who spoke to our #tiegrad class last summer about SRL in education. I found Mariel on Twitter and sent her a message to see if I could ask her for some input in my research.  Mariel quickly responded and invited me to email her my questions.

@MissBartel definitely! Just sent you a message with my email

— Mariel Miller (@Mariel_M1) January 13, 2015

Feeling a tad bit intimidated about emailing her, I had a conversation with my professor Valerie Irvine to help me understand the types of questions I could be asking researchers.  This conversation was extremely helpful to me.  Valerie gave me several questions to ask including:

• What authors or readings do you recommend that I read?
• What theory of SRL do you subscribe to? Are there any other theories that I should be made aware of or understand?
• Is there a location where I can find most of your research articles?
• What information should I make sure to include in my literature review? Is there anything I should leave out?
• According to your research, do you have any project ideas for me to consider in regards to SRL in the elementary classroom?

Valerie also recommended that I got in contact with her colleague Allyson Hadwin and Lyndsay McCardle.  She helped me to understand that both Lyndsay McCardle and Mariel Miller are PhD students underAllyson Hadwin.  I was also directed to look at the SRLCanada website to see other leading experts in the field.

Suddenly, I had contact information for many of the authors I have been reading articles from!

To start, I contacted the following people to ask advice about my research:

• Allyson Hadwin
• Mariel Miller
• Nancy Perry
• Lyndsay McCardle

It has been tremendously exciting to receive their responses. Their responses have helped me

• determine the theoretical background I want to base my lit review on
• add some prominent researchers from outside of Canada to my list of contacts and authors to read
• chose some important books to have the UVIC library send to me to aid in my learning
• learn about specific databases and journals that publish a lot about SRL

The most exciting response I received was from Lyndsay McCardle who offered to meet with me to discuss the current data that they are collecting that may be of interest to me as I am determining what SRL project I would like to do.  I am thrilled to do this!

Suddenly, I feel like I’ve entered a academic world that I have never experienced before.  I feel like I am in contact with a whole lot of smart people that can help me in my #learningproject journey.

It is pretty amazing the way social media (Twitter, email, websites, etc.) can get you in touch with people you never imagined you would talk too.  I find it fascinating the way social media helps to break social down walls and build contacts outside of your typical circle.

Compilation of Tips and Advice from a Novice: Writing a Literature Review

This term, as part of my EDCI 569 #learningproject and my EDCI 515 final project, I am writing a Literature Review about Self-Regulated Learning in the Intermediate Classroom.  In preparation for this, I thought it might be useful to do some research on tips to help me on the journey.  The following blog is a summary of my learning on what a literature review is, what it is not, how to complete one and advice for the journey.  I hope that other graduate students find the following information useful.

What is a Literature Review?

Throughout my search, I have found contradicting information in regards to the definition of a literature review.  According to Creswell, a literature review is “a written summary of journal articles, books, and other documents that describe the past and current state of information on the topic of your research study” (2012).  However, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) states that a literature review is “not a summary of articles, texts or journals” (2014).  Creswell (2012) states that a literature review should use both primary and secondary resources, while Wikiipedia says that literature reviews only use secondary sources and do not report any new or original experimental work (2014).

For the sake of this blog and my Med Project, I am going to use Creswell’s definition to help focus my efforts.  However, I am going to add in useful information from several other sources to help narrow down the purpose and key ideas of a literature review.

According to RMIT, the purpose of a literature review is defined your area of study, establish a theoretical framework, define key terms, and identify important studies supporting your topic (2014). In essence, it must tell the reader what ideas and knowledge have been agreed upon in your area, and what the strengths and weaknesses of these ideas are.

A literature review is very different from a typical academic research paper.  A typical academic research paper develops a new argument and uses literature to support it.  It is often opinionated or argumentative.  However, a literature review summarizes and synthesizes the arguments and knowledge of others without adding new contributions (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2014).  A literature review is not simply a descriptive list of articles or a book by book summary.  It is not a summary of every single thing that has ever been published on your topic.

Steps in completing a Literature Review

Many universities lay out a variety of steps in conducting a literature review.  It can become overwhelming to realize that each resource lists a different set of steps.  However, the steps have enormous overlap, and it appears that the similarities are more plentiful than the differences.  Golash-Boza’s blog points out that just having a predetermined system for writing a literature review can make the entire task seem less daunting (2011). Creswell (2012) lays out five steps in writing a literature review.  Using these steps as a framework, I am going to give some tips on how to conduct each step using a variety of sources and advice.

1. Identify key terms (narrow your topic to a few key terms)
   1. Once you pick a topic, stick to it!
   2. Use words that authors use in literature.
   3. Use a thesaurus to help you find similar terms.
   4. create a list of words to help you start your literature search.
2. Locate literature
   1. Help narrow down your searches by learning how to use Boolean Operators.
   2. Learn how to use academic online databases, google scholar, etc… to conduct your search.
   3. Develop a method to store the literature you find for later review (Evernote, Mendeley, RefWorks, etc…).
3. Critically evaluate and select the literature for your review
   1. Do not try to read everything!  Evaluating for relevance is crucial.
   2. Evaluate the text by looking at the structure.  Read the abstract, headings, sub-headings, and table of contents to determine the suitability for your review (RMIT University, 2014).
   3. Use a checklist to help determine the credibility of your article.  An example of this checklist can be found here.
   4. If the text is credible and relevant for your review, take the time to read it and make notes on it.
   5. Your notes should include the main points and theories of the article, quotes or page references, bibliographic information, the purpose of the article, and the conclusions of the article.
   6. Be objective!  Do not just take notes on the parts of the literature that you agree with (RMIT University, 2014).
   7. Use both primary and secondary sources (Creswell, 2012).
4. Organize the literature
   1. Determine what structure of literature review you are using (see below for structure types).
   2. Create a brief outline based on the structure you choose.
   3. Use a mindmap to help you get your ideas and thoughts organized (example).
   4. Code the literature: one organization technique is to cut out each excerpt on slips of paper.  Then you can organize these excerpts on the floor or poster board.  You could organize these chronologically or thematically. This will help you create a conceptual schema (Golash-Boza, 2011).
5. Write the literature review
   1. Before you start writing, start with an outline.  Outlines are easily tweakable.  This will help you get organized.
   2. Here is a link to specific verbs to use in your literature review: Literature Review Verbs
   3. Integrate the research of a variety of authors (RMIT University, 2014).
   4. Show similarities and differences within research (RMIT University, 2014).
   5. Use titles and subtitles to help organize your writing
   6. If you have coded the literature and organized it into conceptual schemas, you can pick any one of these schemas to begin writing.  Find the excerpts from that category and get started! (Golash-Boza, 2011)

Different Structures of Literature Reviews:

There are several different structures that a literature review can have.  Understanding that there are a variety of ways to organize your review can help you develop an outline.  Once you have chosen a specific structure, the sections you need to include in your review will become more obvious.  Here is a brief description of three different structures according to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

• Chronological – A chronological literature review writes about materials according to when they were published or by trends.  When organizing your materials by publication, it implies that the publish date is more important than trends.  An example of this would be if you are trying to show the progression of change in scientific methods over time (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2014). Organizing a literature review by trends is a better way to order sources chronologically.  In this method, you can discuss a historical trend by discussing current literature that supports it as well as historical literature. (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2014)

• Thematic – A thematic literature review is organized by topic or issue.  In this case, the progression of time may or may not be an important piece to consider.  The specific issue or topic becomes most important. (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2014)

• Methodological – Rather than focusing on content, a methodological literature review focuses on the “methods” of the researcher.  (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2014)

Sources Used:

Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research. (P. A. Smith & C. Robb, Eds.) (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education INC.

Golash-Boza, T (2011). Writing a literature review: six steps to get you from start to finish. Retrieved from http://getalifephd.blogspot.ca/2011/10/writing-literature-review-six-steps-to.htm

Online tutorial: literature review (2014).  Retrieved from RMIT University’s website: http://emedia.rmit.edu.au/learninglab/content/literature-review-tutorial
The Writing Center: literature reviews (2014). Retrieved from th University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s website: http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/literature-reviews