On the effectiveness of self-paced learning

Abstract

Metacognitive monitoring and control must be accurate and efficient in order to allow self-guided learners to improve their performance. Yet few examples exist in which allowing learners to control learning produces higher levels of performance than restricting learners’ control. Here we investigate the consequences of allowing learners to self-pace study of a list of words on later recognition, and show that learners with control of study-time allocation significantly outperformed subjects with no control, even when the total study time was equated between groups (Experiments 1 and 2). The self-pacing group also outperformed a group for which study time was automatically allocated as a function of normative item difficulty (Experiment 2). The advantage of self-pacing was apparent only in subjects who utilized a discrepancy reduction strategy—that is, who allocated more study time to normatively difficult items. Self-pacing can improve memory performance, but only when appropriate allocation strategies are used.

The role of answer fluency and perceptual fluency as metacognitive cues for initiating analytic thinking

“…For example, cognitive ability appears to moderate the relationship between perceptual fluency and normative accuracy. A variety of other factors may be expected to moderate this relationship, including the perceived relevance of the feeling of fluency to the task at hand (Greifeneder, Bless, & Pham, 2011), the motivation of the reasoner (Greifeneder et al, 2011;Stanovich, 2009), and the extent to which the allocation of resources is under participant control (Tullis & Benjamin, 2011). Thus, while we have sketched the outline of a metacognitive theory of reasoning, more research is needed to untangle the relationships between fluency, FOR, and Type 2 thinking.…”

Internet cognitive failure relevant to self-efficacy, learning interest, and satisfaction with social media learning

“…These self-directed aspects of learning play important implications in the effectiveness of the user's learning efforts (Tullis & Benjamin, 2011), which in turn can extend interest. In this sense, the implication of CATLM paved the way to study interest in learning with social media and possible correlations of learning satisfaction with social media.…”

Self-paced and dialogical knowledge creation for promoting deep learning: the pilot case in Teacher Education

“…Tullis and Benjamin (2011) have found out that if learners pace themselves, make metacognitive judgments of their learning, and spend more time on difficult concepts, they are more likely to succeed in a self-paced situation. Self-paced learning outside the classroom means freedom for students to start and complete learning assignments at any time.…”