Table of Contents
Self-regulated learning
Summary
Self-regulated learning (SRL) is an essential component of student centred education at Fontys ICT. It enables students to shape their learning process in collaboration with their lecturer. This policy outlines what we mean by SRL and how we translate this into educational practice, including examples of its application. The guide ‘Navigating your learning process’ serves as a guide for students and lecturers within Fontys ICT.
Why self-regulated learning?
Our society is changing at breakneck speed and demands professionals who continue to develop. Fontys’ TGO frameworks provide direction for how we support students in lifelong development, with a focus on ownership and the student’s unique learning process.
Within Student centred education at Fontys ICT, we learn from and with one another; lecturers encourage students to take control of their own learning and increasingly empower them to steer their own development.
What is self-regulated learning?
Self-regulated learning is an active, cyclical and social process in which students give purposeful direction to their learning process. They do this by monitoring and regulating their cognition, motivation, behaviour and emotions, with the aim of achieving their learning outcomes and promoting their professional development (Pintrich, 2000; Last &, 2025).
How do we promote SRL?
Within Fontys ICT, students work on Units of Learning Outcomes (EvL): broad, less prescriptive units of study. Instead of a fixed learning pathway, this requires students to steer their own development. Students make their own choices, set goals, plan their learning process and demonstrate their progress. Self-regulated learning is essential in this regard.
We know this does not happen automatically. That is why lecturers guide students step by step in taking increasing control. To provide guidance, we use the guide Navigating your learning process (Fontys O&O Department, 2024). This provides a common language and structure for shaping the learning process in a concrete and cyclical manner. Students move between the following six steps:
1. Clarifying expectations: Together with lecturers, fellow students and coaches, students explore what the learning outcomes mean and what is required to demonstrate them.
2. Making plans: Based on the learning outcomes and their own prior knowledge, students draw up a dynamic study plan.
3. Trying, practising and learning: Students implement the study plan, experiment, practise and actively seek feedback.
4. Making learning visible: Students collect evidence of their learning and document it in a development portfolio, including reflection and feedback.
5. Taking stock: Students reflect on their progress, discuss this with others and determine next steps.
6. Preparing the portfolio for the interim examination: Students select evidence and justify why this demonstrates that they have mastered the learning outcomes. (See also Portfolio-based assessment.)
Figure 1. Six steps from Navigating your learning process
Allocation of strategies for self-regulated learning (SRL)
Self-regulated learning requires students to actively shape their learning process. This means that, at every stage of their learning process, they must effectively apply appropriate learning strategies. Table 1 describes the self-regulated learning progression, explaining for each stage of education how this manifests itself in concrete student behaviour.
| SELF-REGULATED LEARNING PROGRESSION | ||
|---|---|---|
| Associate degree / Bachelor | Associate degree / Bachelor | Bachelor |
| Introduction (S1, S2) | Main (S3, S4, S5) | Advanced (S6, S7, S8) |
| Explicit guidance Focus on steps 1–4 Just-in-time explanations and examples | Explicit guidance Focus on steps 4–6 Thinking along with students and mirroring | Implicit guidance Coaching and reflective |
| Clarifying expectations | ||
| Students independently analyse the learning outcomes and their development needs and translate these into personal learning objectives in dialogue with the work field and the lecturer. Sample portfolios and rubrics are used to clarify expectations. | Students discuss the learning outcomes within the context of their project or profession, explain them in their own words, and assess their understanding with peers and lecturers/coaches. Sample portfolios and rubrics are used to clarify expectations. | Students independently analyse the learning outcomes and their development needs and, in dialogue with the work field and the lecturer, translate these into personal learning objectives. Sample portfolios and rubrics are used to clarify expectations. |
| Making plans | ||
| Students learn to formulate goals and link learning activities to them. With the coach’s support, they draw up a study plan and, with the lecturer’s support, create a short weekly or term plan. | Students independently draw up a dynamic study plan for the semester, monitor progress and adjust plans based on feedback from the coach. | Students independently draw up a dynamic study plan for the semester, monitor progress and independently adjust plans based on feedback. |
| Trying, practising and learning | ||
| Students implement their study plan under supervision, practise new skills and actively seek feedback. They are encouraged to do so by the lecturer. | Students implement their study plan. They plan and organise their learning process themselves and actively monitor their progress. To this end, they seek targeted feedback. | Students implement their study plan. They act autonomously in complex situations, apply feedback critically and demonstrate a reflective and professional attitude to learning. |
| Making learning visible | ||
| With the support of a lecturer, students make their development visible and link this to the learning outcomes. They process feedback, justify their choices in feedback discussions and record these in their portfolio. Students are introduced to the VRAAKKT criteria, with a focus on variety and authenticity, and learn to apply this in their portfolio. | Students demonstrate their development and link this to the learning outcomes, incorporate feedback, justify their choices in feedback discussions and record these in their portfolio. Students are introduced to the VRAAKKT-criteria in its entirety and learn to apply this in their portfolio. | Students present a coherent professional whole in which they demonstrate their development linked to the learning outcomes and VRAAKKT-criteria. |
| Marking Time | ||
| Under supervision, students reflect on their progress, discuss learning experiences and determine next steps with their lecturer. Where necessary, they adjust their study plan and discuss this with their lecturer. | Under supervision, students reflect on their progress, discuss learning experiences and determine next steps with their lecturer. Where necessary, they independently adjust their study plan based on feedback from peers and coaches. | Students carry out self-assessments independently based on the learning outcomes and incorporate feedback from the professional field to guide their further development. Where necessary, they adjust their study plan. |
| Preparing the portfolio for the interim examination | ||
| Students select evidence and assess whether this evidence demonstrates the learning outcomes, under the supervision of the lecturer. | Students make their own choices regarding the selection and justification of evidence. They check whether this demonstrates the learning outcomes and test whether their portfolio meets the requirements of the VRAAKKT-criteria. | Students make their own choices regarding the selection and justification of evidence. Check whether they demonstrate the learning outcomes with this and assess whether their portfolio meets the VRAAKKT criteria. |
SRL is social: from self to together
Self-regulated learning is not an individual endeavour, but a social process. It develops through interaction with others: via explicit instruction, feedback, modelling (demonstration), scaffolding (decreasing support) and the gradual transfer of responsibility. We call this co-regulation. A good balance between student- and teacher-led guidance is important here (Neroni et al., 2023).
What does this require of those involved?
- Students: take ownership (step by step), learn to learn by using strategies, ask for feedback and make their learning process visible.
- Lecturers: guide students step by step towards greater ownership, by demonstrating model behaviour, providing feedback and offering both space and support.
In conclusion
Self-regulated learning requires a joint effort and a consistent approach within Fontys ICT. By consciously guiding students through the cyclical learning process, and by using clear language, we strengthen our students’ capacity for self-regulation.
References
- Barr, S. (2024). Educate to self-regulate: Empowering learners for lifelong success. Amba Press.
- Dijkstra, P. (2019). Studying more effectively. Learning strategies for higher education. Amsterdam: Boom.
- Fontys Research & Development Department (2024). Navigating your learning process. Retrieved on: 19 May 2025.
- Fontys R&D Department (2025). Asking for feedback: how to do it! Retrieved on: 19 May 2025.
- Heida, I. (2023). Self-regulated learning: a cyclical process in four focus areas. Vernieuwenderwijs.
- Last, B., & Bransen, D. (2025) Surely you don’t do that on your own?! Boom.
- Neroni, J., Vos, S. G., Baars, M., & Wijnia, L. (2023). The effectiveness of student-centred, problem-driven learning methods for self-regulated and self-directed learning: What works and for whom? Open University.
- Pintrich, P.R. (2000). The role of goal orientation in self-regulated learning. In Boekaerts et al. (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation.
- Sins, P. (2023). Self-regulated learning doesn’t happen by itself, but how does it work? Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences.