Improving learning outcomes in learner-controlled training environments: Will prompting self-regulation and delaying trainees' judgments of learning make a difference

The current study tests two interventions for improving learning outcomes in learner-controlled training: prompting self-regulating and encouraging trainees to delay their judgments of learning (JOLs). Self-regulation is a set of meta-cognitive, motivational, and behavioral techniques learners can use to control their learning processes (Eom & Reiser, 2000). Self-regulation determines how trainees distribute their effort between on-task and off-task activities during task engagement (Kanfer & Ackerman, 1989). It is proposed that encouraging self-regulation at the beginning of training will require trainees to devote cognitive resources to self-regulation when the task is cognitively demanding, impairing learning. After reviewing the training material, the task should no longer be as cognitively demanding and encouraging self-regulation should have a positive effect on learning.;JOLs are trainee's assessments of the likelihood of recalling information learned in training at a later point in time. After a delay between learning and JOL assessments, learned information is stored in long-term memory and trainees' current memory of the training material should be predictive of later recall. It is hypothesized that delaying trainees' JOLs should result in trainees having a more accurate understanding of their current knowledge level and using their study time more efficiently, thereby increasing learning.;Two hundred and eighteen adult trainees were taught to use Blackboard in an online training course. Trainees were given ten training modules to review and were given a high level of control over the sequence and pace of material. Throughout training, trainees were asked to assess their JOLs and self-regulation was prompted. The timing of prompting self-regulation and JOL assessments varied across six experimental conditions. The results indicated that prompting trainees to self-regulate improved learning, whereas performance decreased over time when trainees were not prompted to self-regulate. However, trainees where more satisfied with the training course when they were not prompted to self-regulate. Finally, the timing of trainees' JOL assessments was not related to the accuracy of their learning perceptions, but accuracy of learning perceptions was positively correlated with scores on the posttest. Study limitations and implications for learner control research are discussed.