Katharina Teich and Nikol Rummel recently published a conference paper in the Proceedings of the International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction 2024. Their paper entitled “User-Centered Design of Adaptive Support in a Continuing Education Online Course: Findings from a Design-Based Research Process” explores innovative ways to improve self-regulated learning (SRL) in adult learners in online courses.
Abstract:
Online courses in continuing education often involve a self-directed format, which means high autonomy for adult learners. However, this autonomy requires learners to self-regulate their learning process. Research has shown that self-regulated learning (SRL) in online courses can be challenging and therefore support is needed. While there is evidence that adaptive support systems can improve students’ SRL in formal education settings, little is known about adaptive SRL support in vocational education and training courses. This paper fills this research gap and applies a design-based research approach. First, the researchers analysed an existing dataset comprising survey data from 60 adult learners from four course runs and compared survey data on learning processes with learners’ perceptions of their SRL strategies. The analyses revealed that adult learners had particular difficulties in structuring their learning environment and managing their learning time. Based on these findings, adaptive support features were iteratively designed to address the identified challenges.
The detailed results and methods are documented in their paper, which is available in the conference proceedings. The study contributes to filling a significant research gap in the field of continuing professional development and offers practical solutions to improve learning outcomes for adult learners.
Link to the paper: Teich, K., Loock, V., Rummel, N. (2024). User-Centered Design of Adaptive Support in a Continuing Education Online Course: Findings from a Design-Based Research Process. In: Zaphiris, P., Ioannou, A. (eds.) Learning and Collaboration Technologies. HCII 2024, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 14722, Springer, Cham.