The effect of cues for calibration on learners' self-regulated learning through changes in learners’ learning behaviour and outcomes

Literature on blended learning emphasizes the importance of self-regulation for learning in blended learning environments and the role of learners' calibration. Although literature on calibration is clear on its importance for self-regulated learning, it provides inconclusive insight into the effect of support for calibration on learners' self-regulated learning. One under-investigated avenue might be learners' ability to act on the cues provided. In order to establish a more accurate picture of the effect of support for calibration on self-regulated learning, our study investigates whether providing cues for calibration affects learners' self-regulated learning, and whether this effect is different for learners with different metacognitive abilities. We investigate this effect by examining changes in learners' learning behaviour and outcomes. A pre-post design with one control and two experimental conditions was applied in a blended learning environment. Learners in the experimental conditions received either functional validity feedback (F condition) or functional and cognitive validity feedback (FC condition). Learners in the control condition did not receive any cues. Learners' behaviour was analysed using event sequence analysis. Learners' post-test learning scores were subjected to multivariate analysis of covariance, with condition and learners' metacognitive ability as independent variables. The results show a significant and unexpected impact of condition and learners' metacognitive abilities on learners' learning behaviour and outcomes. This manuscript discusses the unexpected results in terms of their theoretical and practical implications and provides recommendations for future research. We conclude that if cues for calibration are provided through functional and cognitive validity feedback, learners' calibration capabilities will increase. Yet, we hypothesize that for this to result in goal-directed self-regulated learning, learners might need to be guided in how to apply the cognitive and metacognitive strategies needed.