Self-Regulated Learning Skills and Online Activities Between Higher and Lower Performers on a Web Intensive Undergraduate Engineering Course

The objective of this study was to evaluate students’ self-regulated learning (SRL) skills used in a Web-intensive learning environment. The research question guiding the study was: How did the use of student SRL skills and student engagement in online activities compare between higher- and lower-performing students participating in a Web-intensive engineering course? Specific focus was given to exploring how higher- and lower-performing students’ forethought, performance control, and self-reflection as well as how their online activities differed. In this study, a Web-intensive course was defined as a unique online learning environment where lectures are broadcasted through Web conferencing software while students participate in the lectures from a computer laboratory, facilitated by teaching assistants. Fifty-seven valid data sets were analyzed from questionnaire, data logs provided by a learning management system, ranking questions, and project performance. The findings suggest that higher performers outperformed lower performers significantly on goal setting. On the other hand, lower performers reported a significant higher score on task strategies than their higher-performing peers. Regarding students’ online activities, higher performers accessed all course materials significantly more frequently than lower performers. Furthermore, when evaluating the promptness of assignment submission, the results found the higher performers showed that they were significantly more prompt than lower performers in submitting their assignments. This article also outlines suggestions for further research in the Web-intensive course.