Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education ISSN: 1759-667X
Special Issue 22: Compendium of Innovative Practice October 2021
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A reflection on students’ Self-Regulated Learning and the role
of the academic skills advisor during Covid-19
Alexandra Read
University of Suffolk, UK
Keywords: academic skills; Self-Regulated Learning; virtual classroom; Covid-19.
The challenge
Our university is a newer institution embedded in the heart of the local community and
focused on widening participation. The student body is made up of approximately 5,000
students, with a high percentage of first generation and mature students. My role as an
Academic Skills Advisor (ASA) is to support all students in developing the skills needed to
succeed in their course, and I am specifically aligned to support the academic needs within
the school of Health and Sports Sciences.
In March 2020, universities across the UK were forced to close physical campuses to
protect staff and students from the threat of Covid-19. This resulted in my role rapidly
shifting from face-to-face (f2f) support into the online world of video calls, emails, and
virtual classrooms. The biggest impact on the student/ASA relationship, was that we were
now infringing on each other’s private worlds; with cats walking across keyboards, children
being home-schooled, or the postman at the door. Inevitably, and understandably, the
biggest challenge I faced was how to effectively support stressed and emotionally drained
students through virtual means.
When conducing f2f tutorials on campus, students’ academic needs are often clear:
assignment planning, writing structure, referencing, critical thinking, etc. However, the
rapid shift in modes of learning due to the pandemic, left not only the students facing
unknown learning experiences, but also posed a dilemma for myself, as I too was unaware
of how to effectively support students’ academic needs in this situation. However, video
calls created new opportunities for me to discovery how students’ academic needs had
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the academic skills advisor during Covid-19
Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, Issue 22: Compendium October 2021 2
changed. It gave us a glimpse into each other worlds, breaking down previously unseen
barriers and enabled more personal discussions. Whether this was compliments on
bookshelves in the background or a child interrupting to wave hello; these conversation
starters led us to have more personal and shared experiences. Students were struggling to
engage with learning as they had a plethora of other worries: managing caring
responsibilities, fears and sometimes grief due to Covid-19, and many with anxieties about
completing placements on ‘the front line’ in health care roles. Covid-19 presented them
with study environments that were isolating them from friends, family, and peers due to
lockdowns or were chaotic with the demands of busy households, both of which left
students no choice but to try to develop and adapt Self-Regulated Learning (S-RL)
strategies to cope.
I received a high volume of requests for academic support from health students who were
at various stages of completing their dissertations. They expressed the feeling that they
had been ‘left to get on with it’ or did not know where to start, in addition to sharing the
impact of poor emotional and mental wellbeing on their motivation to study. It appeared
they were seeking practical support and advice to help motivate and manage their studies,
while navigating challenges such as confinement, home schooling, caring responsibilities,
and placements, some of which were on high-risk Covid-19 wards. They required a quick
solution to support their S-RL while completing dissertations to ensure they did not risk
developing ‘suboptimal learning tactics’ (Jovanović et al., 2017, p.75); students who feel
under pressure are likely to quickly adopt new but incompetent S-RL strategies resulting in
poor outcomes.
The response
The initial step was to decide what form of academic support could be implemented to
specifically target these students’ needs in completing their dissertations. This was done
by drawing upon research from Jansen et al. (2019, pp.3-4) who explain that academic
interventions will differ in ‘cognitive activities’ depending on the student’s stage in higher
education. Students in the early years of study require a higher level of cognitive tasks and
instructional advice, whereas students in later stages require support rather than
instruction (Jansen et al., 2019, p. 4). Therefore, I recognised that my role in this specific
academic intervention was one of facilitating students’ S-RL.
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the academic skills advisor during Covid-19
Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, Issue 22: Compendium October 2021 3
Secondly, it was understood that establishing successful S-RL techniques is not an
isolated process but rather relies on numerous intrinsic factors such as self-awareness,
personal strengths, weakness, adaptability, and self-motivation (Zimmerman, 2002, pp.65-
6). In addition, external factors highlighted by Bryan such as ‘culture, class, gender, mental
health and well-being’ also hold a significant importance in this engagement process
(2015, pp.26-7). For these reasons, it was vital to acknowledge the internal and external
factors that these students were experiencing in order to provide a successful solution that
would both facilitate students’ motivation and help them engage effective S-RL. This was
done through Maslow’s (1943) hierarchy of needs (Figure 1), in which an individual must
have all their needs met, at each level in order to reach self-actualisation or, in this
situation, successfully complete their dissertations.
Figure 1. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. (1943, in Jordan, 2008, p.156).
In the first instance, I applied this framework as a tool to identify and understand how, at
each level, the pandemic was impacting their ability to engage S-RL to complete their
dissertation (self-actualisation), through lack of physical, psychological, and emotional
needs. The effects of not ‘having basic physiological, social and emotional needs
reasonably satisfied’, according to Bryan (2015, p.27) is a significant factor in students’
ability or inability, to engage in learning. This process then enabled me to develop a
workshop that could facilitate support at each level, to ensure the students could complete
their dissertations. The ‘Write here, Write now’ workshop was delivered via virtual
classroom, for two hours at various times. Prior to the session, students received a pre-
session plan to create their own aims/targets. The session itself was structured around a
Read A reflection on students’ self-regulated learning and the role of
the academic skills advisor during Covid-19
Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, Issue 22: Compendium October 2021 4
time management technique of 25 minutes self-directed work, with 10-15 minute interval
breaks to engage with myself and peers, ending the session with reflection and next steps.
Recommendations
Through applying both Jansen et al.’s (2019) research and Maslow’s (1943) hierarchy of
needs, I was able to plan and consider how ‘Write here, Write now’ could provide the
solution the students needed to successfully engage their S-RL. Breaking this down
specifically regarding each level:
• Physiological and safety: the pre-session plan encourages students to ensure they
have refreshments to hand before the start of the workshop, and prompts students
to consider how to create a productive environment.
• Love, belonging, and self-esteem: the virtual classroom advocates a safe space
where students can interact with peers, fostering a sense of belonging, and receive
support and encouragement.
• Cognitive and aesthetic: the workshop is designed to facilitate students to engage
pre-existing S-RL and models how to implement these skills independently,
alongside the opportunity to participate in activities to help stimulate creativity.
Ultimately, the response of facilitating a workshop to target a group of students who were
struggling emotionally, mentally, and physically to engage S-RL resulted in the successful
completion of dissertations in these unprecedented times.
The recommendations are based on the consideration given to the wider factors that can
impact students’ ability to engage in S-RL and how applying a holistic framework such as
Maslow’s can be a tool to embed this approach into workshop design.
References
Bryan, C. (2015) ‘Enhancing student learning’, in Lea, J. (ed.) Enhancing learning and
teaching in higher education. engaging with the dimensions of practice.
Maidenhead: Open University Press, pp.20-53.
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the academic skills advisor during Covid-19
Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, Issue 22: Compendium October 2021 5
Jansen, R. S., van Leeuwen, A., Janssen, J., Jak, S. and Kester, L. (2019) 'Self-regulated
learning partially mediates the effect of self-regulated learning interventions on
achievement in higher education: a meta-analysis', Educational Research Review,
28, pp.1-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2019.100292.
Jordan, A. (2008) Approaches to learning. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Jovanović, J., Gǎsević, D., Dawson, S., Pardo, A. and Mirriahi, N. (2017) ‘Learning
analytics to unveil learning strategies in a flipped classroom’, Internet and Higher
Education, 33, pp.74-85. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2017.02.001.
Zimmerman, B. J. (2002) ‘Becoming a self-regulated learner: an overview’, Theory into
Practice, 41(2), pp. 64-70. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4102_2.
Author details
Alexandra Read is an Academic Skills Advisor within the Department of Library and
Learning Services at the University of Suffolk, with knowledge and experience of
supporting children, young people, and adult learners with SENDS and SpLDs. She has a
particular interest in developing an inclusive HE practice that supports all students from
diverse and widening participation backgrounds. In addition, Alexandra is keen to continue
with her professional development through reflective practice, evidenced based research
projects, and collaborations with professionals across a variety of HEIs.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2019.100292
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2017.02.001
https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4102_2
A reflection on students’ Self-Regulated Learning and the role of the academic skills advisor during Covid-19
The challenge
The response
Recommendations
References
Author details