This project sought to improve students’ abilities to perform self-regulated learning. Through a design practice employing service design and participatory design methods and tools, I spoke with, observed and worked with students to understand and co-produce solutions that centre around students’ abilities to make choices in their learning.

The research found its inception in the desire to improve student experiences in performing independent learning through service design. It can be observed that the learning culture in the 21st century is moving towards breaking down the barriers and definitions of a “classroom environment”. Some examples of a non-traditional classroom exist in online university courses or even YouTube language lessons. Due to this openness in learning experiences, students are generally expected to be proactive in self-regulated learning. Self-regulated learning would cover decisions that student make in goal setting, executing and carrying out tasks, and performing an evaluation of their own efforts at the end of the process. As a result, students are overwhelmed by the options and factors that are presented to them in their attempts of self-regulation.

The outcome of the research project would be a guiding tool that would enable students to objectively carry out self-regulated learning; from goal setting, tasks performance, to self-evaluation. The tool would focus on putting the students as the main producer of their own self-regulation. This means that the tool would be designed with an active voice. The students would respond to a series of prompts, rather than having the tool instructing the students on what they need to do to perform self-regulation. The tool was also designed to be inclusive. It does not target a particular group of students specifically, nor does it suggest that the tool can only be used in an academic setting. The holistic aspect of the tool would be derived from the insights provided each of the methodology used in each research cycle.