How would you measure student growth in self-regulation during a holistic course?

• A. Rely solely on final exam scores.
• B. Measure only cognitive recall.
• C. Use behavioral indicators, self-regulation logs, goal attainment tracking, and instructor observations.
• D. Ignore self-regulation and rely on attendance alone.

Answer: (C)

Measuring growth in self-regulation hinges on capturing how students manage their learning over time, not just what they know at the end. Self-regulation includes planning, monitoring progress, adjusting strategies, staying focused, and handling motivation and emotions. A strong approach uses multiple data sources: behavioral indicators such as on-task persistence and completion of tasks; self-regulation logs where students reflect on what strategies they used, challenges they faced, and how they adapted; goal attainment tracking that records progress toward specific learning goals and notes adjustments along the way; and instructor observations using a rubric to identify concrete signs of self-regulation like proactive help-seeking, time management, and metacognitive reflection. Together, these provide a holistic view of growth across cognitive, behavioral, and affective dimensions and show change across the course, not just a snapshot at one moment.

Relying solely on final exam scores misses how students develop the ability to regulate their learning. Measuring only cognitive recall focuses on what is remembered, not how learning processes are managed. Relying on attendance alone ignores whether students are applying self-regulation strategies, making it an incomplete indicator of growth.