Self-Regulation, Co-Regulation, and Shared Regulation in Collaborative Learning Environments

Early socio-cognitive conceptions of self-regulated learning (SRL) emphasized individual, cognitive-constructive aspects involved in cognition, behavior, and motivation, as well as social context as a component in the triadic process of self-regulation. In this chapter, there are three primary modes of regulation in collaborative learning: self-regulated learning, [socially] shared regulation of learning, and co-regulated learning. The following revisions to those constructs more adequately address conceptual and empirical challenges emerging in the past few years. SRL became a cornerstone for exploring more social forms of regulation such as co-regulation and shared regulation. Co-regulation occurs when affordances or constraints are appropriated by individuals (self-regulation) or groups (shared regulation) to fundamentally provoke strategic monitoring, evaluating, or adapting of motivational, behavioral, cognitive, and/or affective products within and across phases of regulation. Shared regulation can be successfully promoted by scripting planning and reflection to: increase awareness of learning processes, externalize learning processes in a social plane, and activate key regulation processes.