Promoting Learner Autonomy through Self-Assessment and Goal-Setting

This paper describes how autonomy was promoted through a self-assessment/goal-setting activity.This included a process whereby students were asked to assess their in-class performance according to three grading criteria -function use, communication skills use, and participation.Based on their perceived performance, students then set individual goals.As such, learners were given an opportunity for personal self-monitoring in a manner that allowed for self-reflection and immediate personalized feedback.Of particular interest was the ability of students to accurately assess their performance and abilities since this helps ensure that assessments and goal-setting are meaningful and beneficial in a variety of ways.Overall, both the activity and student performance were positive.The results indicate that although students tended to slightly underestimate their performance, they were relatively consistent and accurate when compared to the instructor's perception of students' performance, thereby benefitting from the activity.