Remodeling methods for researching self-regulated learning: Randomized controlled trials vs. N= me

This invited essay adapts my address delivered on the occasion of receiving the American Psychological Association Division 15 Career Achievement Award. I summarize my conceptualization of self-regulated learning (SRL) and, relative to that account, I identify deficiencies of today’s gold standards for research, the randomized controlled trial (RCT) and meta-analyses of RCTs. Studies adopting that paradigm misconstrue how learners practice SRL in their individual ways, garble how SRL relates to outcomes, and cannot validly ground generalizations about practices individual learners should adopt to regulate learning more productively. Software can be engineered to gather fine-grained, precise trace data documenting what each learner does as they study and which information they process via each of those events. Leveraging trace data, I propose an alternative to the gold standard for researching SRL (and other constructs), the N=me approach. I describe that approach, how it rectifies shortcomings of RCTs, and note some of its limitations.