Self-Assessment and Reflection

Try options that develop self-assessment and reflection (UDL 9.3).

In order to develop better capacity for self-regulation, students need to learn to monitor their emotions and reactivity carefully and accurately. Individuals differ considerably in their capability and propensity for such monitoring, and some students will need a great deal of explicit instruction and modeling in order to learn how to do this successfully. For many students, merely recognizing that they are making progress toward greater independence is highly motivating. Alternatively, one of the key factors in students’ losing motivation is their inability to recognize their own progress. It is important, moreover, that students have multiple models and scaffolds of different techniques so that they can identify, and choose, ones that are optimal.

Examples to try:

• Recording devices, aids, or charts are available to assist individuals in learning to collect, chart, and display data from their own behavior (including emotional responses, affect, etc.) for the purpose of monitoring changes in those behaviors.
• These devices should provide a range of options that vary in their intrusiveness and support–providing a graduated apprenticeship in the development of better ability to monitor behavior and build skills in self-reflection and emotional awareness.
• Activities should include means by which students get feedback and have access to alternative scaffolds (charts, templates, feedback displays) that support them in understanding their progress in a manner that is understandable and timely.