Regulating Student Achievement and Learning in Design Studios:

The Goal Regulation Model

Abstract

Existing models of learning in design studios fail to explain learning or predict achievement in ways that effectively guide pedagogic decision-making. This paper discusses an alternative model of learning in design studios known as the Goal Regulation Model (GRM). The GRM supports the commonly held belief that students learn by doing; however, it extends this idea by integrating it with two educational theories, social learning theory and self-regulated learning, in order to provide a stronger theoretical basis for decision-making. The GRM was derived by combining these two theories, interviewing a range of students, and applying the results in design studio settings. The underlying belief of the GRM is that goals drive a student's learning while self-regulation directs it. The GRM supports this belief and explains its reciprocal effects on teaching and learning. This paper: 1) summarizes the GRM's theoretical framework, 2) describes the GRM's interdependent phases and processes, and 3) presents several guidelines for improving student learning and achievement.