Online learning requires students to have a strong ability to organize themselves, set goals, monitor their progress, and adjust their strategies. In this context, the article examines the potential of metacognitive scaffolding based on learning diaries as a tool for promoting self-regulation in online university education.
The approach was implemented in a postgraduate course through a diary integrated into the virtual campus, in which students reflected before, during, and after different activities on their knowledge, goals, planning, difficulties, and outcomes, supported by feedback from the teaching team.
Using a mixed-methods approach, the study compares an experimental group that used this scaffolding with a control group that followed the usual teaching methodology. The results show that students who worked with the diaries became more actively engaged in monitoring the course: they accessed the virtual campus, course content, and grades more frequently, and achieved better results in several practical activities and in participation.
However, no significant differences were found between the two groups in final exam scores or in the use of certain communication tools. This suggests that the main effect of the scaffolding is on the learning process and how students monitor it, rather than on every indicator of academic performance.
The study therefore highlights the value of incorporating systematic opportunities for reflection into the design of online courses themselves. Learning diaries help students become more aware of how they learn, review their goals and difficulties, and monitor their progress more consistently, while also contributing to a more homogeneous learning experience across the group.
The authors nevertheless point to the need for future research to extend this approach to other courses, degree programmes, and educational levels, as well as to explore automated analysis techniques capable of handling large volumes of student reflections.
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How to Cite: Villalonga-Gómez, C., Mora-Cantallops, M., & Delgado-Reverón, L. (2023). Application of Metacognitive Scaffolding Based on Learning Diaries in E-learning. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 26(2), 219–236. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.26.2.36252
