Developing EFL Students' Learning Reflection and Self-Regulated Learning through Google Classroom

Abstract

This paper reports an investigation of EFL students' self-reflection practice and self-regulated learning using Google Classroom. Two issues were explored-how Google classroom was used as a tool for students' self-reflection and how self-regulated learning is encouraged. There were 78 first-year students of English Language Education participating in this study. They took a two-credit Extensive Reading course that required 100-minute per meeting per week accompanied with other individual and group assignments. Data were collected from observations, documents, students' reflective notes, and a focus group discussion. Results show that Google Classroom is likeable for students and serves as flexible, manageable, and ubiquitous tool for students' learning reflection. Further, when adeptly designed, it can help develop students' positive attitudes in learning and promote students' self-regulated learning. Students are able to control their own learning, being pro-active to communicate with teachers, and fully understand some consequences of late submission of tasks. Despite of its disadvantages such as unavailable chat-rooms and conferences, this application offers many fruitful benefits for learning even for beginners of technology users. Several pedagogical recommendations on future implementation is also discussed.