Design explorations for an online environment to promote metacognitive processing through negotiated assessment

This study uses design-based research to explore how negotiated assessment contributes to students’ metacognitive processing. Metacognitive processing is shown to be linked to self-regulation and the development of generic skills. The research derived a conceptual framework from the literature that was integrated into a face-to-face learning strategy and evaluated. The results of this study were then used to refine the learning design, and another study was conducted with a view to explore its potential to be instantiated into an online electronic performance support system. Results from the second study are discussed and a new conceptual framework is proposed to promote metacognitive processing using negotiated assessment. Key metacognitive processes of planning, monitoring and evaluation form the basis of the new learning design with a view to engage students in a structured process of self-evaluation, goal setting, team planning, contractual agreement and monitoring, as well as summative evaluation.