Prompting Cognitive and Metacognitive Processing in Writing-to-Learn Enhances Learning Outcomes

Learning protocols are a promising follow-up course work. A learning protocol is a written explication of one’s learning processes and outcomes. According to the self-regulation view of writing-to-learn, such writing assignments have to be supported. In this study, learning protocols were structured by prompts to elicit important learning activities as they are postulated in a cyclical model of self-regulated learning. An experiment (N = 103) was conducted in which students received either (a) no prompts, (b) cognitive prompts, (c) metacognitive prompts, (d) mixed prompts without planning-ofregulation prompts or, (e) mixed prompts including planningof-regulation prompts. The groups with prompts outperformed the control group on comprehension and retention measures. Furthermore, prompting all essential sub-processes of self-regulated learning (mixed prompts including planningof-regulation prompts) was most effective.