«Μαθαίνω πώς να μαθαίνω» στην εποχή της ΤΝ: Μεταγνωστική ρύθμιση και κοινότητες μάθησης στην εξΑΕ

Abstract

This paper presents a qualitative study with twelve students of open and distance education programmes, in order to investigate how they cultivate and regulate metacognitive skills during their studies. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis.  Findings revealed four core practices: (a) metacognitive knowledge (decoding utterances/criteria, organizing academic discourse, searching for sources), (b) metacognitive regulation (target setting, time management, self-monitoring/reflection), (c) learning communities (forums/OSCs and informal networks that mitigate isolation and enhance co-regulation), and (d) use of AI tools as comprehension/feedback accelerators. The findings align with 21st century skills (autonomy, critical thinking, digital literacy, collaboration) with transferability to work and daily life. The theoretical framework draws on Flavell and Brown's concept of Metacognition, Efklides' MASRL model of self-regulation and the Community of Inquiry (CoL) model for understanding social and cognitive presence. The theoretical framework essentially integrates these models to explain individual and collective regulation in exoL.  Three design principles are proposed for ex AE lessons in the AI era: explicitly teaching metacognitive strategies, incorporating reflective prompts, and cultivating safe, structured learning communities with an emphasis on ethical use of AI.