2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This full research paper addresses the issue that the world is constantly undergoing change and the practice of engineering, therefore, requires that civil engineering professionals continuously learn and critically think to persist in solving complex societal problems and maintaining the nation’s global competitiveness. In practice, civil engineering professionals need to engage in self-regulated learning - reflecting to identify knowledge gaps, planning to fill these gaps through the selection of appropriate learning strategies, and monitoring their progress to ensure knowledge and skills are adequate for the changing world. Such a requirement for continuous learning has led to engineering degree outcomes that check for students’ ability to use appropriate strategies to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed for the pace of societal change and engineering development. However, civil undergraduate engineering curricula do not often directly develop students’ strategies to reflect and plan for their learning. The use of theory-grounded metacognitive regulation strategies within core coursework may aid civil engineering instructors in developing students’ reflexivity and expanding their knowledge and use of learning strategies.

The purpose of this case study was to examine the progression in a student’s application of metacognitive regulation strategies (i.e., monitoring, evaluating, planning) and use of deep learning strategies while reflecting on their learning in multiple core courses in a civil engineering program. The research question addressed is: how did a student develop in the use of metacognitive regulation strategies and learning strategies when engaged in structured reflections embedded in a civil engineering core curriculum?

A single case design research study was conducted to rigorously unpack one undergraduate student’s developing ability to engage in monitoring, evaluating, and planning as a result of engaging in structured reflections across four core civil engineering courses. Data was collected in four semesters at a large, land grant, Midwestern University in the United States. The periods of data collection were Fall 2023, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Fall 2025. Each course implemented three or four reflections which were assigned in association with technical core course assignments. In these reflections, students identified a difficulty they had while completing an assignment, assessed actions they took to overcome the difficulty, and planned further actions to improve their learning. The participant’s responses to the reflection prompts were coded using a priori coding schemes for metacognitive regulation strategies based on Zimmerman’s (2000) self-regulation theory as well as for surface and deep learning based on Hattie and Donoghue (2016).

The results of the study showed that the student demonstrated increased ability to engage in multiple elements of the three metacognitive regulation strategies dimensions. The student also increasingly used deep learning strategies.

Embedding structured reflections across the core curriculum can develop students’ abilities with metacognitive regulation strategies. Initial considerations for civil engineering instructors and programs will be shared concerning reflection integration including formal and ongoing instruction on metacognition and reflection, use of a theory-bound rubric, and theory-aligned written feedback.