Balance between Guidance and Self-Regulated Learning: Teaching and Learning Strategies in Online, Hybrid and Blended Learning in Higher Education

This special collection brings together five studies and practices that illustrate how aspects of guidance and self-regulated learning in online, hybrid and blended learning contexts in higher education can be combined. The articles highlight the importance and usefulness, as well as some challenges, of strategies that lead to students' self-regulated learning and autonomy (e.g., self-assessment, co-assessment, co-design, co-creation, learning pathways), while having at their disposal different types of guidance mediated by digital technology. Although the special collection aimed particularly to bring to light educator perspectives along with the students' views, all papers have a stronger focus on the student's side regarding their self-regulation, autonomy and agency in learning, whereas the educator perspective of this balance is not a central topic in any of the articles. Therefore, we suggest that future researchers in the field of educational technology consider the educator perspective as a main focus for flexible learning and for the balance between guidance and self-regulated learning.