Self-management skills have become essential to student achievement, yet educators face challenges in teaching them as technology and academic expectations change.
Writing under time constraints depends on executive functions such as organization and self-editing. Dr. Emma Sumner, a senior lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, observes that artificial intelligence tools may limit students’ chances to refine their work. She advocates for research into which executive functions are most critical at different stages of writing, emphasizing that self-management requires deliberate training rather than mere persistence.
Abby Osborne, the University of Bath’s curriculum lead, redefines the focus as “well-doing”, arguing that developing executive functions in learning promotes mental health. “We train students to be able to do that in a range of contexts and that becomes a key element of lifelong learning,” said Abby. “It’s this idea that well-doing exists at the intersection between learning and well-being. Well-doing strategies directly support well-being via everyday actions in learning.”
Digital interactions introduce further complexities. Professor Steven Howard of Oxford University rejects outright social media bans for young users, instead promoting critical digital literacy. He explains that recognizing manipulative design techniques and understanding human-computer interactions enables students to control their online behavior. “If our goal is to cultivate the knowledge, skills and strategies needed to be safe and well self-regulated users of digital technologies, we need critical digital and media literacy skills,” he said. By giving students a deeper understanding of human-computer interaction and persuasive design principles, for example, we are empowering them to take greater control of their digital habits. The emphasis shifts from enforcement to empowerment, allowing students to engage with technology deliberately and securely.
