| Sumario: | Background: It has been assumed that prompting students to plan, monitor and evaluate their learning process could stimulate strategy use and thereby improve learning outcomes. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effects of metacognitive prompts on students' self‐regulated learning (SRL) and learning outcomes in the context of computer‐based learning environments (CBLEs). Methods: To achieve this, the current study took a meta‐analytic approach to critically evaluate evidence for the effectiveness of metacognitive prompts and identify potential moderators of the effects. Results and conclusions: With random‐effects models, the results showed that metacognitive prompts significantly enhanced SRL activities (g = 0.50, 95% confidence interval [0.37, 0.63]) and learning outcomes (g = 0.40, 95% confidence interval [0.31, 0.49]) relative to the control conditions. Furthermore, moderator analyses revealed that the effects varied as a function of three prompts features: feedback, specificity and adaptability. Implications: Developing task‐specific, individual‐adaptive prompts and feedback should be a design principle in CBLEs, such that the prompt effect could be retained, sustainably enhanced and transferred to novel situations. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Prompts have positive effects on students' self‐regulated learning (SRL) activities in the context of computer‐based learning environments (CBLEs).Prompts have positive effects on students' learning outcomes. What this paper adds: Feedback significantly moderated the effects of metacognitive prompts on both SRL activities and learning outcomes.Adaptability was a significant moderator of SRL activities.Specificity was a significant moderator of learning outcomes. Implications for practice: Metacognitive prompts should be embedded in CBLEs to support SRL activities and knowledge gains.Designing task‐specific, individual‐adaptive prompts and feedback should be a design principle in CBLEs.
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