How People Learn to Learn!

Debra Fowler, Jeff Froyd

Texas A&M University

Pre-workshop ActivityDescribe your understanding of self-regulated learning and metacognition

If you were to begin to study a new discipline, what strategies would you use as guides?

What tools and/or approaches are available that promote thinking about learning?

Describe results of any experiences that you have with keeping a journal and/or diary.

Workshop ObjectivesBuild awareness of metacognitionImprove your ability to explain and model metacognitive processesIntroduce tools capable of enhancing metacognitionChallenge participants to follow-up in journals and practice metacognitive behavior

CRESST Model of Learning, Baker (1995)

Learning

ProblemSolving

ContentUnderstanding

Collaboration

Communication

Metacognition

Problem Solving

ContentUnderstanding

Domain-DependentProblem Solving

StrategiesSelf-Regulation

Metacognition Motivation

Awareness

Planning

Monitoring

Cognitive Strategies

Self-efficacy

Effort

http://www.cse.ucla.edu/CRESST/Files/downloads/CRESST/AASADAY1/9/ONeill.ppt

Self-Regulation

Metacognition Awareness Cognitive and metacognitve strategies Monitoring Planning and control

Motivation Awareness and self-efficacy Motivational strategies Monitoring Planning and control

Metacognition

Four major components:Awareness of cognition

Knowledge of cognitive and metacognitive

strategies

Monitoring of cognition

Planning/control of cognition

Knowledge of Learning Strategies

Knowledge of cognitive and

metacognitive strategies Declarative

Procedural

Conditional

Knowledge of Cognition“How do we acquire and process knowledge?”

Declarative: “What” skills/strategies do I have?

Procedural: “How” do I use these skills/strategies?

Conditional: “When and Why” would I use these

skills and strategies?

Knowledge of Cognition“How do we acquire and process knowledge?”

Declarative: skim, reread, activate prior knowledge, graphic organizers, summaries

Procedural: Search for headings, identified words, diagrams, go back and read, stop; think about what is already known, ask questions about what is not known

Conditional: Prior to reading an extensive text, when information seems especially important, prior to reading an unfamiliar task, when there is a lot of interrelated factual information SCHRAW, 2001

Cognitive learning strategiesRehearsal Active repetition Example: repeating vocabulary words Example: identifying key ideas

Elaboration Building bridges between new material and existing material Example: fMRI scan on remembering words

Organization Special case of elaboration strategies Imposing an organizational framework on material under

study Example: concept map

Expectations and Learning

What is a strategy-level matrix?Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create

Rehearsal

Elaboration

Organization

Concept MapA concept map is a set of nodes that represent concepts connected by a labeled links that describe a link between concepts.

Concept A

Concept BDescribe how concept A and

concept B are related?

FeedbackDerivative

Finite Element AnalysisIntegral

Linear MomentumAngular Momentum

EnergyInterestMass

Ideal Gas LawFick’s First Law

Fick’s Second LawVectors: Dot Product

Vectors: Cross ProductOrdinary Differential Equations

Kirchoff’s Voltage LawSecond Law of Thermodynamics

Kirchoff’s Current LawModeling

Problem-SolvingForce

Ohm’s LawResistance

Complex NumbersLogarithmic Function

Electric FluxDecision Theory

DivergenceIndirect CostCapacitance

Bending MomentFeedback

First Law of ThermodynamicsEntropy

HeatElectric Field

Magnetic FieldPartial Differential Equations

DeterminantsReturn on Investment

PhasorsBrainstorming

Exponential FunctionConductivity

Chemical KineticsSpecific Heat

ElasticityMalleabilityPlasticity

ResiliencyPermittivity

CurrentElectric Potential

CurlPresentation Skills

DemocracyProfit

DensityMolecule

PhaseShear

Rheology Frequency Response

Eigenvalue, Eigenvector

Sinusoidal FunctionsWork

DisplacementVelocity

AccelerationResistivityLeadershipHess’ Law

Zeroth Law of ThermodynamicsElectric Potential

Magnetic FluxDesign

Maxwell’s EquationsPower

DuctilitySpring Constant

StressStrain

Partial DerivativePermeability

ChargeMagnetic Potential

GradientParagraph

Rate of ReturnFrequency

AtomRoot Locus

TorqueInductance

TorsionPolymer

Kinetic Theory of Gases

Metacognitive Learning Strategies

Understanding vs. memorizing, appropriate mental strategiesDifficult vs. easy text, appropriate reading strategiesSolve problems and examples from a text in random orderRecognizing poor understanding, and willingness to solicit expert helpRecognizing when expert explanations were making a difference with immediate learning problem Brown, A.L., et. al. (1983) “Learning, remembering, and understanding” in P.H.

Mussen, ed., Handbook of Child Psychology, volume 3: Cognitive Development, Wiley

Informed Strategy Instruction

Include explicit descriptions of the general and/or metacognitive strategiesInclude explicit descriptions of when general and/or metacognitive strategies are usefulInclude explicit descriptions of why general and/or metacognitive strategies are useful.

Bruer, J. (1993) Schools for Thought: A Science of Learning in the Classroom. MIT Press, p. 75

LEARNER

Positive affect of: EmotionsAttitudesMotivation

Access previous knowledge

Metacognition

Knowledge of Cognition

Regulation of Cognition

Selects

learning

strategies

Helps Control Learning

Activity

What skills/strategies might a student need to complete work in “your” classroom?

How would they use these skills/strategies?

When and Why would they use these skills/strategies?

Reflection: Are the students in “your” classroom aware of these necessary skills/strategies and how, when and why to use them?

Feedback from Participants

Review before class, read lecture again before lab, read lab write up again, outline of lab write up, discuss with lab group, be more successful, get done early, get a better grade, time to play with equipment, more concentration leads to more learning,reduce stress, night before (or hour before) any lab, related to class todayDetermine how much time task required and monitoring time use as task proceeds, Use project matrix with individual times and group times and record time spent in progress reports (Could also be used in exam time management. Develop strategies for taking exam using an old exam.) Better at estimating time because engineers develop project estimates, or perform better on exam. Beginning of project and throughout project. Beginning of exam and throughout exam. Could be used in other situations, e.g., term papers.Systematic thinking in problem solving, defining the problem by drawing a diagram to incorporate all the elements, get an overview and information to get solution. Don’t see what to do or when you need to document a solution.

Metacognition

Four major components:Awareness of cognition

Knowledge of cognitive and metacognitive

strategies

Monitoring of cognition

Planning/control of cognition

Reflective Journaling

Burrows, V.A., McNeill, B., Hubele, N.F., Bellamy, L. (2001) “Statistical Evidence for Enhanced Learning of Content through Reflective Journal Writing,” Journal of Engineering Education, pp. 661-667

“We present statistical evidence that when students voluntarily write reflective “journal entry” essays on assigned reading, their performance on multiple-choice quizzes on the reading is improved compared to students who do not complete such essays.”

Cowan’s Teaching Examples

Bridge designDesign and build two different bridges and

grade on the lower performance design

Problem-solving script Illustrate script for one type of problem, ask

students to develop a script for another type of problem

Cowan, J. (1998) On Becoming an Innovative University Teacher: Reflection in Action. Buckingham: SRHE and Open University Press.

Controlling Cognition“How will you control your learning, problem solving, design activities?”

Planning: Select appropriate strategies and allocate resources to achieve desired outcome

Monitoring: On-line awareness of comprehension and task performance

Evaluating: Appraise the products and efficiency of one’s learning

Regulation of CognitionRegulatory Checklist (Part 1)

PlanningWhat is the nature of the task?What is the goal?What kind of information and strategies do

I need?How much time and resources will I need?

Regulation of CognitionRegulatory Checklist (Part 2)

MonitoringDo I have a clear understanding of what I

am doing?Does the task make sense?Am I reaching my goals?Do I need to make changes?

Regulation of CognitionRegulatory Checklist (Part 3)

EvaluationHow do I know whether I have reached my

goal?What worked?What didn’t work?Would I do things differently next time?

Strength of Strategy Evaluation Matrix

Promotes strategy useKnown to significantly improve academic

performance

Promotes explicit metacognitive awarenessEncourages learner to actively construct knowledge about how, when and where to use strategies

Graphic Organizers

FlowchartsConcept mapsVenn diagramsTree diagramsNetwork treesFishbone mapsCyclesSpider websGantt chartMind mapsSpatial learning strategies, Weinstein, …

Reciprocal teaching

Questioning

Summarizing

Clarifying

Predicting

One of the ways in which cooperative learning activities strengthen cognitive and metacognitive skills.

Error Analysis

What What answer did I have and what was the correct answer? What did I do wrong? What should I have done?

Why Why did I choose the wrong answer? Why did I make the mistakes that I did?

How How will I remember do to the right thing the next time? How will I improve my performance? How will I make sure that I don’t make the same mistake

again?

Additional Tools for Enhancing Metacognitive Strategies

Think out loudAll thoughts and feelings while performing

the task

Self-questioning

Self-explanation

Modeling

Activity

Reflect on your learning processes in today’s workshop. It is likely that you have used been using one or more of the elements of metacognition. Learning Strategies Monitoring Planning/Controlling

Describe the processes that you utilized to a partner. SwitchListener-feel free to question the process for clarification

Feedback from Participants

Still trying to organize my thoughts about this stuff.

How can I apply this to chem eng. Class?

Combine new with existing info in boxes in my head

Strategy-level matrix was useful visual!

Visualize actual classroom using these techniques, what would change

Taking Control of Learning

“Your learning is going on inside your head, and is dependent on what you are feeling like, what you already know, and the way you approach the whole experience of learning.”

Ian McDonaldSwinburne UniversityAustralia

Post-workshop ActivityDescribe your understanding of self-regulated learning and metacognition

If you were to begin to study a new discipline, what strategies would you use as guides?

What tools and/or approaches are available that promote thinking about learning?

Describe any experiences that you have with keeping a journal and/or diary.

Describe your understanding of self-regulated learning and metacognition.

Pre: I have none; the terms are new to me.Post: I have learned the term strategy and it has become clear that I can control my own motivation.Pre: No understanding of SRL or metacognition.Post: Using learning strategies, awareness of learning tools and methods.Pre: Someone defines an educational goal and the way to achieve that goal.Post: Very interesting and structured presentation of concepts and findings helped to grasp metacognition.Pre: SRL – unsure, sounds like learning on one’s own without teacher/mentor; Metacognition – restructuring of memory, knowledge, skills by learning.Post: SRL – different levels of learning, not enough just to practice, must develop strategies for learning, organizing and applying knowledge; Metacognition – same as beforePre: SRL – changing the set points in a control loop; Metacognition – thinking about how we think, e.g., ask how much time I’ve spent solving a problem.Post: Metacognition – providing a context for students to think about their thinking, the what (declarative), how (procedural), and especially the WHEN and WHY (conditional), the additional of conditional which is new to me is most helpful.

What strategies would you use?

Pre: I would start by getting an overview of the discipline. Then, I would select the specific subject which I am particularly interested in.Post: Same as beforePre: Pick up basic textbook, search the references or online resources depending on the disc.Post: More planning into selection of sources, tools, etc.Pre: Figure out available resourcesPost: No info.Pre: Look for general references, reviews to get big picture; then get into details, that is, deductive, not inductivePost: Concept maps, knowledge structure – still try to glean this from big picture, try to establish interrelationships.Pre: Final an expert and askPost: No info

What tools and/or approaches that promote thinking about learning are available?

Pre: Different books and research material. I also discuss the matters with my students.Post: I will talk to my students and make them reflect on their learning strategies.Pre: Not aware of anyPost: Discussing with experts, workshops, etc.Pre: Simulations, Internet, etc.Post: No infoPre: Do not know.Post: Reflective journal, matrix with levels of Bloom’s taxonomy and levels of learning.Pre: Bibliography, search engines, e.g., Lexus/Nexus, First SearchPost: Relook at LASSI

Describe any experiences that you have with keeping a journal and/or diary.

Pre: I will tell my project teams to keep a diary.Post: I’ve got an idea on how to use a journal. The journal may put a focus on learning strategies.Pre: Never kept a journal/diary; however, from occasional attempts memory/experience depends on emotional impact at the time of occurrence.Post: Answer not changed (Journaling does help remember better.)Pre: I never do this.Post: No info.Pre: Journal/diary – nonePost: Still none.

ReferencesBurrows, V.A., McNeill, B., Hubele, N.F., Bellamy, L. (2001) “Statistical Evidence for

Enhanced Learning of Content through Reflective Journal Writing,” Journal of Engineering Education, pp. 661-667

Cowan, J. (1998) On Becoming an Innovative University Teacher: Reflection in Action. Buckingham: SRHE and Open University Press.

Gourgey, AF (2001), Metacognition in Basic Skills Instruction. In Metacognition in Learning and Instruction, Hartman, HJ (ed), p17-32.

Hartman, HJ (2001), Developing Students’ Metacognitive Knowledge and Skills. In Metacognition in Learning and Instruction, Hartman, HJ (ed), p33-68.

McDonald, I (in press), Taking Control of Learning, Centre for LATTES, Swinburn University

Novak, JD (1998), The Pursuit of a Dream: Education Can Be Improved. In Teaching Science for Understanding: A Human Constructivist View, p3-28

Schraw, G (2001). Promoting General Metacognitive Awareness. In Metacognition in Learning and Instruction, Hartman, HJ (ed), p3-16.

Sternberg, RJ (2001). Metacognition, Abilities, and Developing Expertise: What Makes an Expert Student? In Metacognition in Learning and Instruction, Hartman, HJ (ed), p247-260.

Svinicki, MD (1999). New Directions in Learning and Motivation. In Svinicki, MD(Ed.), College Teaching: From Theory to Practice. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 80, 5-27