Monthly Workshop Series20 February 2019

METACOGNITION

PRESENTERGALEN DAVISDirector of Faculty DevelopmentThe Learning House

(he/him/his)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of this session, you should be able to:

• Articulate the role that metacognition plays in learning.

• Describe “metacognitive illusions.”

• Identify strategies to foster students’ metacognitive perspectives in your online course(s).

AGENDA

1. Metacognition and Learning

2. Strategies to Promote Metacognition

1. METACOGNITION AND LEARNING

WHAT IS METACOGNITION?

• Metacognition is the ability to evaluate one’s own learning.

• Can apply to:– Identifying comprehension (or lack thereof)

– Studying strategies

– Understanding learning preferences

– Awareness of strengths/weaknesses

Source: McCabe (2011)

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION SKILLS1. Response inhibition2. Working memory3. Emotional control4. Sustained attention5. Task initiation6. Planning/prioritization7. Organization8. Time management9. Goal-directed persistence10. Flexibility11. Metacognition

Source: Dawson & Guare (2009)

COMPONENTS OF METACOGNITION1. Metacognitive knowledge

a. Personb. Taskc. Strategy

2. Metacognitive experiences3. Goals/tasks4. Actions/strategies

Source: Flavell (1979)

THE METACOGNITIVE PROCESS

Externally-imposed task/goal

Existing metacognitive

knowledge

Conscious metacognitive

experience

Selection of cognitive strategy

Additional metacognitive experiences

Activation of (meta)cognitive

strategies

Problem set assigned.

Student reflects on previous problem

sets.

Student thinks to himself, “this will

be hard.”

Student opens textbook to

relevant section for reference.

Student finds the reference material

helpful.

Student works on problem set, using

other strategies when stuck.

Source: Flavell (1979)

THE METACOGNITIVE CYCLE

Planning

MonitoringEvaluating

Source: Sweetland Center for Writing (n.d.)

CDR: SUBSET A

Standard Low level (1) (2) (3) High level (4)

The course includes the required journaling or free-response self-reflection component.

The course suggests an optional or ungraded self-reflection assignment.

The course requires at least one significant free-response self-reflection assignment.

The course requires a self-reflection assignment for several weeks (e.g. 25% to 50% of the weeks in the course).

The course requires a long-term (multiple weeks) self-reflection component (e.g. more than 50% of the course has assignment related to self-reflection or journaling assignment).

METACOGNITIVE ILLUSIONS

“Metacognitive illusions” refers to a phenomenon in which individuals believe that they’ve learned more than they have.

STUDYING TECHNIQUES• 3 phenomena correlated with more positive assessment scores:

– The testing effect

– The spacing effect

– The generation effect

• Study indicated student awareness only of generation effect

• 80% of undergrads learn their own study strategies

Source: McCabe (2011)

2. STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE METACOGNITION

PROMOTE EFFECTIVE STUDY HABITSTo promote:• Explicitly refer to the effects• Include formative assessments• Ask students to generate questions

as they consume materials• Create student-generated question

banks• Recommend scheduled reviews of

material• Offer live/recorded study sessions

The Testing Effect“Learning and memory for material is improved when

time is spent taking tests on the material, versus spending the same amount of time restudying the

material.”

The Generation Effect“Learner-created materials will be more easily

remembered then instructor-provided materials.”

The Spacing Effect“Holding constant total study time, spacing out (or distributing over time) the study of to-be-learned

material is more effective than massing (or cramming) the material.”

PROMOTE READING COMPREHENSION• Reciprocal teaching

– Questioning– Summarizing– Predicting – Clarifying

• Elaborative interrogation– “Why is this true?”

Source: Smith, Holliday, Austin (2010)

ASSIGN GROUP WORK• Reciprocal teaching• Problem-based learning• Additional benefits:

– Maximizes retention– Builds community – Includes narrative component– Authentic assessment

Forming

StormingNorming

Performing

ASSIGN REFLECTIVE EXERCISES

Source: Sweetland Center for Writing (n.d.)

Planning

•Role-playing•Pre-writing

Monitoring

•Collaborative troubleshooting•Post peer review follow-up•Self-reflective comments on drafts•Troubleshooting journal

Evaluating

•Dialogue about feedback•Articulate transferable skills•Project post-write

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE REFLECTIVE EXERCISES• Short

• Attend to individual needs/preferences

• Goal-specific

• TimelySource: Huang (2017)

ASSISTING STUDENTS WITH REFLECTION: THE 5 R’S• Recalling

• Recapturing• Relating

• Rationalizing

• RedirectingSource: Huang (2017)

PROVIDE EFFECTIVE FEEDBACKEffective feedback is:• Descriptive• Constructive• Actionable• Timely• Prioritized• Personalized

DESIGN EFFECTIVE ASSESSMENTS• Include formative assessments (practice)• Include a prior knowledge assessment• Scaffold assignments• Design authentic assessments• Include customized responses in autograded assessments• Consider ePortfolios• Ensure alignment

EXPERT BLIND SPOT

?????

IDENTIFY CONTEXT THROUGH MODULE SUMMARIES• Review

– Activate prior knowledge

• Preview– Provide guidance on consuming the material

• Motivate– Connect it to the real world or future content

BIG HAIRY AUDACIOUS INSTITUTIONAL STRATEGIES• Instruct students on effective learning and studying techniques

– Gen Ed requirement

– Training module (e.g. “How to be a Successful Online Student”)

• Conduct evaluations to determine students’ learning

preferences, styles

• Develop an e-portfolio strategy

POSSIBLE TOOLS THAT CAN HELP• Tools that facilitate group work

– Task management software (e.g. Nozbe, Asana)

– Case study tools– Collaborate writing apps (e.g. Google Docs, wikis, etc.)

• Tools that facilitate effective studying– PDF annotators – Collaborative quiz apps

– Planners

• Journaling tools• Tools that facilitate media generation• ePortfolios

SUMMARY

TAKEAWAYS: GENERAL• Metacognition is an awareness of one's own learning.

• Many students possess metacognitive illusions that inflate their perception of learning.

TAKEAWAYS: COURSE WRITERS• Include formative assessments, such as:

– Reflective assignments

– Active reading comprehension tasks

• Assign group work, particularly problem-based learning.• Design effective assessments.

• Identify context - or ask students to do so.

TAKEAWAYS: COURSE FACILITATORS• Explicitly discuss the testing effect, the spacing effect, and

the generation effect.• Encourage students to generate questions as they

consume instructional materials.• Schedule (and record) office hours where you review

material with students.• Provide effective feedback.

QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION

GALEN DAVISDirector of Faculty Development

ReferencesDawson, P., & Guare, R. (2009). Smart but scattered: The revolutionary "executive skills" approach to helping kids reach their

potential. New York: Guilford Press.Effective studying milestones: related to the “spacing effect” (discussed in McCabe, J. (2011, April). Metacognitive awareness

of learning strategies in undergraduates. Memory Cognition, 39(3), 462-476.)Flavell, J. H. (1979, October). Metacognition and cognitive monitoring. American Psychologist, 34(10), 906-911.Hodge, E. A. (1993). The effects of metacognitive training on the reading comprehension and vocabulary of at-risk college

students. Research & Teaching in Developmental Education, 10(1), 31-42. Huang, L. (2017, November 6). Three ideas for implementing learner reflection. Retrieved

from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/three-ideas-implementing-learner-reflection/McCabe, J. (2011, April). Metacognitive awareness of learning strategies in undergraduates. Memory Cognition, 39(3), 462-

476.Smith, B. L., Holliday, W. G., & Austin, H. W. (2010). Students' comprehension of science textbooks using a question-based

reading strategy. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 47(4), 363-379.Son, L. K. (2004). Spacing one's study: Evidence for a metacognitive control strategy. Journal of Experimental Psychology:

Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 30(3), 601-604.Sweetland Center for Writing. (n.d.). Metacognition--Cultivating reflection to help students become self-directed learning.

Retrieved from https://lsa.umich.eduWillining, P., & Scagnoli, N. (2004). Feedback in Online Programs.

gdavis@learninghouse.com