Metacognition A Fancy Word for a Powerful Concept

Metacognition: A Fancy Word for a Powerful Concept in Learning Henry O. Patterson, Ph. D. RATO December 8, 2010

4 Major Questions… 1. Did you become a better or worse learner the longer you stayed in school? Why? 2. How often do you reflect on the strategies you use to learn & the assumptions you make about learning (i. e. , how aware your of your own metacognition & epistemology)?

4 Major Questions… 3. As a trainer, teacher, mentor, coach, how often do you reflect on the learning strategies & assumptions of those you teach/train? • • How often do you discuss strategies & assumptions with those you teach/train? How often do you think about how your own strategies & assumptions might differ from those you teach/train?

4 Major Questions… 4. How does your awareness of your own & your students’ learning strategies & assumptions impact on how you… – – – design learning experiences? conduct classes & sessions? interact with learners? #

Goals 1. Encourage you to reflect on your own metacognitions & epistemologies; 2. Help you explore how your learning strategies & assumptions differ from others—especially your students/trainees, & how these differences impact on teaching/training/learning; 3. Take away new, useful strategies for helping your students/trainees develop more effective learning strategies & more helpful epistemologies; 4. Have a stimulating & enjoyable morning. #

Overview I. Metacognition—the Missing Element in Learning II. Exploring Our Own Metacognition III. 7 Effective Learning/Study Strategies IV. Epistemological Beliefs V. The Intentional Learner VI. Why Learners Don’t Always Use Effective Strategies VII. Promoting Effective Metacognition & Learning Strategies VIII. Conclusions

I. Metacognition—the Missing Element in Learning • Most learning situations focus on the content to be learned—knowledge, skills, attitudes, not on the process used to learn • Process rarely taught in school; few learners develop high level of metacognition & selfregulation of learning – “How to Study” courses sometimes offered – Rarely do teachers/trainers discuss how information could be learned – Often few role models

I. Metacognition—the Missing Element in Learning (con’t) • One major reason for ignoring metacognition is that learning theory has been based mostly on animal research (i. e. rats); what humans believe about learning & their efforts at controlling the process ignored • Recent learning theory is focusing on humans’ awareness of their own learning

I. Metacognition—the Missing Element in Learning (con’t) • Metacognition – knowledge of our own learning & memory processes & regulation of those processes, i. e. , “thinking about thinking” – May be mostly implicit – Can—and should--be taught • Plays significant role in the effectiveness of adult learning #

II. Exploring Our Own Metacognition • Self-regulation of learning includes… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Goal setting Planning Self-motivation Attention control Application of learning strategies Self-monitoring Appropriate help seeking Self-evaluation Self-reflection

II. Exploring Our Own Metacognition • Take the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) • Score own inventory • Discuss results & reactions in small groups • Groups report major issues discussed #

III. 7 Effective Learning/Study Strategies 1. Meaningful learning & elaboration 2. Organization, e. g. , • • Internal Outline Graphic representation Concept map 3. Note taking – Facilitates encoding by adding visual

III. Some Effective Learning/Study Strategies (con’t) 4. Identifying important information • • Notice signals from presenter/text Underlining & highlighting 5. Summarizing (not always easy) 6. Comprehension monitoring – checking to see if info understood & remembered • • Illusion of knowing – falsely believing that info is known, so stop studying prematurely Use self-questioning & self-assessment

III. Some Effective Learning/Study Strategies (con’t) 7. Mnemonics • Verbal mediation, e. g. , principal is a “pal” • Visual imagery, e. g. , § Loci § Pegword • Superimpose meaningful structure , e. g. , sentence, story, rhyme, acronym (HOMES), acrostic (A-C-E-G: all cows eat grass) #

IV. Epistemological Beliefs • Beliefs about knowledge & learning, e. g. , 1. Certainty of knowledge (absolute vs. dynamic) 2. Simplicity & structure of knowledge (isolated vs interrelated) 3. Source of knowledge (self vs. others) 4. Criteria for determining truth (expert vs. logic) 5. Speed of learning (quick vs. gradual) 6. Nature of learning ability (innate vs. learned)

IV. Epistemological Beliefs (con’t) • Developmental & cultural differences in epistemological beliefs (e. g. , Asians view mastery as slow & requires persistence) • Effects of epistemological beliefs— determines how we study & learn • Questionnaire & interview with Bill… • Group discussion of implications of different beliefs (see handout) #

V. The Intentional Learner • Most effective, ideal learner is actively & consciously engaged in cognitive & metacognitive activities directed specifically at thinking about & learning info (vs. behavioral view) #

VI. Why Learners Don’t Always Use Effective Strategies 1. Uninformed & misinformed about effective strategies – not taught in school 2. Epistemological beliefs lead to poor strategies 3. Belief that existing strategies already effective 4. Assignments often involve low-level skills 5. Belief sophisticated strategies require too much effort 6. Incompatible goals, e. g. , grades 7. Low self-efficacy #

VII. Promoting Metacognition & Effective Learning Strategies • Self-regulation training programs at any age or level are effective • Discussion of handout: 13 Guidelines for Promoting Effective Learning Strategies… #

VIII. Conclusions • Effective learning based on metacognition & selfregulated learning • Learners’ epistemological beliefs often preclude their being intentional learners, so they use poor study strategies & limit storage & retrieval capabilities • Students at any level can be taught appropriate epistemological beliefs, & metacognitive, selfregulation, effective study strategies • It’s never too late to learn!! ###