Dept Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences EOAS Science Education Initiatives

”Metacognition and Self-Directed Learning"Some fundamentals that can improve all learning,

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February 08, 2018 Sarah Bean Sherman bean@eoas.ubc.ca

Intro

• Objectives: we hope you can …

– Define metacognition

– Identify components of a cycle thatrepresenta basicmetacognitive process

– Create a list of strategies for incorporating metacognition intoyour courses

– Be inspired to consider strategies for incorporatingmetacognitive reflection into your teaching practices

Inthissession,participantsareaskedtoconsider:

1. Yourownexperiencewithmetacognition,inthepresentandinthepast

2. Howyoucanincorporatestudentmetacognitionintothecourse(s)you’reteaching

WhatisMetacognition?“Theprocessofreflectingonanddirectingone’sownlearning”

(NationalResearchCouncil,2001)

Cognitive Questions MetacognitiveQuestions

• Explain whythisphenomenahappened

• Justify whyisthisstatement important?

• Predictwhatwouldhappenifthetemperatureincreases?

• How muchtimedoesthisassignmenttake?(assessthetask)

• Whataretherequirementsforthisassignment?(assessthetask)

• Whatarethegapsinmyknowledge?(evaluate)

• HowwouldIplanformystudy?(Plan)• WhatstrategiesshouldIuse? (Apply)• Isthestrategyworkingwellsofar?

(Monitor)• AmImakinggoodprogress?(Reflect)• ShouldIchangetheapproach?(Adjust)• WhatwouldIdodifferentlynexttime?

(Adjust)

CognitionvsMetacognitioninPractice

Cognitivelychallengingtasksoutsideyourdiscipline:Instructions

Pickapuzzle• Person#1:Tackleyourtask,talkingaloudaboutyourthoughtprocess asyoudoso.

• Person#2:TakenotesonwhatPerson#1issaying/thinking

• After2minutes,youwillswitch.

AssessTask

Evaluateownknowledge&skills(howwillIcompletethetask?)

Plan (howwillIapproachthetask?)

ApplyStrategy

MonitorPerformance

Reflect &Adjustifnecessary

FromAmbroseetal.,2010

Students’beliefsAboutintelligence&learning

Howyoulearnedtobemetacognitiveinyourdiscipline–wksh Q1Thinkbacktowhenyouwereinschool:1. Wereyouevergivenexplicitadviceabout

howtolearnorabouthowtobemetacognitive?

2. Howhaveyouchangedasalearnerovertime?

3. Whatfactorsorpeopleimprovedorimpededyourlearning?

DiscussionQuestion

Metacognition:

• Wheredoesitappearinyourstudents’coursesorprograms?

• Isitevermentioned/assessed/built?

Wheredoweseemetacognitionbuiltintocourses/programs?

Howcanwepromotestudentmetacognition?

• Whatstrategiescouldyouuse/haveyouusedtohelpstudents:

1. AssessTask2. EvaluateSkills3. PlanApproach4. Monitor5. Reflect

Explicitmetacognitiveactivities

• Preassessments – encouragestudentstoexaminecurrentthinking

• Muddiestpoint– practiceinidentifyingconfusions

• Retrospectivepost-assessments– pushingstudentstorecognizeconceptualchange

• Reflectivejournals

from:CBELifeSci Educ.June4,2012vol.11no.2113-120.

DeliberatePracticesteps(tips)1. Approach eachcriticaltaskwithanexplicitgoalofgetting

muchbetteratit.2. Asyoudothetask,focusonwhat'shappeningandwhy

you'redoingitthewayyouare.3. Afterthetask,getfeedbackonyourperformancefrom

multiplesources.Makechangesinyourbehaviorasnecessary.

4. Continually buildmentalmodelsofyoursituation- yourindustry,yourcompany,yourcareer.Enlargethemodelstoencompassmorefactors.

5. Dothosestepsregularly,notsporadically.Occasionalpracticedoesnotwork.

http://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/10/30/8391794/index.htm

Examplesofintegratingmetacognitionintocourseactivities

• PairdiscussionafteraclickerQ

• Active-learningtasksand/orhomeworkassignments

• Preparationforquizzes/exams– Knowledgesurveys

• Reflectionafterhomework/quiz/exam– wrappers

PairdiscussionafteraclickerQprompts

• Sharehowyouthoughtaboutwhatthequestionswasasking

• Whatwasyourmainreasonforchoosingyouranswer,andwhatwerethemainreasonsyoudidnotchooseeachoftheotheranswers?

• Whatwasmostconfusingtoyouaboutthisquestion?

Active-learningtasksand/orhomeworkassignments

• Ask3questionsthatyouhadabuttheconceptsyouexploredinyourassignmentthatyoustillcannotanswer

• Describeatleast2ideasrelatedtothisassignmentthatyoufoundconfusing

• Howwasthewayyouapproachedcompletingthisassignmentdifferentcomparedwiththelasttimewehadanassignmentlikethis?

Preparationforquizzes/exams

• Howdoyouplanonpreparingfortheupcomingexam?Why?

• Whatresourcesareavailabletosupportyou?Howwillyoumakesuretousethese?

• Howdoesyourstrategyforexampreparationcomparewithatleast3colleaguesinyourclass/lab?Askthem.

StrategicResourceUseforLearning:ASelf-AdministeredInterventionThatGuidesSelf-ReflectiononEffectiveResourceUseEnhancesAcademicPerformance• PatriciaChenetal.,2017

StrategicResourceUseforLearningChecklistPleaseselecttheStats250resourcesthatyouthinkwillhelp

youprepareforExam2effectively.

Self-ReflectiononLearningScaleDifferentstudentshavedifferentapproachestothesameclass.Weare

interestedinhowyoupersonallyapproachedthisStats250class.Pleasetellushowoftenyouengagedinthefollowingbehaviorsinthisclass.

• 1.OneachassignmentIwasgiven,Icarefullyconsideredwhattheinstructorexpectedofmeasastudent.

• 2.Iactivelytriedtofindoutwhatwasexpectedofmetogetgoodgradesinthisclass.

• 3.AsIstudiedfortheclass,IkeptmonitoringwhetherornotthewayIwasstudyingwaseffective.

• 4.Iactivelyevaluatedhowwellcertainstudytechniqueswereworkingformeinthisclass.

• 5.WhenIwasstuckonaproblem,Ichangedmyapproachratherthancontinuingtoworkonitthesameway.

• 6.WheneverIgotstuckonaproblem,itwaseasyformetoswitchtoadifferentwayofthinkingabouttheproblem.

• 8.Aftereachexam,IthoughtabouthowmyperformanceinclasswasaresultofhowIhadbeendoingthings.

ExampleExcerptsfrom“WhyUseful”Open-EndedResponsesandStudents’Plans

• StudentA:Lecturenotes,pastHWproblems,practiceexamquestions:thesewillbehelpfulformebecauseIcanseethestepsnecessaryforcompletingaproblemandIcanpracticedoingtheproblemswithaguide(mylecturenotes)andfollowthestepsonthoseuntilIcandothemwithoutusingmylecturenotes/Yellowformulacard:IneedtobecomemorefamiliarwiththecardsoIknowwherecertainequationsarewhenIgettothetestIknowwhatequationsIneedforeachtypeofproblem/Discussions,privatetutoring:ThesewillhelpmetoverballytalkthroughmyproblemssothatIcanmakesureIknowwhatIamtalkingaboutwhenIdotheproblemsonmyown

Meta-Metacognition…onyourthinkingaboutyourthinkingduringthissession

• Whatwasmostintriguingtoyouabouttoday’stopic?

• Whatareyouthinkingaboutintermsofhowyoumightusethoseideas?

Howlearningworks

Componentsineachof7chapters• Contexts;twoshortscenarios• What’sgoingonineach?• Whatprinciplesoflearningareatwork?• Whatdoesresearchsayabouttheseprinciples?

– Subsections…• Implicationsofthatresearch• Whatstrategiesdoesresearchsuggest?

– Subsections…• Summary

Also8specificappendiceswithconcreterecommendations