Notes

Metacognition

2 min read

Metacognition

Source: Homepage - Metacognitive Teaching and Learning Strategies (desire2learn.com)

Metacognition and self-regulation are educational interventions with high impact for very low cost.

Definition

“Metacognition refers to one’s knowledge concerning one’s own cognitive processes or anything related to them” – Flavell, 1976

Good metacognition skills are the difference between a student who thinks they know something but can’t recall it on the test, and a student who practices active recall because they know they won’t retain it just by reading off the page.

There are two components of metacognition:

  1. Knowledge of cognition – the recognition of approaches and strategies
  2. Regulation of cognition – the skills to control on-going self-regulated learning

Metacognition can be taught

Metacognitive skills can be developed in students with the correct teaching methods, however students generally do deploy these skills in technologically enhanced learning environments unless they are actively guided to do so.

The metacognition cycle

There are four parts to the metacognition cycle:

  1. Assess the task
  2. Evaluate strengths and weaknesses
  3. Plan the approach
  4. Apply strategies

What is Metacognition (YouTube)

Develop metacognition skills through feedback

We do not learn from experience … we learn from reflecting on experience. – John Dewy

Feedback, (e.g. quizzing), is the best way to develop metacognition skills. It should be done in a timely manner, and the more frequently the better. Often learners will need to be shown the value of feedback in order to improve from it. Feedback is an important part of the learning process, and not some static validation of how smart they are. Parallels can be drawn with the [Stages of Change model](Stages of Change Theory - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)).

Austin’s butterflies

Develop metacognition skills through reflection

Reflecting on past experiences is like wringing learning from a wet cloth. When reflecting on past experiences, focus less on the descriptive (who, what, when) aspects, and more on the reflective (why?, how?, and so what?) aspects. Focus on your thoughts, feelings, and connecting the experience to other experiences. Project into the future and imagine how this knowledge will change you.

Reflective Writing (YouTube) Reflective Writing – The DIEP model (YouTube)

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