Metacognition Metacognition

Helping students to self-regulateHelping students to self-regulate

DefinitionsDefinitions

MetacognitionMetacognition - literally “beyond knowing”, - literally “beyond knowing”, knowing what one knows and doesn’t know knowing what one knows and doesn’t know - promoting a student’s ability to self-monitor - promoting a student’s ability to self-monitor levels of understanding and predict how well levels of understanding and predict how well (s)he will do on a particular task.(s)he will do on a particular task.

Self-regulationSelf-regulation - students monitoring their - students monitoring their own comprehension and assessing their own comprehension and assessing their own abilities without teacher help.own abilities without teacher help.

MetacognitionMetacognition

Most closely associated with a teacher’s Most closely associated with a teacher’s instructional practices.instructional practices.

The teacher’s metacognitive practices, if The teacher’s metacognitive practices, if done effectively, can lead to student self-done effectively, can lead to student self-regulation.regulation.

Self-RegulationSelf-Regulation

A process in which a person actively searches for A process in which a person actively searches for relationships and patterns to resolve contradictions or relationships and patterns to resolve contradictions or bring coherence out of a set of experiences.bring coherence out of a set of experiences.

Contradictions lead to disequilibrium, accommodation, Contradictions lead to disequilibrium, accommodation, and assimilation.and assimilation.

Self-regulation begins with exploration, and Self-regulation begins with exploration, and progresses through invention and application.progresses through invention and application.

The work of self-regulation calls for students to identify The work of self-regulation calls for students to identify patterns, draw of inferences, and make comparisons.patterns, draw of inferences, and make comparisons.

Self-regulation is essential in order to increase both Self-regulation is essential in order to increase both declarative and procedural knowledge.declarative and procedural knowledge.

Solid EvidenceSolid Evidence

There is ample PER evidence to show that There is ample PER evidence to show that metacognition and self-regulatory practices metacognition and self-regulatory practices aid significantly in student learning in PHY.aid significantly in student learning in PHY.

Heuristic approaches are often the best, and Heuristic approaches are often the best, and each student has his or her own.each student has his or her own.

Highly effective if integrated into a course Highly effective if integrated into a course (e.g., students talk about practices).(e.g., students talk about practices).

Instructional Strategies - 1Instructional Strategies - 1

Characterize performances (S=ACharacterize performances (S=AiiAAllMEME11EE22))

Make students aware they are responsible Make students aware they are responsible for their own learning.for their own learning.

State objectives or learning outcomes.State objectives or learning outcomes. Provide practice tests and homework.Provide practice tests and homework. Provide guided practice before homework.Provide guided practice before homework. Have students participate in complex tasks Have students participate in complex tasks

such as presentations and report writing.such as presentations and report writing.

Instructional Strategies - 2Instructional Strategies - 2

Monitor student progress; provide feedbackMonitor student progress; provide feedback Distinguish deep and surface learningDistinguish deep and surface learning Promote reciprocal teaching and reading.Promote reciprocal teaching and reading. Provide info about reading techniques.Provide info about reading techniques. Teach content in multiple contexts - reading, Teach content in multiple contexts - reading,

discussion, labs, demos, presentations.discussion, labs, demos, presentations. Provide abstract representations.Provide abstract representations.

Instructional Strategies - 3Instructional Strategies - 3

Address preconceptions. Address preconceptions. Identify relevant knowledge and skills.Identify relevant knowledge and skills. Explicitly define and characterize Explicitly define and characterize

metacognitive and self-regulatory metacognitive and self-regulatory approaches.approaches.

Teach mastery skills - provide information Teach mastery skills - provide information about study skills, time and effort. about study skills, time and effort.

Set high expectations for student Set high expectations for student performance.performance.

Instructional Strategies - 4Instructional Strategies - 4

Use mnemonics (e.g., F = Use mnemonics (e.g., F = N, Roy G. Biv)N, Roy G. Biv) Informal assessment should focus on Informal assessment should focus on

making students’ thinking visible to both making students’ thinking visible to both teachers and students.teachers and students.

Encourage reflection and revision.Encourage reflection and revision. Provide timely and useful feedback. Provide timely and useful feedback. Planning for instruction should include an Planning for instruction should include an

analysis of required knowledge and skills analysis of required knowledge and skills required for problem solving. required for problem solving.

Self-Regulatory Strategies - 1Self-Regulatory Strategies - 1

Compare performance against a set of Compare performance against a set of performance standards (e.g., salient performance standards (e.g., salient behaviors)behaviors)

Compare performance against stated Compare performance against stated objectivesobjectives

Predict outcomes on various tasksPredict outcomes on various tasks Reciprocal readingReciprocal reading Reciprocal teachingReciprocal teaching

Self-Regulatory Strategies - 2Self-Regulatory Strategies - 2

Note failures to comprehend Note failures to comprehend Practice testsPractice tests Planning ahead - apportion time and Planning ahead - apportion time and

memorymemory Promote active listeningPromote active listening Analysis of problem solving - explain what Analysis of problem solving - explain what

was done and whywas done and why

Simple StrategiesSimple Strategies

PlanningPlanning MonitoringMonitoring EvaluatingEvaluating ResourcingResourcing GroupingGrouping Note takingNote taking Pre-testingPre-testing Complex tasksComplex tasks

SummarizingSummarizing Deduction/inductionDeduction/induction Concept mappingConcept mapping Peer instructionPeer instruction ElaborationElaboration Socratic dialoguesSocratic dialogues KWL structuresKWL structures Graphical organizersGraphical organizers