Metacognitive Learning Metacognitive Learning Strategies: Helping Learners Strategies: Helping Learners Know What To Do, When They Know What To Do, When They Don’t Know What To DoDon’t Know What To Do

Neil J. Anderson, Ph.D.Brigham Young UniversityProvo, Utah U.S.A.neil_anderson@byu.edu

Directed Paraphrasing

In two or three concise sentences, define metacognition. Write a definition that will make sense to your colleagues, one that faculty in any academic discipline will understand.

Metacognition is . . .

Directed Paraphrasing (continued)

Share your definition with someone sitting near you. What aspects of your partner's definition did you find of interest?

Metacognition is the ability to think about your thinking. It is the ability to make your thinking visible. It is the ability to reflect on what you do.

Metacognition is not simply thinking back on an event, describing what happened and how you felt about it. Metacognition is a deeper level of processing.

Metacognition helps us to learn in much more depth because we begin to recognize and capitalize on personal strengths while improving or allowing for weaknesses. We are also better able to appreciate what is really important to us, and so access our own intrinsic motivation (Caine & Caine, 1991, p. 160).

Kruger and Dunning (1999) “argue that the skills that engender competence in a particular domain are often the very same skills necessary to evaluate competence in that domain—one’s own or anyone else’s. Because of this, incompetent individuals lack what cognitive psychologists variously term metacognition” (p. 1121).

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A Teacher’s Dozen: A Teacher’s Dozen: ThirteenThirteen Appropriate Appropriate Tools for Helping Tools for Helping Learners Know What to Learners Know What to Do When They Don’t Do When They Don’t Know What to DoKnow What to Do

A Teacher’s DozenA Teacher’s Dozen

Language Learning Questionnaires/SurveysStrategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL), OxfordSurvey Of Reading Strategies (SORS), Moktari & SheroreyPerceptual Learning Style Preferences (PLSP), Reid

Minute PaperPlease answer each question in one or two sentences:What is the most useful, meaningful, or intriguing thing you learned from today's class discussion?What questions do you have about today's discussion that you would like answered before we move on?

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3-2-1 SummaryWhat are three ideas that have captured your attention from today's class?What are two questions that you are still thinking about related to these topics?What is one thing that you will remember long after this class is over?

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Four key questionsWhat are you trying to accomplish?What strategies are you using?How well are the strategies working?What else could you do?

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5. Groupwork Evaluation FormOverall, how effectively did your group work together on

this assignment? (circle the appropriate response)How many of the five group members participated actively

most of the time? (circle the appropriate number)How many of you were fully prepared for the groupwork

most of the time? (circle the appropriate number)Give one specific example of something you learned from

the group that you probably wouldn't have learned on your own.

Give one specific example of something the other group members learned from you that they probably wouldn't have learned without you.

Suggest one specific, practical change the group could make that would help improve everyone's learning.

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6. Misconception/Preconception Check

There is one best approach to learning English. This class will teach me what that approach is.

Learning how to read is primarily about learning vocabulary.

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Learning Journals/DiariesThis week I spoke English with these people:This week I made these mistakes:My learning and practicing plans for next

week are:I would like help with:In today’s class we completed five tasks. My

self assessment of my performance on each task is:

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Think aloud protocols

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9. Think Sheets for Writing TasksPlanning Think SheetWHO: Who am I writing for?WHY: Why am I writing this? WHAT: What do I know?HOW: How can I group my ideas?

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Learner Study GroupsLSGs are sustained opportunities for learners to explore together issues and challenges that have a direct impact on their lives. There is no set format for LSGs; both the content and the process of the groups are designed and driven by the learners themselves.

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E-Mail Peer Mentoring GroupsSample Mentoring E-Mail ScheduleWeek 1: The star learner poses a question.Weeks 2 and 3: The other learners write

and send responses to the star and all group participants.

Week 4: The star reflects upon and summarizes the responses.

A few weeks later: The star writes a post-reflection discussing how the feedback has been implemented.

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Web-Based Bulletin Board DiscussionsWorking in dyads or small groups, you will take turns on a weekly basis: (a) identifying a question based on the topic for that week, (b) posting the question on the BB system by a specific date and time, and (c) summarizing and presenting your peers' responses at the beginning of each class meeting. The remaining students in the class will answer the question by a specific date and time. Sample postings will be distributed and analyzed in class.

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Video or Audio Taping for Self Improvement

Think-Pair-Share / Reflective Journal EntryRespond to one of the following sentence prompts:

I see real value in teaching my students to be more metacognitively aware of their learning because . . .

I do not see any real value in teaching my students to be more metacognitively aware of their learning because . . .

Selected ReferencesSelected References

ERIC Digest: The Role of Metacognition in Second Language Teaching and Learninghttp://www.cal.org/ericcll/digest/0110anderson.html

On-Line Bibliography: http://humanities.byu.edu/linguistics/andersonn.html

My challenge to you: Learn more about the role of metacognitive strategies and how to explicitly teach them so that you can help your students make conscious decisions about their own learning. The best way is to metacognize yourself by becoming more aware of your own strategies.

Metacognitive Learning Metacognitive Learning Strategies: Helping Learners Strategies: Helping Learners Know What To Do, When They Know What To Do, When They Don’t Know What To DoDon’t Know What To Do

Neil J. Anderson, Ph.D.Brigham Young UniversityProvo, Utah U.S.A.neil_anderson@byu.edu