Metacognition Isn’t Just for Students Dr. Lauren Scharff Director, Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Professor of Behavioral Sciences U. S. Air Force Academy
Agree or Disagree? Many students get stuck in a rut with their learning, and keep doing more of the same thing even when it’s not working well.
Agree or Disagree? Many students get stuck in a rut teachers with their teaching, and keep doing more of the same thing even when it’s not working well.
The Plan • Define metacognition and metacognitive instruction (MI) • Discuss reflection and why it is key to deep learning / self-directed learning / metacognition • SoTL example: Developing MI • Another example & take-aways
The not- so-hidden agenda!
What is Metacognition? “Metacognition refers… to the active monitoring and consequent regulation and orchestration of these processes in relation to the cognitive objects or data on which they bear, usually in the service of some concrete goal or objective.” (Flavell, 1976, p.232)
What is Metacognition? “Metacognition refers… to the active monitoring and consequent regulation and orchestration of these processes in relation to the cognitive objects or data on which they bear, usually in the service of some concrete goal or objective.” (Flavell, 1976, p.232)
Our Working Definition Metacognition is the use of reflective awareness to make timely adjustments (self-regulation) to behaviors that support a goal-directed process (e.g. learning, teaching, driving, cooking, writing)
Cycle of Self-Directed Learning / Metacognitive Process Both ASSESS the reflection/awar task eness and self- REFLECT & EVALUATE regulation are adjust if strengths & weaknesses involved in needed multiple ways across these APPLY steps Strategies & PLAN MONITOR performance How Learning Works, Ambrose et al. 2010
So… What is Metacognitive Instruction?
Which category best describes your thoughts? Metacognitive Instruction Instructors engaging in Instructing Students metacognitive on how to be practices focused metacognitive learners on their own teaching (Metacognition Instruction)
How Do We Define Metacognitive Instruction? ‘Metacognitive instruction’ is defined as the use of reflective awareness to make timely adjustments (self-regulation) to teaching for a specific individual or group of students .
Parallels between Metacognitive Learning and Metacognitive Instruction Student Metacognitive Metacognitive Instruction Learning Questions Questions What type of learning do I want What type of learning is being students to achieve for this asked of me? assignment / activity / lesson? How do I know when my How do I know when my study instruction strategies are strategies are successful? successful? How can I use what I know to How can I use what I know to improve my learning? improve my instruction? Modified from Scharff, L. & Draeger, J. (September, 2015). Thinking about metacognitive instruction. The National Teaching and Learning Forum , 24(5), p. 4-6. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ntlf.2015.24.issue-5/issuetoc
Developing Metacognitive Instructors through a Guided Journal My co-investigators: John Draeger (SUNY Buffalo State) Sarah Robinson (US Air Force Academy) Leli Pedro (U of CO Denver College of Nursing) Charity Peak (formerly USAFA) Tara Beziat (Auburn Univ. at Montgomery)
Project Inspiration: Metacognitive learning is a skill that can be developed (lots of research for students), so we should also be able to develop metacognitive instruction. Student Metacognitive Reflective Self- Metacognitive Instruction Awareness Regulation Learning Much prior research on the benefits of reflective teaching (e.g. Hutchings & Shulman, 1999; Richlin, 2001).
Some Unpacking of Reflection /Awareness
Have you ever driven for 50 miles and then realized you don’t really remember most of the drive?
Did you ever listen to a well presented lecture, thinking it all “made sense” but then the next day you had difficulties recalling important points from it?
“Mindfulness brings you back , again and again, to full conscious awareness: a place of choice and attention.” Williams and Penman, 2011
Reflection allows us to be consciously aware of both the present and past experiences, and project into the future Thus, it provides a means by which to promote Awareness , the first step in metacognition
For those with inquiring minds… WHY does awareness support learning and remembering?
Neuroscience / Brain Science Tells Us That Learning Requires Time And Effort…. You Change Your Brain When You Learn. LTP requires multiple trials in order make the long-lasting synaptic changes. Attention modifies the strength of neural signals. The more connections that are made, the easier it is to retrieve / reactivate the memory.
Cognitive Science: Forming New Memories Where might reflection come into play in this process of forming new memories?
SoTL Project: Developing Metacognitive Instructors through a Guided Journal Promote reflective awareness through journals: Bring aspects of our • teaching into conscious awareness Help us make new • connections Enable use of • alternate strategies
Metacognitive Instruction Reflection Practices Pre-class In-class Post-lesson Evaluation & Planning & Monitoring Future Plans Selection & Adjustments The stages align with those focused on by Tanner (2012) Both Awareness and Self-regulation can play important roles in each of these three stages of a lesson arc.
Pre-Class In-Class Post-Class Identifying strategies Evaluating lesson with Self-Regulation Awareness Monitoring student for promoting student respect to student engagement and engagement and engagement and achievement of LOs achievement of LOs achievement of LOs Implementing Considering Choosing appropriate alternate strategy modifications for strategies when appropriate future lessons LOs = Learning Outcomes
Goals of Our Study Goal 1: Baseline Understandings a) Determine instructors’ familiarity with and use of metacognitive instruction in comparison to reflective teaching b) Determine whether these practices were related to the number of years of teaching experience.
Goal 2: Impact of Journal Intervention a) On 3 instructor self-reported metacognitive practices (pre-lesson planning, in-class awareness, consideration of timely adjustments) b) On instructor perceptions of teaching confidence and comfort c) On student perceptions of instructor responsiveness to their engagement and achievement of the learning objectives
Goal 3: The Context Better understand motivations and • deterrents to instructor engagement in metacognitive instruction.
Our Instructor Journal Intervention Activities Example Questions • For this lesson, what are my content/skill learning Pre-Class objective(s)? Planning & • What are my alternative strategies to use during the Selection lesson? What am I observing that tells me whether or not • students are achieving my primary content/skill In-class learning objective(s)? monitoring & If I observe something is not working, how can I • Adjustments modify my approach? Post-lesson What strategies worked well? What is my evidence • evaluation & for their success? Future plans What changes to do I plan to make when teaching • this content/skill goal in the future? Why?
Design & Participants Institution Intervention Control Buffalo 14 13 Kent State 9 6 Auburn U at Montgomery 2 2 U of CO College of Nursing 3 4 U. S. Air Force Academy 12 8 Total 39 32 Student Participants: – 443 intervention students – 353 control students
Questionnaires Faculty self-report about (mix of open & closed ended): • Familiarity with MI and Reflective Teaching • Frequency of engagement 3 MI practices (1-10 Likert scale*) • Deterrents to practice (check list and open-ended) • Confidence about student engagement & achieving LOs* • Comfort adjusting flow of lesson based on student achievement* • Completion of MI journal (Intervention only; * and open-ended) Students rate instructors on (1-10 Likert scales): R esponsive to level of achievement of learning objectives • • Use of instructional techniques to enhance learning • Responsive to level of student engagement • Use of instructional techniques to enhance level of engagement
Intervention Group: Normal Teaching Practices + Journal Questionnaire s Instructors Instructors Instructors Students Students Pre-Semester Mid-Semester Post-Semester Questionnaires Instructors Instructors Students Students Control Group: Normal Teaching Practices (Student feedback ~5 mins each time)
Continuum of Journal Participation Never Rarely Most lessons Always Occasionally Completed Completed Completed Completed Completed Journal Journal Journal Journal Journal Good Journal Use: Poor Journal Use: 19 Instructors who 5 Instructors who completed all parts of completed the study the study Control Group: Control 18 Instructors who Group completed all parts of the study
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