Metacognition Isnt Just for Students Dr. Lauren Scharff - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Metacognition Isn’t Just for Students

• Dr. Lauren Scharff

Director, Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Professor of Behavioral Sciences

• U. S. Air Force Academy

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 with their teaching, and keep doing more of the same thing even when it’s not working well.

teachers

Agree or Disagree?

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

How Learning Works, Ambrose et al. 2010

ASSESS the task EVALUATE strengths & weaknesses PLAN APPLY Strategies & MONITOR performance

REFLECT & adjust if needed

Both reflection/awar eness and self- regulation are involved in multiple ways across these steps

So… What is Metacognitive Instruction?

Which category best describes your thoughts?

Metacognitive Instruction

Instructing Students

• n how to be

metacognitive learners Instructors engaging in metacognitive practices focused

• n 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

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

Student Metacognitive Learning Questions Metacognitive Instruction Questions

What type of learning is being asked of me? What type of learning do I want students to achieve for this assignment / activity / lesson? How do I know when my study strategies are successful? How do I know when my instruction strategies are successful? How can I use what I know to improve my learning? How can I use what I know to improve my instruction?

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)

Much prior research on the benefits of reflective teaching (e.g. Hutchings & Shulman, 1999; Richlin, 2001).

Reflective Awareness Self- Regulation Student Metacognitive Learning Metacognitive Instruction

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.

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

• rder 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.

Where might reflection come into play in this process of forming new memories?

Cognitive Science: Forming New Memories

SoTL Project: Developing Metacognitive Instructors through a Guided Journal

• Bring aspects of our

teaching into conscious awareness

• Help us make new

connections

• Enable use of

alternate strategies

Promote reflective awareness through journals:

Pre-class Planning & Selection In-class Monitoring & Adjustments Post-lesson Evaluation & Future Plans

Both Awareness and Self-regulation can play important roles in each of these three stages of a lesson arc.

The stages align with those focused on by Tanner (2012)

Metacognitive Instruction Reflection Practices

Pre-Class In-Class Post-Class

Identifying strategies for promoting student engagement and achievement of LOs Monitoring student engagement and achievement of LOs Evaluating lesson with respect to student engagement and achievement of LOs Choosing appropriate strategies Implementing alternate strategy when appropriate Considering modifications for future lessons Self-Regulation Awareness

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 Pre-Class Planning & Selection

• For this lesson, what are my content/skill learning
• bjective(s)?
• What are my alternative strategies to use during the

lesson? In-class monitoring & Adjustments

• What am I observing that tells me whether or not

students are achieving my primary content/skill learning objective(s)?

• If I observe something is not working, how can I

modify my approach? Post-lesson evaluation & Future plans

• What strategies worked well? What is my evidence

for their success?

• What changes to do I plan to make when teaching

this content/skill goal in the future? Why?

Design & Participants

Student Participants:

– 443 intervention students – 353 control students

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

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):

• Responsive 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

Questionnaires Questionnaires

Instructors Instructors Instructors Students Students

Control Group: Normal Teaching Practices

Instructors Instructors Students Students

(Student feedback ~5 mins each time) Pre-Semester Mid-Semester Post-Semester

Always Completed Journal Most lessons Completed Journal Rarely Completed Journal Occasionally Completed Journal Never Completed Journal

Continuum of Journal Participation

Control Group

Poor Journal Use: 5 Instructors who completed the study Good Journal Use: 19 Instructors who completed all parts of the study Control Group: 18 Instructors who completed all parts of the study

Results Goal 1: Engagement in MI and Reflective Teaching

• More frequently reported engagement in

reflective teaching than in MI

• Intervention and Control: similar levels of

familiarity with MI (~30% reported familiarity)

• No correlation between # of years teaching and

engagement with either MI or reflective teaching

• Almost no mention of MI strategies related to

in-class awareness that support self-regulation.

Results Goal 2: Impact of Journal on Instructor Practices

3 (Practice) x 2 (Time) x2 (Group) mixed ANOVA showed a significant effect for practice, and significant Time x Practice interaction.

Results Goal 2: Instructor Comfort & Confidence

Separate 2 (Group) x 2 (Time) mixed ANOVAs. Significant interaction for Comfort in Adjusting the Lesson

Examples of Instructor Impact

“I am more intentional about really thinking through the content I want to teach, the way I plan to teach it and maybe more importantly how to truly assess their learning of the content.” “The feeling of confidence that I had when I walked into the class knowing I had not only a lesson plan for the content, but also MULTIPLE options for learning experiences for students to engage with that content. I liked the feeling of having a back-up plan in place if the students weren’t engaging with the material.”

Example of Perceived Impact

• n Students

“Some of the strategies I intentionally employed because of my journaling were a big hit with

• students. They were a little outside of my

comfort zone (kinesthetic learning, singing, etc.), but I tried them anyway, and the student response was universally enthusiastic. I could also tell from assessments that the material we covered in these ways "clicked" better with some students who previously hadn't been doing as well.”

Results Goal 2: Impact of MI Journal on Lesson Planning and Awareness of Student Achievement

• ~ 2/3 of Faculty reported that the use of MI

strategies increased their overall awareness of their lesson planning intentions

• ~1/2 Faculty reported increased awareness of

their students’ achievement of LOs as a result

• f using MI strategies.
• ~10% used exams and papers to measure
• achievement. Note these are not timely.

Results Goal 2: Student Perceptions

Instructor completion of journal significantly and positively correlated with:

– Responsiveness to MY learning (p ≤ .01) – Responsiveness to OVERALL student learning (p ≤ .01) – Using techniques that enhance MY learning (p ≤ .01) – Using techniques that enhance OVERALL student learning (p ≤ .05) – Responsiveness to MY engagement in class (p ≤ .05) NOTE: Students did not know the level of their instructors engagement with the journal.

Results Goal 3: Deterrents to MI

• Time was the significant barrier to MI for both

pre-class planning (up to 75% of responses) and in-class adjustments (30%)

• Additional barriers included:

–overcoming routine –juggling in-class roles –individualizing for student needs –identifying alternate strategies

Results Summary

• Greater familiarity with reflective teaching

than with MI

• The least reported MI Practice is in-class self-

regulation (adjusting class in-the-moment or in otherwise timely manner)

• Impediments to MI implementation are time

(biggest), changing routines, identifying alternate strategies, and customizing instruction for individuals

• Greater journal use positively correlated with

student perceptions

Study Conclusions

• Journal makes MI practices visible and

intentional

– Journal shifted pre-planning focus from content to LOs and student engagement – Key component is pre-planning appropriate alternate strategies

• Self-regulation component is the MI practice

that requires the most support

– Journals may be an effective tool to develop MI

MI is a Skill – Can Develop

We know that metacognitive learning strategies help students…..We believe that metacognitive instruction practices will help accelerate instructors along a developmental arc that supports student learning:

Teacher-centered and Content-focused Focused on the aggregate learner using evidence- based practice Focused on differentiated and customized learning

Metacognitive Instruction Scholarly Teaching

Journals are not the only way to engage in metacognitive instruction!

What are other ways to promote reflective awareness and self-regulation?

Another MI SoTL Effort

• NSF Grant – Prepping Future STEM Technicians
• Dr. Jill Singer & Co-PI Dr. John Draeger, SUNY

Buffalo State

• Students & research mentors score students on

35 behaviors related to desirable outcomes (e.g. content knowledge, critical thinking, ability to

• vercome obstacles, autonomy)
• Then meet and discuss
• They have focused on development of student

metacognition, but should also provide

• pportunities for metacognitive instruction

Easy Adaptation: Mid-Semester Feedback

MI = the use of reflective awareness to make timely adjustments (self- regulation) to teaching for a specific individual

• r group of students.

Thank you!

I’d love to talk with you! Lauren.scharff@usafa.edu