Metacognition
EDU 330: Educational Psychology
Daniel Moos, PhD
Metacognition
(1)What is Metacognition?
(2) Metacognition in theory
(3) Metacognition in reality
(4) Metacognition in practice
Let’s play… Rock-Paper-Scissors
Best two out of three
Winner gets to....
TEACH!
TEACHER: “Teach” and then clap twice
STUDENTS: “Okay” and then clap twice
Teacher: (1) Summary of IPT model
(2) Implications
Listener: “I heard…” and then add additional info
TEACHER: “Yes” and then STUDENTS clap twice
What is Metacognition and
why is it important?
Selective Attention example #1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2
Mvo
 Selective Attention example #2:

1.
2.
3.
4.
Write your name as many times as possible in
15 seconds
Multiply number by 4; what is your number?
Teachers present content about an average of
110 word per minute during a lecture
Presentation rates substantially faster than
what students can write… in other words,
students cannot write down everything!
What is Metacognition?

Cognition refers to…


The manner in which information is processed
(the way in which students process, store,
retrieve, manipulate knowledge)
Metacogntion refers to…

Knowledge about these operations and how
they may be best used to achieve a learning
goal
Metacognition in Theory
Metacognition in Reality (I)
Not just another “education” buzz word…
We know it is incredibly important in learning…
•Over
35 years of research (Flavell, 1979, 1987s)
Knowledge-of-person variables
 Individual understanding (are you better at math or
English?)
Knowledge-of-task variables
 Knowledge of tasks (which tasks take you longer to
complete?)
Knowledge-of-strategy variables
 Knowledge of effective strategies (which strategies are
most effective for you?)
Metacognition in Reality (II)
Not just another “education” buzz word…
We know it is incredibly important in learning…
•Supported
in diverse areas of research: Cognitive
Psychology, Educational Psychology, Learning Sciences
•Personal commitment and consistency of findings:


31 of my 33 published journal articles are based on studies
that used metacognition to explain learning
Statistically significantly predicted learning outcomes
•Accessible
instructional strategies for supporting
metacognition
Metacognition in Practice (I)
Metacognitive activities should guide students to:





Articulate what they already know
Articulate what they learned
Monitor progress, evaluate work, and set goals
Identify, evaluate, and implement effective strategies
Connect content and transfer learning between contexts
Characteristics of effective metacognitive activities:



Facilitate student planning, monitoring, and reflection
Are offered before, during, and after learning
Occur in various settings (individuals, pairs, small group, large
group)
Metacognition in Practice (II)
What activities effectively teach and/or support
metacognition based on the below criteria?
Metacognitive activities should guide students to:





Articulate what they already know
Articulate what they learned
Monitor progress, evaluate work, and set goals
Identify, evaluate, and implement effective strategies
Connect content and transfer learning between contexts
Characteristics of effective metacognitive activities:



Facilitate student planning, monitoring, and reflection
Are offered before, during, and after learning
Occur in various settings (individuals, pairs, small group, large group)
Metacognition in Practice (III)
Exit Cards
I understand….
I do NOT understand….
Metacognition in Practice (IV)
SRL prompts
Many students (of all ages) do not self-regulate their
learning



Planning Questions (before learning): What do you
already know about ______?
Monitoring questions (during learning): What have
you learned so far? What questions do you have
and/or is there anything you do not feel like you
understand?
Reflection (after learning): What did you learn about
_______? What challenges did you face? What
areas still confuse you?
Metacognition in Practice (V)
KWL Charts
Provide opportunities for students to express:
what they know (K);
want to know (W);
have learned (L)
Metacognition in Practice (VI)
Metacognitive Note-taking
Dynamic interplay between content & understanding
Metacognition in Practice (VII)
Wrappers
Surrounds existing assignment/activity and encourages metacognition

Lecture wrappers: 3 important points

Exam wrappers: Predict exam performance, describe
study strategies; reflect and modify

Homework wrappers: Predict difficulty, reflect and modify
Metacognition in Practice (VIII)
Promoting Metacognition through rubrics and
Assignment Directions
See Handouts
Age trends in Metacognition

Young Elementary (6 yr olds)



Young Elementary (7 yr olds)



Do know: Familiar items easier to remember, small set of
information easier to recall
Do not know: Limit to amount one can recall
Do know: Interest, familiarity, and story length affect
comprehension and recall
Do not know: Effect of how ideas are sequenced, time of
test should affect study time
Elementary (9 yr olds)


Do know: Recall is limited (younger children overestimate
how much they can store and retrieve in STM)
Begin to understand when they know something well
enough to pass a memory test (younger children choose to
study something they had already seen)