UsingMetacogni-ontoReframeOur
ThinkingaboutLearningStyles
HillaryH.Steiner,Ph.D.
StephanieM.Foote,Ph.D.
TheLearningStylesPhenomenon
•  Inspiredbyobservabledifferencesteacherssawin
thewaytheirstudentsapproachedinforma-on
•  Appearedtobean“easyfix”fordifferen-a-ng
instruc-on
•  Moved(erroneously)fromaninstruc-onal
techniquetoatheoryoflearning
•  Persistedasteachers-of-teacherscon-nuedto
teachinthewaytheyweretaught
What’s“right”?
•  Peoplelearndifferently
•  Peoplehavedifferent
learninginterestsand
preferences
•  Peopledifferintheir
abili-esandprior
knowledge
What’s“wrong”?
•  Whenpeopleusetheir
preferredstyleonatask
theydonotperformbeTer
thaniftheyusedadifferent
style
HowisMetacogni-onDifferent?
•  Metacogni-vestudentsareawareoftheirown
learningprocessesandadjustthembasedon
experienceandreflec-on
•  Involvesplanning,monitoring,andevalua-onof
strategies,andthereforeistask-dependent
•  Metacogni-vestudentsareconstantlyadap-ngand
addingtotheirstrategyrepertoire,andtheyrealize
thattheyarenotlimitedbyacertainstyle
IsMetacogni-onaValuableConstructtoTeach?
•  Wewantourstudentstobecomeself-regulated
learners;modelingmetacogni-onandhavingthem
considerwhyandhowlearningstrategiesworkmoves
themfartherdownthispath
•  First-yearseminarstudentssayit’s“definitelyworth
teaching”and“helpedmeunderstandhowandwhywe
thinklikewedo.”(Steiner,2014)
SampleMetacogni-veAc-vi-es
Self-AssessmentofExis-ngLearningStrategies
Theseshouldbepairedwithreflec-veexercisesaswell
asa“grainofsalt”—theyareamerelyajumping-off
pointforstudentstothinkabouttheirownthinking.
SampleAc-vity:StrategyProject
Anopportunitytoplan,monitor,andevaluatestudystrategiesforatest
inacurrentclass
Involves:
•  Pre-ProjectReflec-on
•  ProfessorInterac-on
•  PlanofStudy
•  Ac-veNote-takingandReading
•  Addi-onalTestPrepara-on
•  Post-ProjectReflec-on
•  Dissemina-onofResults
SampleAc-vity:Post-ExamAnalysis
•  Easyac-vitytoimplementincoursesheavyon
content
•  Involvesguidingstudentsthroughananalysisof
agradedexam.Studentscan:
–  predicttheirgradebeforetheyreceivethetest
(largediscrepanciesindicateproblemswith
metacogni-on)
–  lookforpaTernsintheirmistakes
–  evaluatestudystrategiesthatshouldbechanged
SampleMetacogni-veAc-vi-es
Usingmetacogni-onto
deconstructthelearning
processandapplyitto
newsubjects/topics
Metacogni-vePromp-ng
Instructor-LedModelingMetacogni-veSelf-Ques-oning
1.  Comprehension(Whatisthetaskabout?)
2.  Connec-on(Whatarethesimilari-es/differences
betweenthistaskandthoseperformedinthepast?)
3.  Strategic(Whatarethestrategies,tac-cs,etc.needed
tosolvethetask,andwhy?)
4.  Reflec-on(WhatamIdoingrightnow?CanItakea
differentapproach?)
(Girash,2014)
Instruc-onalPrac-cesthatFosterMetacogni-on
•  Preassessments
•  MuddiestPoint/1-MinutePapers
•  Reflec-veJournals(Self-Monitoring)
•  Integra-ngReflec-onintoExis-ngCourseWork/
Classes
•  Instruc-onalInterven-ons/Collabora-veStudent
LearningGroups
Implica-ons
•  Reframingthefocusonlearningstylestoafocuson
metacogni6on…
–  Helpsstudentsdiscoverwhotheyareaslearnersandhowthe
learningprocessworks
–  Createsopportuni-esfordeeperandmoreintegra-velearningto
occur
–  Enablesstudentstoleveragetheirstrengthstodevelopdynamic
approachesforlearning
•  Implica-onsmayalsoextendtoindividualinterac-onswith
studentsinacademiccoaching,tutoring,oradvising
sessions
Think-Pair-Share
•  Howmightyoureframeexis-ngac-vi-esor
assignmentsinyourfirst-yearseminartofoster
metacogni-vefunc-oning?
•  Whatapproachescanyoutaketomodelmetacogni-ve
self-ques-oning?
•  Whatother“deep”learningapproachescanyou
incorporateintoyourfirst-yearseminar?