Metacognition

1.                WHAT IS METACOGNITION?

Metacognition-Is one’s ability to use prior knowledge to plan the strategy for approaching a learning task , take necessary steps to problem solve, reflect on the evaluate results, and modify one’s approach as needed. It helps learners choose the right cognitive too; for successful learning.

2.                HOW METECOGNITION DEVELOP?

Identifying "what you know" and "what you don't know."  At the beginning of a research activity students need to make conscious decisions about their knowledge. Initially students write "What I already know about..." and "What I want to learn about...." As students research the topic, they will verify, clarify and expand, or replace with more accurate information, each of their initial statements.

              Talking about thinking.  Talking about thinking is important because students need a thinking vocabulary. During planning and problem-solving situations, teachers should think aloud so that students can follow demonstrated thinking processes. Modeling and discussion develop the vocabulary students need for thinking and talking about their own thinking. Labelling thinking processes when students use them is also important for student recognition of thinking skills. Paired problem-solving is another useful strategy.

Keeping a thinking journal.  Another means of developing metacognition is through the use of a journal or learning log. This is a diary in which students reflect upon their thinking, make note of their awareness of ambiguities and inconsistencies, and comment on how they have dealt with difficulties. This journal is a diary of process.

             Planning and self-regulation.  Students must assume increasing responsibility for planning and regulating their learning. It is difficult for learners to become self-directed when learning is planned and monitored by someone else. Students can be taught to make plans for learning activities including estimating time requirements, organizing materials, and scheduling procedures necessary to complete an activity. The resource center's flexibility and access to a variety of materials allows the student to do just this.

Debriefing the thinking process.  Closure activities focus student discussion on thinking processes to develop awareness of strategies that can be applied to other learning situations. A three step method is useful. First, the teacher guides students to review the activity, gathering data on thinking processes and feelings. Then, the group classifies related ideas, identifying thinking strategies used. Finally, they evaluate their success, discarding inappropriate strategies, identifying those valuable for future use, and seeking promising alternative approaches.

             Self-Evaluation.  Guided self-evaluation experiences can be introduced through individual conferences and checklists focusing on thinking processes. Gradually self-evaluation will be applied more independently. As students recognize that learning activities in different disciplines are similar, they will begin to transfer learning strategies to new situations.

3.                   WHAT ARE THE KNOWLEDGE VARIABLES OF METACOGNITION?

·         Person variables- what recognizes about his or her strengths and weaknesses in lerning and processing information.

a.       What is the role of age?

·         Task variables- what one knows or can figure out about the nature of the task and the processing demands required to a complete task.

b.      Different instructional content

·         Strategy variables- the strategies a person has “at the ready “to apply in a flexible way to successfully accomplish a task.

c.       Ways to encode, store, and retrieve information

4.                   Characteristics of Expert Learners

·         Control the learning process rather than become a victim of it

·         Are active, not passive, in their approach to learning

·         Are motivated (e.g., enjoy learning, have specific short-term and long-term goals, etc.)

·         Are disciplined (i.e., have learned good habits and use them consistently)

·         Are more aware of themselves as learners (e.g., know their own strengths and weaknesses)

·         Initiate opportunities to learn

·         Set specific learning goals for themselves

·         Have a larger repertoire of learning strategies from which to choose

·         Know not only what to learn, but how to learn

·         Are more adaptive because they do self-monitor while learning

·         Reflect more upon their own learning

·         Evaluate the effectiveness of learning approaches and strategies

·         Are more sensitive to the demands of specific academic tasks

·         Use learning strategies selectively

·         Use learning strategies strategically

·         Tend to attribute failures to correctable causes

·         Tend to attribute successes to personal competence

5.                   Characteristics of Novice Learners

·         Enter as successful ICU nurses

·         Unfamiliar with the OR

·         Process of anesthesia is mysterious

·         No anesthesia experience, little    knowledge

·         Learning must begin somewhere

·         Learn from didactic work theories to guide actions

·         Theories and rules provide general rules but do not cover all possible situations

·         Task-oriented

·         Vary greatly in abilities