Metacognition

Introduction				task
Metacognition is the higher order of thinking that				2. Plan study time into your schedule and set
encompasses the ability to exploit an active				priorities
control over the thinking processes involved in				3. Make a checklist of what needs to happen
learning. These activities begin with small steps				when
such as planning how to approach a given learning				4. Organize materials
task; the next step is to monitor and then				5. Take the necessary steps to learn by using
evaluating progress towards the completion of				strategies like outlining, mnemonics, diagramming,
the task. Proper planning and its implementation				etc.
are critical for the successful learning and				Monitoring and Reflection:
therefore linked with intelligence. Individuals with				1. Reflect on the learning process, keeping track
high metacognitive abilities tend to be more				of what works and what doesn't work.
successful thinkers (Livingston, 1997). Therefore,				2. Monitor self learning by questioning and
metacognition is application of knowledge to				self-testing
formulate strategy, thus, knowledge itself is				3. Provide feedback to self
metacognitive if it is dynamically used in strategic				4. Keep concentration and motivation high
manner to ensure that a goal is met. It is because				As students become more skilled at using
of this reason metacognition is referred as				metacognitive strategies, they gain confidence and
“thinking about thinking” and help the				become more independent as learners.
students “learn how to learn” (Hacker).				Independence leads to ownership as student's
KNOWING HOW TO LEARN, and knowing which				realize they can pursue their own intellectual needs
strategies work best, is valuable skills that				and discover a world of information at their
differentiate expert learners from novice learners.				fingertips. The task of educators is to
“Metacognition skills include taking conscious				acknowledge, cultivate, exploit and enhance the
control of learning, planning and selecting				metacognitive capabilities of all learners (Brown et
strategies, monitoring the progress of learning,				al, 1983).
correcting errors, analyzing the effectiveness of				Conclusion
learning strategies, and changing learning behaviors				Metacognitive knowledge involves knowledge
and strategies when necessary." (Ridley, D.S.,				about cognition in general, as well as awareness of
Schutz, P.A., Glanz, R.S. & Weinstein, C.E.,				and knowledge about one's own cognition. One of
1992, Grabinger, 1996). . Metacognition, or				the hallmarks of psychological and educational
awareness of the process of learning, is a critical				theory and research on learning since the original
ingredient to successful learning.				Taxonomy was published is the emphasis on
The basic elements of metacognition are:				helping students become more knowledgeable of
1. Developing a plan of action				and responsible for their own cognition and
2. Maintaining/monitoring the plan				thinking. Although there are many definitions and
3. Evaluating the plan				models of metacognition, an important distinction
Before formulating the strategy				is one between (a) knowledge of cognition and (b)
When developing the plan of action, self talk is				the processes involving the monitoring, control,
essential:				and regulation of cognition (Brown, 1983).
1. What in my prior knowledge will help me with				Metacognitive knowledge includes knowledge of
this particular task?				general strategies that might be used for
2. In what direction do I want my thinking to take				different tasks, knowledge of the conditions under
me?				which these strategies might be used, knowledge
3. What should I do first?				of the extent to which the strategies are
4. Why am I reading this selection?				effective, and knowledge of self. For example,
5. How much time do I have to complete the				learners can know about different strategies for
task?				reading a textbook as well as strategies to
During the execution of the strategy				monitor and check their comprehension as they
When you are maintaining/monitoring the plan of				read. Learners also activate relevant knowledge
action, ask yourself:				about their own strengths and weaknesses
1. How am I doing?				pertaining to the task as well as their motivation
2. Am I on the right track?				for completing the task. Suppose learners realize
3. How should I proceed?				they already know a fair amount about the topic
4. What information is important to remember?				of a chapter in a textbook (which they may
5. Should I move in a different direction?				perceive as a strength), and that they are
6. Should I adjust the pace depending on the				interested in this topic (which may enhance their
difficulty?				motivation). This realization could lead them to
7. What do I need to do if I do not understand?				change their approach to the task, such as
After the task is accomplished				adjusting their reading approach or rate. Finally,
When you are evaluating the plan of action ask				learners also can activate the relevant situational
yourself:				or conditional knowledge for solving a problem in a
1. How well did I do?				certain context (e.g., in this classroom; on this
2. Did my particular course of thinking produce				type of test; in this type of real-life situation, etc.).
more or less than I had expected?				They may know, for example, that multiple-choice
3. What could I have done differently?				tests require only recognition of the correct
4. How might I apply this line of thinking to other				answers, not actual recall of the information, as
problems?				required in essay tests. This type of
5. Do I need to go back through the task to fill in				metacognitive knowledge might influence how
any "blanks" in my understanding?				they subsequently prepare for an examination.
(Excerpted from Strategic Teaching and Reading				Thus, metacognition is knowledge of general
Project Guidebook. (1995, NCREL, rev. ed.) The				strategies for learning, thinking, and problem
above strategy will be defined and executed				solving. These strategies are applicable across all
according to the knowledge a person has and the				or most academic disciplines or subject matter
ability to implement in appropriate way. Most				domains in contrast to more specific strategies
researchers seem to agree that metacognition				from the disciplines or domains. Consequently,
develops, as a person gets older. According to				these strategies can be used across a large
Block (1992) late development of metacognition is				number of different tasks and domains, rather
because it requires an ability to stand back and				than being most useful for one particular type of
observe oneself, which a young child is unable to				task in one specific subject area (e.g., solving a
perform except for some exceptionally intelligent				quadratic equation in mathematics, applying Ohm's
children. Moreover, the predilection to engage in or				law in science).
recognize the need for metacognitive activity				References
such as comprehension monitoring amplifies with				1. Brown, A.L., Bransford, J.D., Ferrara, R.A. &
age and that younger children have less of this				Campione, J.C. (1983). Learning, remembering, and
knowledge than older children (Myers et al., 1978).				understanding. In J.H. Flavell & E.M. Markman,
Flavell, the first person to report metacognition				eds. Vol. 3, Handbook of child psychology:
and his colleagues also agree with this (Fisher,				cognitive development, 177-266. New York: Wiley
1998).				2. Ertmer, P.A. & Newby, T.J. (1996). The
There is also a difference between novice				expert learner: strategic, self-regulated, and
learners and expert learners.Novice Learners don't				reflective. Instructional Science 24: 1-24.
stop to evaluate their comprehension of the				Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers
material. They generally don't examine the quality				3. Fisher, R. (1998). Thinking about thinking:
of their work or stop to make revisions as they				developing metacognition in children. Early Child
go along. Satisfied with just scratching the				Development and Care, 141(1), 1-15.
surface, novice learners don't attempt to examine				4. Flavell, J. H. (1979). Speculations about the
a problem in depth. They don't make connections				nature and development of metacognition. In F.
or see the relevance of the material in their lives,				Weinet & R. Kluwe, eds, Metacognition and
on the contrary, Expert learners are more aware				Motivation. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum
than novices of when they need to check for				Associates.
errors, why they fail to comprehend, and how				5. Grabinger, R.S. (1996). Rich environments for
they need to redirect their efforts ( Ertmer, P.A.				active learning. In D.H. Jonassen, ed. Handbook of
& Newby, T.J. (1996).				research for educational communications and
More on Metacognitive Strategies for Successful				technology, 665-692. New York: Simon &
Learning				Schuster Macmillan
Awareness:				6. Myers, M. & Paris, S. G. (1978).
1. Consciously identify what you already know				Children’s metacognitive knowledge about
2. Define the learning goal				reading. Journal of Educational Psychology, 70(5),
3. Consider your personal resources (e.g.				680-690.
textbooks, access to the library, access to a				7. Ridley, D.S., Schutz, P.A., Glanz, R.S. &
computer work station or a quiet study area)				Weinstein, C.E. (1992). Self-regulated learning: the
4. Consider the task requirements (essay test,				interactive influence of metacognitive awareness
multiple choice, etc.)				and goal-setting. Journal of Experimental Education
5. Determine how your performance will be				60 (4), 293-306.
evaluated				8. Winn, W. & Snyder D. (1996). Cognitive
6. Consider your motivation level				perspectives in pyschology. In D.H. Jonassen, ed.
7. Determine your level of anxiety				Handbook of research for educational
Planning:				communications and technology, 112-142.
1. Estimate the time required to complete the

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Metacognition