1. Understanding the Mind to Improve Reading and Writing in the Sciences
Nelly Sta. Maria, Ph.D. Joe Vollaro, Ph.D.
Chair, Social Sciences Assistant Chair
(631) (631)

2. The importance of context:
“The procedure is actually quite simple. First you arrange items into different groups. Of course one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do. If you have to go somewhere else due to lack of facilities that is the next step; otherwise, you are pretty well set. It is important not to overdo things. That is, it is better to do too few things at once then too many. In the short run this may not seem important but complications can easily arise. A mistake can be expensive as well. At first, the whole procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become just another facet of life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but then, one can never tell. After the procedure is completed one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be put into their appropriate places. Eventually they will be used once more and the whole cycle will then have to be repeated. However, that is a part of life.” (Bransford & Johnson, 1972)

3. “Metacognition” Metacognition = “Thinking about thinking”
Do you know why you’re doing what you’re doing, or do you feel pushed around in the process?
Reading the text(?), writing a paper, taking a test “just to get it over with”?
On Scantron, “Why did I fill that one in? I meant to fill the other one in.”
(IDK. Did you take all the time that was given?)
Metacognition /awareness improves reading, writing, and studying
(and eating, exercising, driving, and relating to others)

4. Examples of metacognition:
Do you know what helps you remember concepts, theories, facts, and examples? (Do you know you need visuals? Lots of examples? Practice? Lots of repetition? A great instructor?)
Knowing that you should create your own examples
Pausing and re-reading when something in text did not sink in / Knowing when you zoned out
Re-wording the textbook
Creating a plan for learning / studying

5. Talking to yourself /talking yourself through a task
~10,000 thoughts per day
Are they calm thoughts that walk you through what you need to do? Or are you drumming up the anxiety and fear?

6. Developing Metacognition
Estimates are the frontal lobe of the brain, responsible for the “Executive Functions”, may not fully mature until years old!!!

7. …Piaget and Constructivism
Best known for idea that individuals construct their understanding, that learning is a constructive process
Active learning as opposed to simply absorbing info from a teacher, book, etc.
The child is seen as a ‘little scientist’ constructing understandings of the world largely alone

8. A major executive function related to the classroom is generating an internal structure and following it
Individuals with “frontal lobe deficits” have been found to function better if an external structure is present and they follow it- they then internalize it!
Provide checkpoints for any longer-term assignments
Give students clear feedback on their work- allow them to self-correct their work!
The brain learns from consequences- not getting the grade they want is a way that they learn!!!!

9. What made you a good student (and later, professor)?
How can you use this information about yourself to explicitly instruct / help your students do the same?
Lev Vygotsky (often cited in Educational Psychology) – what we know is first INTERPERSONAL,
then becomes INTRAPERSONAL.

10. More Metacognitive Strategies
Maintenance Rehearsal / rote memory
Ok in an emergency or just starting
In unfamiliar territory  nose to the grind
E.g., learning medications’ generic names vs. brand names
Beginning to learn about neurotransmitters
Dates

11. Elaborative Rehearsal
The Generation Effect: The generation effect is the experimental finding that when a subject is asked to generate all or part of a stimulus item, that item is almost always remembered better than material the subject only read (Jacoby, 1978; Slamecka &Graf, 1978).
Vollaro (2000): Normal older adults performed equal to younger adults when provided with an encoding task that facilitated deeper encoding by using the Generation Effect
Having students generate the response (i.e. fill-in-the blank) and then self-correct
Writing assignments, discussion

12. Elaborative Rehearsal (cont’d **)
= Going deeper
Best way is to link items to yourself
E.g., what’s your experience with this?
If no experience, what do you think about this? (encourage critical thinking)
Concrete suggestion: Have students write some test questions, present them to the class, and answer/explain them. If they’re great, put them on the test!

13. Many students (and people in general) like to talk about / think about themselves
Create your own mnemonic device
E.g., FPOT

14. Metacognitive Strategies (cont’d)
Organization
E.g., Outlining, use of index cards, chapter summaries
Creating semantic networks
Linking items together in such a way that retrieving one item stimulates the retrieval of others
e.g., Guessing Game in class

15. Timing /Planning
2-3 hours for every hour in class
Do the math in class
PROCESSES IN MEMORY
Attention
Are you physically in class?
Can make attendance part of grade. Usually required at community colleges, usually optional at 4-year schools.
Are you mentally in class?
Or ing / texting?
Exercise: 4th year students came and took notes, 1st year students shocked when revealed

16. Storage
Re-reading. But it should be own notes, not someone else’s. Requires that attention was already paid.
Retrieval
Bringing back the information when you need it
On tests, in-class if called on
Explicit test behavior / Explicit test recommendations:
Bring your pencil
Bring your SCANTRON
Come early!!
Wear a watch!