1. Metacognition: The Key to Acing Courses (and everything else)!
Saundra Y. McGuire, Ph.D.
Ret. Assistant Vice Chancellor & Professor of Chemistry
Director Emerita, Center for Academic Success
Louisiana State University

2. 2004 National College Learning Center Association Frank L
2004 National College Learning Center Association Frank L. Christ Outstanding Learning Center Award 

3. An Awesome Resource

4. Presidential Award White House Oval Office November 16, 2007

5. What we will cover tonight
Why university students may be inefficient learners
Metacognitive learning strategies that work, and why they work

6. How do I KNOW These Strategies Work?
McGuire, S.Y. & McGuire, S.N. (2015). Teach Students How to Learn: Strategies You Can Incorporate into Any Course to Improve Student Metacognition, Study Skills, and Motivation. Sterling, VA: Stylus

7. Coming in January 2018: A book for students
McGuire, S.Y. & McGuire, S.N. (2018). Teach Yourself How to Learn: Strategies You Can Use to Ace Any Course at Any Level. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publications, LLC.

8. Metacognition The ability to: think about your own thinking
be consciously aware of yourself as a problem solver
monitor, plan, and control your mental processing (e.g. “Am I understanding this material, or just memorizing it?”)
accurately judge your level of learning
know what you know and what you don’t know
Flavell, J. H. (1976). Metacognitive aspects of problem solving. In L. B. Resnick (Ed.), The nature of intelligence (pp ). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum

9. Power of Metacognitive Learning Strategies Sydnie’s Story: Intro and emails
First encounter on September 23, 2013
on October 14, 2013
on January 9, 2014
on January 20, 2014
on May 7, 2014
Update on July 26, Cum GPA 3.5
on February 7, Cum GPA 3.6
Fall Sem GPA 4.18

10. An Effective Homework Strategy
Study information before looking at the problems/questions
Work example problems (without looking at the solutions) until you get to the answer
Check to see if answer is correct
If answer is not correct, figure out where mistake was made, without consulting solution
Work homework problems/answer questions as if taking a test

11. Impact of Using Homework Strategy Sydnie L
Impact of Using Homework Strategy Sydnie L. First Year Biology Pre-Med Student
on January 20, 2014
I started to use the "Get more out of your homework" method. I reviewed my notes right before attempting my homework problems, and tried to work the problems without help from the solutions manual or tutors. If I still could not get the right answer, I'd look at my notes again to get a hint, but not to study the problem and mimic it step by step…

12. Reflection Questions What’s the difference, if any, between
studying and learning?
For which task would you work harder:
A. Make an A on the test
B. Teach the material to the class?

13. To Ace Courses (and everything else!)
Stay in learn mode, not study mode
Study as if you have to teach the material, not just make an A on the test

14. Guardians of the Galaxy
Power of Teaching to Master Learning Clint’s Story: Baby Groot and the Licensure Exam
Guardians of the Galaxy
First encounter on October 29, 2015
on January 18, 2016
Msg on April 14, 2016
Msg on June 11, 2016

15. Use Metacognition to Become an Expert Learner

16. The Story of Two Students
Travis, junior psychology student
47, 52, 82, B in course
Dana, first year physics student
80, 54, 91, 97, 90 (final) A in course

17. A Reading Strategy that Works: SQ5R
Survey (look at intro, summary, bold print, italicized words, etc.)
Question (devise questions survey that you think the reading will answer)
Read (one paragraph at a time)
Recite (summarize in your own words)
Record or wRite (annotate in margins)
Review (summarize the information in your words)
Reflect (other views, remaining questions)

18. Counting Vowels in 45 seconds
How accurate are you?
Count all the vowels
in the words on the next slide.

19. Dollar Bill
Dice
Tricycle
Four-leaf Clover
Hand
Six-Pack
Seven-Up
Octopus
Cat Lives
Bowling Pins
Football Team
Dozen Eggs
Unlucky Friday
Valentine’s Day
Quarter Hour

20. How many words or phrases do you remember?

21. Let’s look at the words again…
What are they arranged
according to?

22. Dollar Bill
Dice
Tricycle
Four-leaf Clover
Hand
Six-Pack
Seven-Up
Octopus
Cat Lives
Bowling Pins
Football Team
Dozen Eggs
Unlucky Friday
Valentine’s Day
Quarter Hour

23. NOW, how many words or phrases do you remember?

24. What were two major differences between the 1st and 2nd attempts?

25. 1. We knew what the task was
2. We knew how the information was organized

26. Turning Yourself into an Efficient, Expert Learner
Do “think aloud” exercises
Constantly ask yourself “why” and “what if” questions
Always test your understanding by verbalizing or writing about concepts; practice retrieval of information
Move your activities higher on the Bloom’s taxonomy scale by comparing and contrasting, thinking of analogies, thinking of new pathways, etc.

27. Bloom’s Taxonomy Creating Evaluating Analyzing Applying Understanding
This pyramid depicts the different levels of thinking we use when learning. Notice how each level builds on the foundation that precedes it. It is required that we learn the lower levels before we can effectively use the skills above.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Creating
Putting elements together to form a coherent or functional whole; reorganizing elements into a new pattern or structure through generating,
planning, or producing.
Making judgments based on criteria and standards through checking and critiquing.
Evaluating
Breaking material into constituent parts, determining how the parts relate to one another and to an overall structure .
Analyzing
Carrying out or using a procedure through executing, or implementing.
Applying
Constructing meaning from oral, written, and graphic messages through interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, and explaining.
Understanding
Retrieving, recognizing, and recalling relevant knowledge from
long-term memory.
Remembering

28. Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating
At what level of Bloom’s did you have to operate to make A’s and B’s in high school?
Remembering
Understanding
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Creating

29. Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating
At what level of Bloom’s do you have to operate to make A’s at UW Whitewatee?
Remembering
Understanding
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Creating

30. How do you move yourself higher on Bloom’s Taxonomy
How do you move yourself higher on Bloom’s Taxonomy? Use the Study Cycle with Intense Study Sessions!

31. *Intense Study Sessions
The Study Cycle
4 Reflect
3 Review
Preview before class – Skim the chapter, note headings and boldface words, review summaries and chapter objectives, and come up with questions you’d like the lecture to answer for you.
Preview
4 Reflect
Attend class – GO TO CLASS! Answer and ask questions and take meaningful notes.
Attend
Review after class – As soon after class as possible, read notes, fill in gaps and note any questions.
Review
Study – Repetition is the key. Ask questions such as ‘why’, ‘how’, and ‘what if’.
Intense Study Sessions* short study sessions per day
Weekend Review – Read notes and material from the week to make connections
Study
Assess your Learning – Periodically perform reality checks
Am I using study methods that are effective?
Do I understand the material enough to teach it to others?
Assess
*Intense Study Sessions 1
Set a Goal
(1-2 min)
Decide what you want to accomplish in your study session 2
Study with Focus
(30-50 min)
Interact with material- organize, concept map, summarize, process, re-read, fill-in notes, reflect, etc. 3
Reward Yourself
(10-15 min)
Take a break– call a friend, play a short game, get a snack 4
Review
(5 min)
Go over what you just studied
Center for Academic Success
B-31 Coates Hall ▪ ▪

32. Effective Metacognitive Strategies
Always solve problems without looking at an example or the solution
Memorize everything you’re told to memorize (e.g. polyatomic ions)
Always ask why, how, and what if questions
Test understanding by giving “mini lectures” on concepts
Spend time on every subject every day
Use the Study Cycle with Intense Study Sessions
Attend tutoring sessions on a regular basis
Aim for 100% mastery, not 90%!

33. Get the Most from the Academic Success Center, Office Hours, and Study Groups
Try to understand the concept or work the problem by yourself first
Come prepared to ask questions
Explain the material to the tutor or instructor

34. So, What Can You Do, Starting Now, to Pursue Your 4.0 this semester?
Spend more time studying
(at least 2 hours/week for every hour in class)
Aim for higher learning levels and 100% understanding
Use office hours and study groups productively
Use the Study Cycle
with Intense Study Sessions
Use Metacognition to Study Smarter!!!

35. Writing Exercise
What behavior will you commit to changing?

36. If you don’t start it within the next 48 hours...
… you probably never will.

37. The ABCs of Academic Success!
Attitude, Behavior, Commitment

38. that determines your altitude.”
Attitude
“It’s your attitude,
not your aptitude,
that determines your altitude.”
Zig Ziglar

39. Behavior It’s the difference between knowing
and doing that determines success Anonymous

40. It’s not over ‘til it’s over,
Commitment
It’s not over ‘til it’s over,
and only you can determine when it’s over!

41. GO WARHAWKS!!!!
Go Eagles!!!