1. EDU 330: Educational Psychology Daniel Moos, PhD
Metacognition
EDU 330: Educational Psychology
Daniel Moos, PhD

2. Metacognition What is Metacognition? Metacognition in theory
Metacognition in reality
Metacognition in practice

3. Let’s play… Rock-Paper-Scissors Best two out of three
Winner gets to....
TEACH!

4. TEACHER: “Teach” and then clap twice STUDENTS: “Okay” and then clap twice Teacher: (1) Summary of IPT model (2) Implications Listener: “I heard…” and then add additional info TEACHER: “Yes” and then STUDENTS clap twice

5. What is Metacognition and why is it important?
Selective Attention example #1:
Selective Attention example #2:
Write your name as many times as possible in 15 seconds
Multiply number by 4; what is your number?
Teachers present content about an average of 110 word per minute during a lecture
Presentation rates substantially faster than what students can write… in other words, students cannot write down everything! 8

6. What is Metacognition? Cognition refers to… Metacogntion refers to…
The manner in which information is processed (the way in which students process, store, retrieve, manipulate knowledge)
Metacogntion refers to…
Knowledge about these operations and how they may be best used to achieve a learning goal 8

7. Metacognition in Theory

8. Metacognition in Reality (I)
Not just another “education” buzz word…
We know it is incredibly important in learning…
Over 35 years of research (Flavell, 1979, 1987s)
Knowledge-of-person variables
Individual understanding (are you better at math or English?)
Knowledge-of-task variables
Knowledge of tasks (which tasks take you longer to complete?)
Knowledge-of-strategy variables
Knowledge of effective strategies (which strategies are most effective for you?)

9. Metacognition in Reality (II)
Not just another “education” buzz word…
We know it is incredibly important in learning…
Supported in diverse areas of research: Cognitive Psychology, Educational Psychology, Learning Sciences
Personal commitment and consistency of findings:
31 of my 33 published journal articles are based on studies that used metacognition to explain learning
Statistically significantly predicted learning outcomes
Accessible instructional strategies for supporting metacognition

10. Metacognition in Practice (I)
Metacognitive activities should guide students to:
Articulate what they already know
Articulate what they learned
Monitor progress, evaluate work, and set goals
Identify, evaluate, and implement effective strategies
Connect content and transfer learning between contexts
Characteristics of effective metacognitive activities:
Facilitate student planning, monitoring, and reflection
Are offered before, during, and after learning
Occur in various settings (individuals, pairs, small group, large group)

11. Your turn (developmental groups)
Metacognition in Practice (II)
Your turn (developmental groups)
Identify strategy to support at least one of the activities (do NOT identify how to implement); write strategy on large piece of paper
Rotate and write whether or not strategy effective for your group and some considerations to use if effectively
Metacognitive activities should guide students to:
Articulate what they already know
Articulate what they learned
Monitor progress, evaluate work, and set goals
Identify, evaluate, and implement effective strategies
Connect content and transfer learning between contexts
Characteristics of effective metacognitive activities:
Facilitate student planning, monitoring, and reflection
Are offered before, during, and after learning
Occur in various settings (individuals, pairs, small group, large group)

12. Metacognition in Practice (III)
Exit Cards
I understand….
I do NOT understand….

13. Many students (of all ages) do not self-regulate their learning
Metacognition in Practice (IV)
SRL prompts
Many students (of all ages) do not self-regulate their learning
Planning Questions (before learning): What do you already know about ______?
Monitoring questions (during learning): What have you learned so far? What questions do you have and/or is there anything you do not feel like you understand?
Reflection (after learning): What did you learn about _______? What challenges did you face? What areas still confuse you?

14. Provide opportunities for students to express:
Metacognition in Practice (V)
KWL Charts
Provide opportunities for students to express:
what they know (K);
want to know (W);
have learned (L)

15. Metacognitive Note-taking
Metacognition in Practice (VI)
Metacognitive Note-taking
Dynamic interplay between content & understanding

16. Surrounds existing assignment/activity and encourages metacognition
Metacognition in Practice (VII)
Wrappers
Surrounds existing assignment/activity and encourages metacognition
Lecture wrappers: 3 important points
Exam wrappers: Predict exam performance, describe study strategies; reflect and modify
Homework wrappers: Predict difficulty, reflect and modify

17. Metacognition in Practice (VIII)
Promoting Metacognition through rubrics and Assignment Directions See Handouts

18. Age trends in Metacognition
Young Elementary (6 yr olds)
Do know: Familiar items easier to remember, small set of information easier to recall
Do not know: Limit to amount one can recall
Young Elementary (7 yr olds)
Do know: Interest, familiarity, and story length affect comprehension and recall
Do not know: Effect of how ideas are sequenced, time of test should affect study time
Elementary (9 yr olds)
Do know: Recall is limited (younger children overestimate how much they can store and retrieve in STM)
Begin to understand when they know something well enough to pass a memory test (younger children choose to study something they had already seen) 13