1. Using Metacognition to Effect an Extreme Academic Makeover Different Strokes for Different Folks Saundra Y. McGuire, Ph.D. Director, Center for Academic Success Adj. Professor, Department of Chemistry Louisiana State University "The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited." -Plutarch

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

3. The General Approach Meaningful Learning Rote Learning  Providing Data on the Impact of Using Metacognitive Strategies  Reflecting on the “gap”  Defining metacognition  Discussing Levels of Learning (Bloom’s Taxonomy)  Presenting Metacognitive Strategies  Discussing Motivational Strategies

4. Before and After Meaningful Learning Rote Learning Travis, junior psychology student 47, 52, 82, 86 Robert, freshman chemistry student 42, 100, 100, 100 Michael, senior pre-med organic student 30, 28, 80, 91 Miriam, freshman calculus student 37.5, 83, 93 Charles, junior mathematics major GPA 1.8 cum, 4.0 (S 08)

5. Date of Final Exam:December 14, 2005 Meeting with Student No. 1:December 12, 2005 Meeting with Student Nos. 2 & 4:December 2, 2005 Meeting with Student No. 3:December 8, 2005 The final was worth 100 points with a 10 bonus question. More Before and After

6. Al’s Cumulative Exam Record Pursuing Ph.D. in Chemistry 2004 – 2005 9/04 Failed 10/04Failed 11/04Failed 12/04Failed 1/05Passed 2/05Failed 3/05Failed 4/05Failed 2005 – 2006 10/05Passed 11/05Failed 12/05Passed best in group 1/06Passed 2/06Passed 3/06Failed 4/06Passed last one! 5/06N/A Began work with CAS in October 2005

7. Presidential Recognition White House Oval Office November 16, 2007

8. Reflection What is the difference between… studying and learning? Which is more enjoyable? WorkFun Short-termLong-term Have to…Want to… DifficultEnjoyable WhatWhy? How? What if?

9. Metacognition The ability to: think about thinking be consciously aware of oneself as a problem solver to monitor and control one’s mental processing Metacognition

10. Evaluation Analysis Application Comprehension Knowledge Synthesis Making decisions and supporting views; requires understanding of values and judging the validity of ideas or quality of work based on a set of criteria and profound understanding of the discipline. Key Ideas: Judge, Critique, Justify, Recommend, Criticize, Assess, Disprove, Rate, Resolve Combining information to form a unique product, requires creativity and originality. Key Ideas: Create, new thesis or concept, Design, Hypothesize, Invent, Develop, Compose, Estimate, Theorize, Elaborate, Test Improve, Invent, Originate Identifying components; determining arrangement, logic, and semantics. Key Ideas: Analyze, Categorize, Compare, Contrast, Separate, Dissect, Simplify, Theme, Motive, Inference Using information to solve problems; transferring abstract or theoretical ideas to practical situations. Identifying connections and relationships and how they apply. Key Ideas: What if? Use, Compute, Solve, Demonstrate, Apply, Construct, Build, Experiment with, Solve Restating in your own words; paraphrasing, summarizing, translating. Key Ideas: Why, How, Explain, Summarize, Paraphrase, Describe, Illustrate, Compare, Contrast, Interpret, Classify, Outline, Map, Rephrase, Infer Memorizing information verbatim, but not necessarily understanding the material. Key Ideas: What, Remember, List, Label, State, Define, Choose, Find, Label, Select, Match Learning Levels: Bloom’s Taxonomy Meaningful Learning Rote Learning

11. Creating Evaluating Analyzing Applying Understanding Remembering 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. Carrying out or using a procedure through executing, or implementing. Constructing meaning from oral, written, and graphic messages through interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, and explaining. Retrieving, recognizing, and recalling relevant knowledge from long-term memory. Bloom’s Taxonomy http://www.odu.edu/educ/llschult/blooms_taxonomy.htm  Breaking material into constituent parts, determining how the parts relate to one another and to an overall structure. Graduate School Undergraduate High School 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.

12. Example ~ Bloom’s Levels of Learning ~ Applied to Goldilocks and the Three Bears Evaluation Judge Judge whether Goldilocks was good or bad. Defend your opinion. Synthesis Propose Propose how the story would be different if it were Goldilocks and the Three Fish. Analysis Compare Compare this story to reality. What events could not really happen. Application Demonstrate Demonstrate what Goldilocks would use if she came to your house. Comprehension Explain Explain why Goldilocks liked Baby Bear’s chair the best. Knowledge List List the items used by Goldilocks while she was in the Bears’ house. Courtesy of http://www.kyrene.k12.az.us/schools/brisas/sunda/litpack/BloomsCriticalThinking_files/v3_document.htm

13. How ACCURATE are you? Counting Vowels

14. The Study Cycle (Part I-III) Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Preview Attend & Participate Review 10 min Class Time 10 min Intense Study Sessions 20-75 minutes Weekly Review II III I A “Work-Out System” for your Brain

15. (The “Power Hour” ) 2 minutesSet a goal for the next 60 minutes 50 minutesStudy with ACTION and FOCUS 10 minutesTake a break 5 minutesReview what you have just studied Now begin your next study session with another goal! Read your text, highlight, fill in your notes with more detail, create mnemonics, create maps, predict test questions, practice recall… (Part II) Work in 2-4 sessions each day. (Make them shorter if necessary) Intense Study Session

16. Time and Big Rocks* The question is this: What is the “moral of the story” when it comes to time management? Is this jar full? What if we fill it to the top with small rocks… would it be full? What if we fill it to the top with water… would it be full? What if we fill it to the top with sand… would it be full? *from Stephen Covey

17. Semester Calendar Weekly Planning Master To Do List Time Tools

18. Approaches for Different Groups* Meaningful Learning Rote Learning  Underrepresented Minority and Women Students More emphasis on confidence and self-efficacy Added emphasis on higher level learning skills  High Performing Students (including minority students) More emphasis on need to reflect and change behaviors  Graduate and Professional Students Emphasis on higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy and critical reading and thinking *Many exceptions to these generalizations!

19. Final Note Please visit our website at www.cas.lsu.edu We have on-line workshops and information that teach more effective learning strategies. We wish your students an enjoyable learning journey! Dr. Saundra McGuire

20. Resources Meaningful Learning Rote Learning Bruer, John T., 2000. Schools For Thought: A Science of Learning in the Classroom. MIT Press. Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., Cocking, R.R. (Eds.), 2000. How people learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Cromley, Jennifer, 2000. Learning to Think, Learning to Learn: What the Science of Thinking and Learning Has to Offer Adult Education. Washington, DC: National Institute for Literacy. Ellis, David, 2006. Becoming a Master Student*. New York: Houghton-Mifflin. Taylor, S. (1999). Better learning through better thinking: Developing students’ metacognitive abilities. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 30(1), 34ff. Retrieved November 9, 2002, from Expanded Academic Index ASAP. http://academic.pg.cc.md.us/~wpeirce/MCCCTR/metacognition.htm Zull, James (2004). The Art of Changing the Brain. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.