METACOGNITION

METACOGNITION

It refers to higher order thinking which involves active control over the cognitive processes engaged in learning.

·         We engage in metacognitive activities everyday.

·         Metacognition enables us to be successful learners (critical role in successful learning).

·         It has been associated with intelligence.

·         It’s an asset for everyone to know they learn the best.

Metacognition has three stages.

v  Planning: How to approach a given learning task.

v  Monitoring comprehension.

v  Evaluating progress toward the completion of a task are metacognitive in nature.

Metacognition  is often simply defined as “thinking about thinking”

·         The term has been part of the vocabulary of educational psychologists .

·         The concept has been able to reflect on their cognitive experiences.

·         There are some distinctions between definitions, but all emphasize the role of    executive processes in the overseeing and regulation of cognitive processes.

·         Flavell further divides metacognitive knowledge into true categories: Knowledge of person variables , task variables and strategy variables.

Metacognive Knowledge

ü  Knowledge of person variables refers to general knowledge about how human beings learn and process information. (If your study session will be more productive if you work in the quiet place than where there are many distractions. On the other hand you have to be aware if you read and comprehend a science text it will take more time for you than if you read and comprehend a novel.

ü  Knowledge about strategy variales include knowledge about both cognitive and metacognitive strategies, as well as conditional knowledge about when and where it is appropiat to use such strategies.

Coginitve Regulations

§  Metacognitive experiences involve the use of metacognitive  strategies or metacognitive regulation.

§  Metacognitive strategies are sequential processes that one uses to control cognitive activities. And to ensure that a cognitive goal (e.g. understanding a text).

§  These process help to regulate and eversee learning and consist of planning and motoring cognitive activities.

Cognitive vs. Metacognitive strategies.

§  Most definitions of metacognition include both knowledge and strategy components. One major issue involves separating what is cognitive form what is metacognitive strategy. The distinction lies on how the information is used.

§  Metacognition is referred to as thinking about thinking and involves overseen  whether a cognitive goal has been met.

§  Cognitive strategies are used to help an individual achieve a particular goal (understanding a text).

§  Metacognitive strategies are uses to ensure that the goal has been reached

Metacognition and intelligence

§  The ability to control one’s cognitive processes (self-regulation)has been linked to intelligence.

§  Metacomponents are responsible for figuring out how to do a particular task or set of tasks, and then making sure that the task or set of tasks are done correctly.

§  The executive processes involve planning, evaluating and motoring  problem-solving activities.

§  The ability to appropriately allocate cognitive resources, such as deciding how and when a given task should be accomplished, is central to intelligence.

Metacognition and Cognitive  strategy  Instruction

Cognitive  Strategy Instuction (CSI) is an instructional approach which emphasizes the development of thinking and processes as a means to enhance learning.

§  The objective of this is to enable all students to become more strategic, self-reliant, flexible, and productive in their learning endeavors.

§  CSI is based on the assumption that there are identifiable cognitive strategies, previously believes to be utilizes by only the best and the brightest students.
§  Use of these strategies have been associated with successful learning
§  Most individual s of normal intelligence engage in metacognitive regulation when confronted with an effortful cognitive task.
§  Individuals can learn how to better regulate their cognitive activities.
Simply providing knowledge without experience or vies versa does not seem to be sufficient for the development of metacognitive  control

                                           HOMEWORK

2) Possible ways to foster metacognition

·    Making a plan for learning something.

·    Monitoring/Checking your own understanding

·    Time management.

·     Evaluating progress in completing  a task

·    Maintaining motivation

·    Focusing attention

·    Selecting the right strategies for a learning task

·    Organize your thoughts.

Complementary ideas.

There is a set of rules and effective strategies an individual can use in learning about domain-specific subject, such as reading, writing, mathematics. These strategies may include error detecting, effort and attention allocating, elaborating, self-questioning, self-explanation, constructing visual representations,  activating prior knowledge, rereading difficult text sections, and going back to revise.

·    Model strategies using the think-aloud method.

·    Guide students in using strategies in the classroom.

·    Encourage children to apply strategies in order to develop their own learning.

4) Research about automaticity and cognitive load.

In your own words, what is automaticity?

Is the ability to do something without thinking about it. For example are common activities such as walking, speaking, driving a car.

How do we develop automaticity?

When an activity is sufficiently, learned, practiced and repeated we develop automaticity.  We can focus the mind on other activities or thoughts, for example holding a conversation or planning a speech while driving a car.

What is cognitive load?

Cognitive load refers to the informational load that is being processed in working memory. When cognitive load is increased beyond our working memory capacity, learning is depressed (blocked).

Create an example of how teachers can change the amount of “extraneous cognitive load” on an assignment?

When the teacher explains the contents and then he/she gives to the students the instructions for making a portfolio with different activities related with what students had learned in class.

When have you felt that you had a “full” cognitive load?

I had a full cognitive load when I had to study different subjects for giving three tests in the same day. I was almost collapsed.