Transcript How People Learn to Learn!

How People Learn to Learn!
Debra Fowler, Jeff Froyd
Texas A&M University
Pre-workshop Activity
Describe your understanding of self-regulated
learning and metacognition
If you were to begin to study a new discipline,
what strategies would you use as guides?
What tools and/or approaches are available
that promote thinking about learning?
Describe results of any experiences that you
have with keeping a journal and/or diary.
Workshop Objectives
Build awareness of metacognition
Improve your ability to explain and
model metacognitive processes
Introduce tools capable of enhancing
metacognition
Challenge participants to follow-up in
journals and practice metacognitive
behavior
Content
Understanding
Problem
Solving
Communication
Learning
Metacognition
Collaboration
CRESST Model of Learning, Baker (1995)
Problem Solving
Content
Understanding
Domain-Dependent
Problem Solving
Strategies
Self-Regulation
Metacognition
Motivation
Awareness
Self-efficacy
Planning
Effort
Monitoring
Cognitive Strategies
http://www.cse.ucla.edu/CRESST/Files/downloads/CRESST/AASADAY1/9/ONeill.ppt
Self-Regulation
Metacognition
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

Awareness
Cognitive and metacognitve strategies
Monitoring
Planning and control
Motivation
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Awareness and self-efficacy
Motivational strategies
Monitoring
Planning and control
Metacognition
Four major components:

Awareness of cognition

Knowledge of cognitive and metacognitive
strategies

Monitoring of cognition

Planning/control of cognition
Knowledge of Learning
Strategies
Knowledge of cognitive and
metacognitive strategies

Declarative
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Procedural
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Conditional
Knowledge of Cognition
“How do we acquire and process knowledge?”
Declarative: “What” skills/strategies do I have?
Procedural: “How” do I use these skills/strategies?
Conditional: “When and Why” would I use these
skills and strategies?
Knowledge of Cognition
“How do we acquire and process knowledge?”
Declarative: skim, reread, activate prior
knowledge, graphic organizers, summaries
Procedural: Search for headings, identified words,
diagrams, go back and read, stop; think about
what is already known, ask questions about what
is not known
Conditional: Prior to reading an extensive text,
when information seems especially important,
prior to reading an unfamiliar task, when there is a
lot of interrelated factual information
SCHRAW, 2001
Cognitive learning strategies
Rehearsal
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Active repetition
Example: repeating vocabulary words
Example: identifying key ideas
Elaboration
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Building bridges between new material and existing material
Example: fMRI scan on remembering words
Organization
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Special case of elaboration strategies
Imposing an organizational framework on material under
study
Example: concept map
Expectations and Learning
What is a strategy-level matrix?
Remember
Rehearsal
Elaboration
Organization
Understand
Apply
Analyze
Evaluate
Create
Concept Map
A concept map is a set of nodes that
represent concepts connected by a labeled
links that describe a link between concepts.
Concept A
Describe how concept A and
concept B are related?
Concept B
Feedback
Derivative
Finite Element Analysis
Integral
Linear Momentum
Angular Momentum
Energy
Interest
Mass
Ideal Gas Law
Fick’s First Law
Fick’s Second Law
Vectors: Dot Product
Vectors: Cross Product
Ordinary Differential Equations
Kirchoff’s Voltage Law
Second Law of Thermodynamics
Kirchoff’s Current Law
Modeling
Problem-Solving
Force
Ohm’s Law
Resistance
Complex Numbers
Logarithmic Function
Electric Flux
Decision Theory
Divergence
Indirect Cost
Capacitance
Bending Moment
Feedback
First Law of Thermodynamics
Entropy
Heat
Electric Field
Magnetic Field
Partial Differential Equations
Determinants
Return on Investment
Phasors
Brainstorming
Exponential Function
Conductivity
Chemical Kinetics
Specific Heat
Elasticity
Malleability
Plasticity
Resiliency
Permittivity
Current
Electric Potential
Curl
Presentation Skills
Democracy
Profit
Density
Molecule
Phase
Shear
Rheology
Frequency Response
Eigenvalue, Eigenvector
Sinusoidal Functions
Work
Displacement
Velocity
Acceleration
Resistivity
Leadership
Hess’ Law
Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics
Electric Potential
Magnetic Flux
Design
Maxwell’s Equations
Power
Ductility
Spring Constant
Stress
Strain
Partial Derivative
Permeability
Charge
Magnetic Potential
Gradient
Paragraph
Rate of Return
Frequency
Atom
Root Locus
Torque
Inductance
Torsion
Polymer
Kinetic Theory of Gases
Metacognitive Learning Strategies
Understanding vs. memorizing, appropriate
mental strategies
Difficult vs. easy text, appropriate reading
strategies
Solve problems and examples from a text in
random order
Recognizing poor understanding, and
willingness to solicit expert help
Recognizing when expert explanations were
making a difference with immediate learning
problem Brown, A.L., et. al. (1983) “Learning, remembering, and understanding” in P.H.
Mussen, ed., Handbook of Child Psychology, volume 3: Cognitive Development, Wiley
Informed Strategy Instruction
Include explicit descriptions of the
general and/or metacognitive strategies
Include explicit descriptions of when
general and/or metacognitive strategies
are useful
Include explicit descriptions of why
general and/or metacognitive strategies
are useful.
Bruer, J. (1993) Schools for Thought: A Science of
Learning in the Classroom. MIT Press, p. 75
Metacognition
Knowledge
of
Cognition
Positive affect of:
Emotions
Attitudes
Motivation
Helps
Control
Learning
LEARNER
Access
previous
knowledge
Regulation
of
Cognition
Activity
What skills/strategies might a student need to
complete work in “your” classroom?
How would they use these skills/strategies?
When and Why would they use these
skills/strategies?
Reflection: Are the students in “your” classroom
aware of these necessary skills/strategies and
how, when and why to use them?
Feedback from Participants
Review before class, read lecture again before lab, read lab write up
again, outline of lab write up, discuss with lab group, be more
successful, get done early, get a better grade, time to play with
equipment, more concentration leads to more learning,reduce stress,
night before (or hour before) any lab, related to class today
Determine how much time task required and monitoring time use as
task proceeds, Use project matrix with individual times and group times
and record time spent in progress reports (Could also be used in exam
time management. Develop strategies for taking exam using an old
exam.) Better at estimating time because engineers develop project
estimates, or perform better on exam. Beginning of project and
throughout project. Beginning of exam and throughout exam. Could
be used in other situations, e.g., term papers.
Systematic thinking in problem solving, defining the problem by drawing
a diagram to incorporate all the elements, get an overview and
information to get solution. Don’t see what to do or when you need to
document a solution.
Metacognition
Four major components:

Awareness of cognition

Knowledge of cognitive and metacognitive
strategies

Monitoring of cognition

Planning/control of cognition
Reflective Journaling
“We present statistical evidence that when
students voluntarily write reflective “journal
entry” essays on assigned reading, their
performance on multiple-choice quizzes on the
reading is improved compared to students who do
not complete such essays.”
Burrows, V.A., McNeill, B., Hubele, N.F., Bellamy, L.
(2001) “Statistical Evidence for Enhanced Learning of
Content through Reflective Journal Writing,” Journal of
Engineering Education, pp. 661-667
Cowan’s Teaching Examples
Bridge design

Design and build two different bridges and
grade on the lower performance design
Problem-solving script

Illustrate script for one type of problem, ask
students to develop a script for another
type of problem
Cowan, J. (1998) On Becoming an Innovative
University Teacher: Reflection in Action.
Buckingham: SRHE and Open University
Press.
Controlling Cognition
“How will you control your learning,
problem solving, design activities?”
Planning: Select appropriate strategies
and allocate resources to achieve
desired outcome
Monitoring: On-line awareness of
comprehension and task performance
Evaluating: Appraise the products and
efficiency of one’s learning
Regulation of Cognition
Regulatory Checklist (Part 1)
Planning
What is the nature of the task?
 What is the goal?
 What kind of information and strategies do
I need?
 How much time and resources will I need?

Regulation of Cognition
Regulatory Checklist (Part 2)
Monitoring
Do I have a clear understanding of what I
am doing?
 Does the task make sense?
 Am I reaching my goals?
 Do I need to make changes?

Regulation of Cognition
Regulatory Checklist (Part 3)
Evaluation
How do I know whether I have reached my
goal?
 What worked?
 What didn’t work?
 Would I do things differently next time?

Strength of Strategy Evaluation
Matrix
Promotes strategy use

Known to significantly improve academic
performance
Promotes explicit metacognitive
awareness
Encourages learner to actively construct
knowledge about how, when and where
to use strategies
Graphic Organizers
Flowcharts
Concept maps
Venn diagrams
Tree diagrams
Network trees
Fishbone maps
Cycles
Spider webs
Gantt chart
Mind maps
Spatial learning strategies, Weinstein, …
Reciprocal teaching
Questioning
Summarizing
Clarifying
Predicting
One of the ways in which cooperative learning
activities strengthen cognitive and metacognitive
skills.
Error Analysis
What
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What answer did I have and what was the correct answer?
What did I do wrong?
What should I have done?
Why
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Why did I choose the wrong answer?
Why did I make the mistakes that I did?
How
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How will I remember do to the right thing the next time?
How will I improve my performance?
How will I make sure that I don’t make the same mistake
again?
Additional Tools for Enhancing
Metacognitive Strategies
Think out loud

All thoughts and feelings while performing
the task
Self-questioning
Self-explanation
Modeling
Activity
Reflect on your learning processes in today’s
workshop. It is likely that you have used
been using one or more of the elements of
metacognition.
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Learning Strategies
Monitoring
Planning/Controlling
Describe the processes that you utilized to a
partner.
Switch
Listener-feel free to question the process for
clarification
Feedback from Participants
Still trying to organize my thoughts about this
stuff.
How can I apply this to chem eng. Class?
Combine new with existing info in boxes in
my head
Strategy-level matrix was useful visual!
Visualize actual classroom using these
techniques, what would change
Taking Control of Learning
“Your learning is going on inside your
head, and is dependent on what you are
feeling like, what you already know, and
the way you approach the whole
experience of learning.”
Ian McDonald
Swinburne University
Australia
Post-workshop Activity
Describe your understanding of self-regulated
learning and metacognition
If you were to begin to study a new discipline,
what strategies would you use as guides?
What tools and/or approaches are available
that promote thinking about learning?
Describe any experiences that you have with
keeping a journal and/or diary.
Describe your understanding of selfregulated learning and metacognition.
Pre: I have none; the terms are new to me.
Post: I have learned the term strategy and it has become clear that I can control my own
motivation.
Pre: No understanding of SRL or metacognition.
Post: Using learning strategies, awareness of learning tools and methods.
Pre: Someone defines an educational goal and the way to achieve that goal.
Post: Very interesting and structured presentation of concepts and findings helped to grasp
metacognition.
Pre: SRL – unsure, sounds like learning on one’s own without teacher/mentor;
Metacognition – restructuring of memory, knowledge, skills by learning.
Post: SRL – different levels of learning, not enough just to practice, must develop strategies
for learning, organizing and applying knowledge; Metacognition – same as before
Pre: SRL – changing the set points in a control loop; Metacognition – thinking about how we
think, e.g., ask how much time I’ve spent solving a problem.
Post: Metacognition – providing a context for students to think about their thinking, the what
(declarative), how (procedural), and especially the WHEN and WHY (conditional), the
additional of conditional which is new to me is most helpful.
What strategies would you use?
Pre: I would start by getting an overview of the discipline. Then, I
would select the specific subject which I am particularly interested in.
Post: Same as before
Pre: Pick up basic textbook, search the references or online resources
depending on the disc.
Post: More planning into selection of sources, tools, etc.
Pre: Figure out available resources
Post: No info.
Pre: Look for general references, reviews to get big picture; then get
into details, that is, deductive, not inductive
Post: Concept maps, knowledge structure – still try to glean this from
big picture, try to establish interrelationships.
Pre: Final an expert and ask
Post: No info
What tools and/or approaches that promote
thinking about learning are available?
Pre: Different books and research material. I also discuss the
matters with my students.
Post: I will talk to my students and make them reflect on their
learning strategies.
Pre: Not aware of any
Post: Discussing with experts, workshops, etc.
Pre: Simulations, Internet, etc.
Post: No info
Pre: Do not know.
Post: Reflective journal, matrix with levels of Bloom’s taxonomy
and levels of learning.
Pre: Bibliography, search engines, e.g., Lexus/Nexus, First
Search
Post: Relook at LASSI
Describe any experiences that you have
with keeping a journal and/or diary.
Pre: I will tell my project teams to keep a diary.
Post: I’ve got an idea on how to use a journal. The
journal may put a focus on learning strategies.
Pre: Never kept a journal/diary; however, from
occasional attempts memory/experience depends on
emotional impact at the time of occurrence.
Post: Answer not changed (Journaling does help
remember better.)
Pre: I never do this.
Post: No info.
Pre: Journal/diary – none
Post: Still none.
References
Burrows, V.A., McNeill, B., Hubele, N.F., Bellamy, L. (2001) “Statistical Evidence for
Enhanced Learning of Content through Reflective Journal Writing,” Journal of
Engineering Education, pp. 661-667
Cowan, J. (1998) On Becoming an Innovative University Teacher: Reflection in Action.
Buckingham: SRHE and Open University Press.
Gourgey, AF (2001), Metacognition in Basic Skills Instruction. In Metacognition in
Learning and Instruction, Hartman, HJ (ed), p17-32.
Hartman, HJ (2001), Developing Students’ Metacognitive Knowledge and Skills. In
Metacognition in Learning and Instruction, Hartman, HJ (ed), p33-68.
McDonald, I (in press), Taking Control of Learning, Centre for LATTES, Swinburn
University
Novak, JD (1998), The Pursuit of a Dream: Education Can Be Improved. In Teaching
Science for Understanding: A Human Constructivist View, p3-28
Schraw, G (2001). Promoting General Metacognitive Awareness. In Metacognition in
Learning and Instruction, Hartman, HJ (ed), p3-16.
Sternberg, RJ (2001). Metacognition, Abilities, and Developing Expertise: What Makes an
Expert Student? In Metacognition in Learning and Instruction, Hartman, HJ (ed),
p247-260.
Svinicki, MD (1999). New Directions in Learning and Motivation. In Svinicki, MD(Ed.),
College Teaching: From Theory to Practice. New Directions for Teaching and
Learning, 80, 5-27