Metacognition: The Key to Excelling in Science!

1. Metacognition: The Key to Excelling in Science! Thinking About Thinking

2. Think/Pair/Share What is the difference, if any, between studying and learning? Which, if either, is more enjoyable?

3. Desired outcomes • We will better understand why most students don’t study, or seldom get significant results from their study time • We will understand some basic principles of thinking science and learning theory that can be used to improve my teaching and your learning • We will have learning strategies that you can use to increase learning

4. Desired outcomes cont’d • We will know the process of learning • We will view ourselves and each other as learners differently • We will see immediate and dramatic changes in your performance • We will learn how to learn!!!

5. Metacognition The ability to: • think about thinking • be consciously aware of yourself as a problem solver • monitor and control your mental processing • accurately assess what you understands

6. Rote Learning • Involves verbatim memorization (which is easily forgotten) • Cannot be manipulated or applied to novel situations (e.g. remembering phone numbers, dates, names, etc.)

7. Meaningful Learning • Learning that is tied and related to previous knowledge and added to previous learning • Can be manipulated, applied to new situations, and used in problem solving tasks

8. Why Rote Learning Is Ubiquitous • More high stakes testing in schools schools • It worked in earlier grades; paradigm shifts don’t come easily! • Teachers who test primarily rote learning • Most students have not developed study skills or learning strategies

9. 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 Evaluation Graduate School Making decisions and supporting views; requires understanding of values. Combining information to form a unique product; requires creativity and originality. Synthesis Identifying components; determining arrangement, logic, and semantics. Analysis Undergraduate Using information to solve problems; transferring abstract or theoretical ideas to practical situations. Identifying connections and relationships and how they apply. Application Restating in your own words; paraphrasing, summarizing, translating. Comprehension High School Memorizing verbatim information. Being able to remember, but not necessarily fully understanding the material. Knowledge Louisiana State University  Center for Academic Success  B-31 Coates Hall  225-578-2872  www.cas.lsu.edu

10. So, what can we do to improve YOUR learning? • Adopt the attitude that ALL of you can learn • Help you determine your learning style • Help you understand the learning process • Teach you effective learning strategies based on research.

11. Experts vs. Novices They think differently about problems

12. Novices vs. Intelligent Novices • Intelligent novices learn new domains more quickly than other novices • The metacognitive skills make the difference

13. What intelligent novices know • Learning is different from memorization • Solving problems without looking at the solution is different from using the solution as a model • Comprehension of reading material must be tested while the reading is in progress • Knowledge is not “handed out” by the instructor; it is constructed by the learner • The basic concepts in an area are connected to each other

14. Another Cognitive Science Concept: Judgment of Learning (JOL) The ability to: • Realistically evaluate what you’ve learned and what you haven’t learned • Adopt strategies to test your learning (e.g. write about the topic, give a “lecture about the topic”, etc.) • Use strategies to deepen your learning

15. Why you Do Not Accurately Judge your Learning • You base your learning on what’s in short term memory • You don’t test your learning • You’ve never engaged in an activity that would show you that you are overestimating their learning

16. Cognitive Science: The Science of the Mind Questions • How do humans process information? • How do people increase their knowledge? • What factors influence learning? • What types of learning facilitate transfer of information learned to new settings? • How can we change teaching to improve learning?