Using Metacognition to Effect an Extreme Academic Makeover Different Strokes for Different Folks

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. NCLCA Award 2004 National College Learning Center AssociationFrank L. Christ Outstanding Learning Center Award

3. The General Approach • 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 Meaningful Learning Rote Learning

4. Before and After 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) Meaningful Learning Rote Learning

5. More Before and After 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.

6. Al’s Cumulative Exam Record Pursuing Ph.D. in Chemistry 2004 – 2005 9/04 Failed 10/04 Failed 11/04 Failed 12/04 Failed 1/05 Passed 2/05 Failed 3/05 Failed 4/05 Failed 2005 – 2006 10/05 Passed 11/05 Failed 12/05 Passed best in group 1/06 Passed 2/06 Passed 3/06 Failed 4/06 Passed last one! 5/06 N/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? Work Fun Short-term Long-term Have to… Want to… Difficult Enjoyable What Why? How? What if?

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

10. Learning Levels:Bloom’s Taxonomy 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 Evaluation 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 Synthesis Analysis 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 Application Meaningful Learning Rote Learning 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 Comprehension Memorizing information verbatim, but not necessarily understanding the material. Key Ideas: What, Remember, List, Label, State, Define, Choose, Find, Label, Select, Match Knowledge

11. 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 Creating Graduate School Putting elements together to form a coherent or functional whole; reorganizing elements into a new pattern or structure through generating, planning, or producing. Evaluating Making judgments based on criteria and standards through checking and critiquing. Breaking material into constituent parts, determining how the parts relate to one another and to an overall structure . Analyzing Undergraduate Carrying out or using a procedure through executing, or implementing. Applying Constructing meaning from oral, written, and graphic messages through interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, and explaining. Understanding High School Retrieving, recognizing, and recalling relevant knowledge from long-term memory. Remembering http://www.odu.edu/educ/llschult/blooms_taxonomy.htm

12. Example ~ Bloom’s Levels of Learning ~Applied toGoldilocks and the Three Bears Courtesy of http://www.kyrene.k12.az.us/schools/brisas/sunda/litpack/BloomsCriticalThinking_files/v3_document.htm

13. Counting Vowels How ACCURATE are you?

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

15. Intense Study Session (Part II) (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… Work in 2-4 sessions each day. (Make them shorter if necessary)

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

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

18. Approaches for Different Groups* • 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! Meaningful Learning Rote Learning

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 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. Meaningful Learning Rote Learning