How People Learn to Learn!

1. How People Learn to Learn! Debra Fowler, Jeff Froyd Texas A&M University

2. 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.

3. 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

4. Content Understanding Problem Solving Communication Learning Metacognition Collaboration CRESST Model of Learning, Baker (1995)

5. 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

6. Self-Regulation • Metacognition • Awareness • Cognitive and metacognitve strategies • Monitoring • Planning and control • Motivation • Awareness and self-efficacy • Motivational strategies • Monitoring • Planning and control

7. Metacognition • Four major components: • Awareness of cognition • Knowledge of cognitive and metacognitive strategies • Monitoring of cognition • Planning/control of cognition

8. Knowledge of Learning Strategies • Knowledge of cognitive and metacognitive strategies • Declarative • Procedural • Conditional

9. 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?

10. 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

11. Cognitive learning strategies • Rehearsal • Active repetition • Example: repeating vocabulary words • Example: identifying key ideas • Elaboration • Building bridges between new material and existing material • Example: fMRI scan on remembering words • Organization • Special case of elaboration strategies • Imposing an organizational framework on material under study • Example: concept map

12. Expectations and LearningWhat is a strategy-level matrix?

13. 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

14. First Law of ThermodynamicsEntropyHeatElectric FieldMagnetic FieldPartial Differential EquationsDeterminantsReturn on InvestmentPhasorsBrainstormingExponential FunctionConductivityChemical KineticsSpecific HeatElasticityMalleabilityPlasticityResiliencyPermittivityCurrentElectric PotentialCurlPresentation SkillsDemocracyProfitDensityMoleculePhaseShearRheology Frequency ResponseEigenvalue, Eigenvector Sinusoidal FunctionsWorkDisplacementVelocityAccelerationResistivityLeadershipHess’ LawZeroth Law of ThermodynamicsElectric PotentialMagnetic FluxDesignMaxwell’s EquationsPowerDuctilitySpring ConstantStressStrainPartial DerivativePermeabilityChargeMagnetic PotentialGradientParagraphRate of ReturnFrequencyAtomRoot LocusTorqueInductanceTorsionPolymerKinetic Theory of Gases FeedbackDerivativeFinite Element AnalysisIntegralLinear MomentumAngular MomentumEnergyInterestMassIdeal Gas LawFick’s First LawFick’s Second LawVectors: Dot ProductVectors: Cross ProductOrdinary Differential EquationsKirchoff’s Voltage LawSecond Law of ThermodynamicsKirchoff’s Current LawModelingProblem-SolvingForceOhm’s LawResistanceComplex NumbersLogarithmic FunctionElectric FluxDecision TheoryDivergenceIndirect CostCapacitanceBending MomentFeedback

15. 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

16. 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

17. Metacognition Knowledge of Cognition Positive affect of: Emotions Attitudes Motivation Selects learning strategies LEARNER Helps Control Learning Regulation of Cognition Access previous knowledge

18. 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?

19. 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.

20. Metacognition • Four major components: • Awareness of cognition • Knowledge of cognitive and metacognitive strategies • Monitoring of cognition • Planning/control of cognition

21. Reflective Journaling • 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 “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.”

22. 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.

23. 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

24. Regulation of CognitionRegulatory 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?

25. Regulation of CognitionRegulatory 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?

26. Regulation of CognitionRegulatory 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?

27. 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

28. Flowcharts Concept maps Venn diagrams Tree diagrams Network trees Fishbone maps Cycles Spider webs Gantt chart Mind maps Spatial learning strategies, Weinstein, … Graphic Organizers

29. Questioning Summarizing Clarifying Predicting Reciprocal teaching One of the ways in which cooperative learning activities strengthen cognitive and metacognitive skills.

30. What What answer did I have and what was the correct answer? What did I do wrong? What should I have done? Why Why did I choose the wrong answer? Why did I make the mistakes that I did? How 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? Error Analysis

31. Additional Tools for Enhancing Metacognitive Strategies • Think out loud • All thoughts and feelings while performing the task • Self-questioning • Self-explanation • Modeling

32. 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. • Learning Strategies • Monitoring • Planning/Controlling • Describe the processes that you utilized to a partner. • Switch • Listener-feel free to question the process for clarification

33. 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

34. 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

35. 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.

36. Describe your understanding of self-regulated 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.

37. 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

38. 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

39. 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.

40. 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