Talk:Metacognition (Teaching and Learning)

Selected article for our discussion

• Tanner, K. D. (2012). Promoting student metacognition. CBE Life Sciences Education, 11(2), 113-120.

Some pointers for discussion:

Q1. Tanner states that a paraphrase of the points in the Vision and Change for Undergrad Biology is that "we want undergraduate learning experiences to help students to think like biologists" (p. 114) and claims that teaching metacognative awareness to students is a means to that end. Do you agree that the questions in Table 1 help students to think like biologists? Why or why not? Would the questions change for your own discipline?

Q2. Tanner makes a link between preassessments and metacognition (p. 116), and says that "it takes no more than a few simple statements by an instructor to transform an existing preassessment prompt - be it a homework assignment, an index card or a clicker question - into a metacognitive activity... directing them not only to complete the task ... but also to be metacognative in doing so and to use the information given on the preassessment to help them begin thoughtful planning..." What does Tanner mean by making something into a metacognitive activity? Is it simply the prompt to use the information going forward? If so, should we be discouraged that students need to be prompted to use information that has already been called to mind - and what could we do to help students be more disposed to such behavior on their own? If not, then what else might Tanner have meant?

Q3. Overall, the "monitoring" aspect of metacognition is largely taught (in Tanner) through the integration of reflection via structured questions (with some exceptions, eg. Metacognitive modeling by instructors). The questions listed, however, are merely meant to be exemplars of questions that might arise out of a process of reflection - they do not constitute the behavior itself. How can we help learners to transfer from question-response mode to taking on a disposition of informed and intentional reflection with an eye to "results" that characterizes metacognition?