Metacognition

QW: When you want to learn something new, what strategies do you use? What works well for you when you are trying to learn something? What doesn't work?

In last week's post, I discussed neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to grow and change as you learn, and the fact that young people between the ages or 12 and 25 experience a period of increased neuroplasticity. During this period of neuroplasticity, learning something new is easier and more efficient that it is likely to be as you get older.  It turns out there are strategies you can use to make your learning even more efficient during this (and any other) time in your life.

Cognition is "the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses"; that is, cognition is the act of thinking. The term "metacognition" refers to thinking about your thinking - analyzing what you are thinking, why, and how you might change your thinking. You can think of it as "driving your brain" - directing how you think about and engage in learning, rather than setting it on autopilot as you move through your learning experiences. Sometimes you might need to back up and look at something again, or take a detour to gather more information about a topic before moving on. You might need to go slower, or faster, to improve your learning efficiency.

In addition to thinking about your thinking, metacognition involves monitoring your thinking and directing your thinking. An example of monitoring your thinking is when you are reading a passage in history, and realize partway through that you are not understanding what you are reading. At this point, you may realize you need to back up and re-read it, you may need to go back to a previous section to fill in some background knowledge, or look up some information. You may decide you need to take notes as you are reading, or stop after each paragraph and summarize for yourself what you just read. This whole process starts with monitoring your thinking and being aware of what you are and are not understanding. An example of directing your thinking is when you realize you are getting distracted by details, and you refocus your thinking on the main idea of what you are reading or hearing. Another example is when you find your mind wandering, and realize you need to stop and refocus your attention.

Activity:
Read the article below about metacognition, and answer the questions that follow:

Metacognition: How Thinking About Thinking Can Help Kids

Questions:

1. In your own words, describe what is meant by metacognition.
2. How can metacognition help you learn better?
3. Specifically, what strategies of metacognition (thinking about thinking, monitoring your thinking, and directing your thinking) can you apply to your learning this week? How will you apply these strategies?
4. Are you driving your brain, or just cruising on autopilot through your learning? What can you do to more effectively focus your thinking and learning?
5. Think about a recent test or assignment (one that you struggled with), and how you approached it. Was your approach effective? What could you have done differently to improve your study or work habits?
6. Think about an assignment or problem you are having right now. What have you tried? What are some other things you could try? How might you approach this problem or assignment differently? 
7. If you are stuck on an assignment, where can you look for help? Identify at least 3 actions you can take to get unstuck.