metacognition: the key to knowledge transfer in writing
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Saundra Yancy McGuire, Ph.D.Asst. Vice Chancellor & Professor of
ChemistryPast Director, Center for Academic Success
Metacognition: The Key to Knowledge Transfer in
Writing
Writing Instructor SeminarFebruary 1, 2013
2004-2005 National College Learning Center Association
Frank L. Christ Outstanding Learning Center Award
Center for Academic Success
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Reflection Questions• What skills do you want students to
transfer?
• How do you teach students these skills?
• How do you teach students to transfer these skills?
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Desired outcomes
• We will understand why many students have difficulty with writing
• We will have concrete strategies that faculty can teach students to improve knowledge transfer in writing, and we will be committed to trying them
• We will have more resources for our students• We will view our students differently• We will see positive changes in our students’ self-
perception and performance
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The Story of Two Students
• Travis, a psychology student 47, 52, 82, 86 B in course
• Robert, a chemistry student 42, 100, 100, 100 A in course
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Travis, psychology student47, 52, 82, 86
Problem: Reading Comprehension
Solution: Preview text before readingDevelop questionsRead one paragraph at a time and paraphrase information
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Robert, chemistry student 42, 100, 100, 100Problem: Using examples to do
homework problems
Solution: Study information before trying homework problemUse example to test skillDo homework problems as if doing a test or quiz (no looking at
solution manual or examples!)
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Two quick stories
Paradigm shift in speaking skills
Paradigm shift in writing skills
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What facilitated the paradigm shift?
Foundational Knowledge Metacognition
Why don’t many students know how to write?
*www.braintrack.com/blog/2012/11/why-college-students-today-cant-write
Several reasons are suggested by Brain Track*
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• Colleges don’t demand high-quality writing• High schools aren’t preparing students with writing
skills• College professors don’t want to spend time playing
catch-up• Students don’t get enough feedback• Graduation doesn’t depend on demonstrating writing
skills• Grading isn’t harsh enough• Web and text habits seep into academic writing• Required writing courses often aren’t writing-focused.• Students aren’t taught the fundamentals
- rules of good writing - how to think critically and creatively
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Reasons suggested by others…
• Writing instructors and students don’t speak the same language
• Students are “programmed” NOT to think or trust their judgment; writing is emotional
• Students don’t know how to respond to feedback
Help students identify and close “the gap”
Past strategies unsatisfactory writing
Effective strategies goodwriting
Instructors Must Help Students Make the Transition to College Writing
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To Close the Gap
Teach students how to learn, think, and write!
Metacognition is the key!
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Metacognition*The ability to:• think about one’s own thinking• be consciously aware of oneself as a
problem solver• monitor and control one’s mental
processing (e.g. “Am I understanding this assignment?”)
• accurately judge one’s level of learning*term coined by Flavell in 1976
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Reflection Questions to Help Students Develop a New Paradigm
• What’s the difference, if any, between studying and learning?
• For which task would you work harder?A. Do well on a on a testB. Teach the material to the class
What are the parallel questions for shifting the paradigm in writing?
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To Perform Well in Classes Students Must…
• Stay in learn mode, not study mode
• Study as if they have to teach the material, not just make an A on the test
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To Write WellStudents Must …
• Stay in knowledge transformation mode, not knowledge telling mode
• Engage in a conversation with the readers, whose characteristics they’ve carefully considered
• Others?
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Counting Vowels in 45 seconds
How accurate are you?
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Dollar BillDiceTricycleFour-leaf CloverHandSix-PackSeven-UpOctopus
Cat LivesBowling PinsFootball TeamDozen EggsUnlucky FridayValentine’s DayQuarter Hour
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How many words or phrases do you remember?
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Let’s look at the words again…
What are they arranged according to?
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Dollar BillDiceTricycleFour-leaf CloverHandSix-PackSeven-UpOctopus
Cat LivesBowling PinsFootball TeamDozen EggsUnlucky FridayValentine’s DayQuarter Hour
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NOW, how many words or phrases do you remember?
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What were two major differences between the
first attempt and the second attempt?
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1. We knew what the task was
2. We knew how the information
was organized
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What we know about learning
• Active learning is more lasting than passive learning
• Thinking about thinking is important– Metacognition
• The level at which learning occurs is important – Bloom’s Taxonomy
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001 http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Bloom's_Taxonomy
Evaluation
Synthesis
Analysis
Application
Comprehension
Knowledge
Making decisions and supporting views; requires
understanding of values.
Combining information to form a unique product; requires creativity and
originality.
Using information to solve problems; transferring abstract or theoretical
ideas to practical situations. Identifying
connections and relationships and how
they apply.Restating in
your own words;
paraphrasing, summarizing, translating.Memorizing verbatim
information. Being able to remember, but not
necessarily fully understanding the
material.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Louisiana State University Center for Academic Success B-31 Coates Hall 225-578-2872 www.cas.lsu.edu
Identifying components; determining
arrangement, logic, and semantics.
Graduate School
Undergraduate
High School
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.
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When we teach students about Bloom’s Taxonomy…
They GET it!
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At what level of Bloom’s did you have to operate to make A’s or
B’s in high school?
1 2 3 4 5 6
21%
35%
3%3%
13%
25%
1. Knowledge2. Comprehension3. Application4. Analysis5. Synthesis6. Evaluation
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At what level of Bloom’s do you think you’ll need to be to make
an A in college?
1 2 3 4 5 6
7% 6%
15%
23%
35%
14%
1. Knowledge2. Comprehension3. Application4. Analysis5. Synthesis6. Evaluation
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How do we teach students to move higher on Bloom’s Taxonomy?
Teach them the Study Cycle*
*adapted from Frank Christ’s PLRS system
4Reflect
4Reflect
3Review
The Study Cycle
1 Set a Goal (1-2 min) Decide what you want to accomplish in your study session
2 Study with Focus (30-50 min) Interact with material- organize, concept map, summarize, process, re-read, fill-in notes, reflect, etc.
3 Reward Yourself (10-15 min) Take a break– call a friend, play a short game, get a snack4 Review (5 min) Go over what you just studied
*Intense Study Sessions
Attend
Review
Study
Attend class – GO TO CLASS! Answer and ask questions and take meaningful notes.
Preview before class – Skim the chapter, note headings and boldface words, review summaries and chapter objectives, and come up with questions you’d like the lecture to answer for you.
Review after class – As soon after class as possible, read notes, fill in gaps and note any questions.
Assess your Learning – Periodically perform reality checks• Am I using study methods that are effective?• Do I understand the material enough to teach it to others?
Preview
Center for Academic SuccessB-31 Coates Hall ▪ 225.578.2872 ▪www.cas.lsu.edu
Assess
Study – Repetition is the key. Ask questions such as ‘why’, ‘how’, and ‘what if’.• Intense Study Sessions* - 3-5 short study sessions per day• Weekend Review – Read notes and material from the week to make
connections
4Reflect
4Reflect
3Review
Stages in the Writing Cycle?
1 Set a Goal (1-2 min) Decide what you want to accomplish in your session (prewriting, drafting, revising, etc.)
2 Write with Focus (30-50 min) Interact with material- organize, concept map, process, draft, reflect, etc.
3 Reward Yourself (10-15 min) Take a break– call a friend, play a short game, get a snack4 Review (5 min) Go over what you just wrote and make plans to continue. Schedule your next session!
*Intense Writing Sessions
Prewrite
Draft
Revise
Get started!– Use a strategy! Freewriting, focused freewriting, looping, brainstorming, clustering, mapping, others?
Brainstorm ideas…
Develop a thesis statement, .
Come back after letting it “Sit” for 24 hours. Have others look at it…Don’t be afraid to change things around
Plan
Center for Academic SuccessB-31 Coates Hall ▪ 225.578.2872 ▪www.cas.lsu.edu
Assess/ Reflect
Revise for: focus, development, organization, style, convention; use a reverse outline
Concept Mapping
A visual manipulative approach to learning
Excellent tool for content/concept analysis
Organize and manipulate concepts, ideas, theories and other material in a visual format.
Can be used for learning, teaching, organizing, problem-solving, decision-making and brainstorming.
Offers simplicity and clarity to complex, multifaceted material.
Create a Chapter/Research Paper Map
Chapter/Title of Paper
Primary Headings
SubheadingsSecondary Subheadings
Compare and Contrast
Concept #1 Concept #2
How are they similar?
How are they different?
Persuasive Writing or Critical Analysis
Thesis
Details
ViewpointViewpoint
Details
Conclusion
Reasons, Facts, Examples Reasons, Facts, Examples
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Gabriel, Kathleen F. (2008) Teaching Unprepared Students. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing
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Effective Strategies for Teaching Unprepared Students*
Establish High ExpectationsEmphasize Consistent ContactDetermine Students’ Learning StylesDefine Student SuccessClarify Student ResponsibilityEstablish a Learning Community of ScholarsMeet Students Where They AreInterweave Assessment and Teaching
*Gabriel, Kathleen F. (2008) Teaching Unprepared Students. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing
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Mindset* is Important!
Fixed Intelligence MindsetIntelligence is staticYou have a certain amount of it
Growth Intelligence MindsetIntelligence can be developedYou can grow it with actions
Dweck, Carol (2006) Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.New York: Random House Publishing
Dweck, Carol, 2006. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Random House Publishing
Help Students Develop the Right Mindset
Shenk, David, 2010. The Genius in All of Us: Why Everything You've Been Told About Genetics, Talent, and IQ Is Wrong. New York: Doubleday
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Mindset determines reactions to
• Challenges – avoid vs. embrace• Obstacles – give up easily vs. persist• Tasks requiring effort – fruitless vs. path to
mastery• Criticism – ignore vs. learn from• Success of Others – feel threatened by vs.
find lessons and inspiration in
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Learning Strategies Should be Based on Learning
Style
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Learning Styles
• Influence how we take in information from the outside world
• Influence how we process information• Influence how we interact with others• Influence our motivation for learning
different subjects• Influence our frustration level with
learning tasks
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www.cas.lsu.edu
• Brain Dominance
• Personality
• Sensory Preference
Learning Style Diagnostics
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Sensory Preference• Visual: prefers pictures, symbols, charts,
graphs, concept maps, etc. • Aural or auditory: prefers hearing
lectures, reading notes out loud, etc.• Read/write: prefers flashcards, notes,
lists, outlines, etc.• Kinesthetic: prefers direct experience,
mapping, charting, experiments, visualizing action, etc.
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“…Personally, I am not so good at chemistry and unfortunately, at this point my grade for that class is reflecting exactly that. I am emailing you inquiring about a possibility of you tutoring me.”April 6, 2011“I made a 68, 50, 50, 87, 87, and a 97 on my final. I ended up earning a 90 in the course, but I started with a 60. I think what I did different was make sidenotes in each chapter and as I progressed onto the next chapter I was able to refer to these notes. I would say that in chemistry everything builds from the previous topic”
May 13, 2011Semester GPA: 3.8
Feedback from a Spring 2011 student
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How might you significantly improve student writing?
• Teach students the writing process and specific strategies
• Don’t judge student potential on initial performance, and don’t them do it!
• Encourage students to persist in the face of initial failure
• We must encourage the use of metacognitive tools in student and instructor learning communities
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Five Strategies for Instructors to Promote Metacognitive Learning Skills
1. Present Bloom’s Taxonomy2. Encourage Use of the Writing Cycle with Intense Writing Sessions3. Teach Students to Judge Their Learning by getting the most out of assignments and “teaching” the material4. Promote Active Reading Techniques (SQ5R – survey, question, read, recite, review, wRite, reflect)5. Strongly promote CAS on-line workshops
www.cas.lsu.edu
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Final Reflection Questions• What are three strategies that you feel
might help your students become better writers?
• How do you plan to implement these strategies?
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Special Note
Please visit the CAS website at www.cas.lsu.edu. We have on-line workshops that will introduce you
and your students to effective metacognitive strategies. Please feel free to contact me at smcgui1@lsu.edu. Have fun teaching your students powerful metacognitive strategies!
Saundra McGuire
Center for Academic Success
Transform Learning. Maximize Performance.
Useful Websites• www.cas.lsu.edu• www.howtostudy.org• http://
learners.ncu.edu/writingprogram/writing_center.aspx?menu_id=63
• www.vark-learn.com• www.oncourseworkshop.com
Skip Downing• Searches on www.google.com
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Additional References• 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.
• Hoffman, Roald and Saundra Y. McGuire. (2010). Learning and Teaching Strategies. American Scientist , vol. 98, pp. 378-382.
• Nilson, Linda, 2004. Teaching at It’s Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company.
• Pierce, William, 2004. Metacognition: Study Strategies, Monitoring, and Motivation.
http://academic.pg.cc.md.us/~wpeirce/MCCCTR/metacognition.htm
*Excellent student reference
Center for Academic Success
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Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., Cocking, R.R. (Eds.), 2000. How people learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
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