Month: November 2016

Promoting metacognitive reading through Just-in-Time Teaching

by  John Draeger, SUNY Buffalo State

In a series of previous posts, I have discussed some of the ways that Just-in-Time Teaching techniques can promote metacognition (Draeger, 2014, 2015, 2016). Just-in-Time assignments require that students complete short assignments prior to class and instructors review those assignments before class begins so that they can tailor their lesson based on those responses (Novak, 1999). My introductory philosophy courses typically have 40 students and my Just-in-Time assignments each involve three short essay questions prior to each class session. The questions have a predictable structure — one asks students to explicate a central idea in the reading, one asks them to engage in critical thinking about the reading (e.g., how might the author respond to an issue raised earlier in the semester), and one encourages metacognition (e.g., whether their reading strategy was effective). This post shares my attempts to promote metacognition through Just-in-Time techniques to a larger section of introductory ethics (175 students), and, it further explores how Just-in-Time assignments can promote metacognitive reading.

All of the students in my larger introductory ethics course are required to answer the Just-in-Time questions prior to each class via my institution’s learning management system. Because of the large number of students and short turn-around time, I have adapted the format of these assignments. I typically ask two multiple-choice questions related to the central ideas in the reading. I ask one short essay question encouraging critical thinking about the reading (e.g., how is the current reading related to the previous one?). I also ask one Likert-style question to gauge how confident they are in their understanding of the reading, and one short answer question to encourage them to be metacognitive about their learning process (e.g., what was your reading strategy for this reading?, what was your annotation strategy?, or what was your strategy for relating the current reading to the previous?).

Before each class, I review a computer generated summary of the multiple-choice questions to gauge broad understanding of the material and look for trends. For example, their responses to the Likert-style question gauging their confidence in their understanding of the material often overestimate their actual understanding as determined by the multiple-choice questions, critical thinking essay, and overall course performance. However, this difference can serve as a conversation starter about their performance in the course. In some cases, I also ask Likert-style questions related to the author’s central thesis. So, for example, when we read an essay on sexual harassment, I asked them how often they believed sexual harassment occurred, with response options of daily, weekly, monthly, annually, and never. This Likert question became the opening move in our conversation during the next lesson. I shared that 87% reported that sexual harassment occurs at least daily or weekly. This led to an open-ended discussion about the sorts of behaviors that counted as harassment. In this way, Just-in-Time assignments can both inform and facilitate class conversation about the material.

Just-in-time assignments can also inform and facilitate conversations about how to become more metacognitive about learning; in this class I focus on their reading skills. For example, I recently asked students a Likert-style question about whether they have changed their reading practices since the beginning of the semester and a follow-up short answer question regarding how their practices have changed. 74% of students reported that their reading practices have changed. A number of interesting themes emerged in their description of those changes. First, many students reported moving to the “next stage” of their reading practice. Students moved (a) from not doing the reading to at least skimming, (b) from skimming until they got bored to finishing the reading, (c) from reading to re-reading, and (d) from re-reading to re-reading with an aim to synthesize the large themes. These responses also highlight to me the fact that not all students are in the same place with respect to their learning practices, so I should not make generalized assumptions, nor assume that one recommendation from me will accurately match all students’ developmental needs. Second, students reported changes in their annotation strategies. They moved from no highlighting to highlighting and from highlighting to more intentional annotation strategies (e.g., outlining in the margins, summarizing important thesis, adding critical questions in the margins). Third, students reported using strategies that we’d previously discussed in class (e.g., reading with different speeds, developing intentional annotations, reading the conclusion first and then reconstructing how the author gets there). Fourth, some students transformed their view of what reading philosophy is really about (e.g., they moved from reading for “information” to looking for the conceptual connections between big ideas). Finally, students reflected on the importance of time-management (e.g., devoting more time to the reading task, finding better physical reading environments, finding times in the day when they are more like to be able to process philosophy). Responses from the 26% of students who had not changed their reading practices were similarly illuminating. For example, most reported that they recognized a change was in order even if they had not yet managed to change. They also identified problems with their current reading practices. For example, they said that they waited until the last minute and rushed through Just-in-Time assignments. They recognized the value of intentional annotation and expressed the hope that they would eventually adopt those practices. And some students were able to diagnose why they were struggling (e.g., they quickly lose patience with authors who do not share their point of view). In short, Just-in-Time assignments can promote metacognitive reading by encouraging students to intentionally consider and evaluate their reading techniques as well as facilitate conversations about alternative reading strategies.

It should come as no surprise that teaching introductory ethics to a section of 175 students differs from teaching to a section of 40 students. However, it is clear that the Just-in-Time teaching technique is not only viable in a large class, but it can promote metacognition about learning as well as inform me about their level of content understanding. Indeed, teaching a larger section has led me to better ways of encouraging conversations with students about their learning process.

 References

Draeger, J. (2014). “Just-in-Time for Metacognition.” Retrieved from https://www.improvewithmetacognition.com/just-in-time-for-metacognition.

Draeger, J. (2015). “Using Just-in-Time assignments to promote metacognition.” Retrieved from https://www.improvewithmetacognition.com/using-just-in-time-assignments-to-promote-metacognition.

Draeger, J. (2016). “Fine-tuning Just-in-Time assignments to encourage metacognition.” Retrieved from  https://www.improvewithmetacognition.com/fine-tuning-just-time-assignments-encourage-metacognition/

Novak, G., Patterson, E., Gavrin, A., & Christian, W. (1999). Just-in-time teaching: Blending active learning with web technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.


Metacogntion: Daring Your Students to Take Responsibility for Their Own Successes and Failures.

by Harrison Fisher

The Education Endowment Foundation in Britain claims that metacognitive styles of learning ‘have consistently high levels of impact, with pupils making an average of eight months’ additional progress’ (Education Endowment Foundation, 2016). This seems to be particularly the case with older pupils, e.g. those of university level, and particularly when used in a group setting, so learners can support each other. Metacognition refers to the process of reflecting on learning itself, as opposed to merely learning by rote or memorizing. Think about it, if you knew exactly what was hindering your learning, your learning experience would be more profound. Put simply, you would learn more!shutterstock_124813237

It is so important in metacognitive learning that students take responsibility for their own progress. However, to students, there can sometimes be a perception that the professor is solely responsible for their learning. Metacognition can help to shift this perception and empower students to take more responsibility by encouraging them to reflect on the learning process while making necessary adjustments to their learning methods.

Metacognition for students is about reflecting on the most appropriate methods of learning, using different methods as needed, and subsequently revising their learning process. If we are realistic, students’ performance and learning is measured by their final course mark. So, students are on a continuous path to decipher how different learning methods work for them, and which to apply given the expected assessment. The question that arises at this point is whether the traditional forms of assessment used in higher education allow students to improve their metacognition, and whether they are representative of the challenges that will arise for students once they enter the workforce. There has been a lot of research on the relative benefits of various forms of assessment, but to a certain extent they miss the point that this itself will depend on students’ metacognitive engagement, and effective strategies will depend on students reflecting on what works for them.

One of the key goals of education is preparing students for employment. It follows that professors should be exposing students to the broadest range of assessments, ones that are more indicative of the challenges that they will encounter in their chosen fields. This will lead to students who are more dynamic in how they approach given problems and tasks. For example, take the multiple-choice exam. Is this type of assessment representative of the metacognitive skills required to handle customer complaints? Are the metacognitive skills needed to answer short answer questions similar to the leadership and teamwork skills sought by top employers? The short answer is no! What employers do not want is a worker who can merely remember facts, or who can ace an exam. What they do want is a flexible employee who can solve problems, who can be proactive, who can realize what their weaknesses are through reflection and respond to them.

One strategy to broaden students’ learning and development could be to allow students to reflect on their own learning. This could include asking students to keep a reflective log of their progress, keeping track of what they found difficult, and, more importantly, why they found it difficult. In this way, students are not focused on the content, but on the process of learning. Students can as a result change this in future. For example, if students are given a choice of assessment task or methods, they can ask themselves ‘What works for me?’ and ‘Why is it that this works?’ Each student is an individual with very different strengths and weaknesses, and assessment methods should reflect this. In a global affairs class for example, you could ask your students ‘How will the British decision to leave the European Union impact North America, and how could this impact be minimized?’ To assess this question, you could allow your students freedom in the way in which they present their answers. Some of these might include recorded video oral presentations, essays, creative infographics, recorded Mp3’s, slide decks and so on. This will allow your students to play to their strengths, and to make progress more quickly.

In giving freedom to students as far as which medium they submit their work, you can empower the student to discover what works for them. In other words, if you as a tutor let them present their work in a format they choose (for example: an essay, a vlog, a newspaper report etc.) this will surely allow them to reflect on how they learn and how they wish to present their work, which will then enrich their understanding. For example, in the case of assessing through Vlog, students may have what Gardner (1983) in his theory of Multiple Intelligences called linguistic intelligence, in that they are good with words and verbalizing their thoughts. As a result, they may feel that a Vlog, which involves recording a video presentation, is a perfect way to present their learning, rather than the more traditional exam or essay.

Likewise, another useful strategy could be to allow students to talk to each other about how they learn best. What strategies do they use, and which is most effective for them? Why is this? How would they advise each other to proceed in order to be more successful? One of the most valuable ways to learn is from others, and this will allow your more successful or confident students to have a positive effect on others. This allows students to both take responsibility for their learning, but also will allow students to reflect upon methods that they never would have thought of without the help of their peers.

These are by no means the only strategies that could sharpen students’ metacognition, but they are effective, tried and tested methods. Too often, independent learning comes off as a gimmick, something that is said without having any real meaningful outcome. Metacognitive strategies can change this. In fact, one of the most influential names in the field of metacognition, John Flavell (1987), believed, being influenced by the developmental theories of Jean Piaget, that metacognition is the process that drives all learning and development. As a result, we as professionals would definitely be missing out by not using this knowledge in our practice.

This is why the responsibility for learning needs to rest on the shoulders of the student. Learning will be more profound and more lasting, and, though it is hard work, the pay-off will be huge. Go on, dare your students to take responsibility for their own learning by using metacognition to monitor their successes and failures.

 

References

Flavell, J. H. (1987) Speculation about the nature and development of metacognition. In F. Weinert & R. Kluwe (Eds.), Metacognition, motivation, and understanding (pp.21 – 29). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Education Endownment Foundation. (2016). Meta-cognition and self-regulation. Education Endowment Foundation.

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.