by Caroline Mueller, B.S., Clinical Anatomy PhD student, University of Mississippi Medical Center
Intro: In this guest editor miniseries, “The Evolution of Metacognition”, we will be discussing a progression of metacognitive awareness and development of metacognition in multiple stages of education, from undergraduate, to graduate and professional students, and even faculty. In this first post Caroline Mueller, a doctoral student in an anatomy education program, is providing a student perspective. She shares reflections on learning about metacognition, how it has shaped her approaches to learning, and how it is influencing her as an emerging educator. ~Audra Schaefer, PhD, guest editor
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As a second-year graduate student hearing the word “metacognition” for the first time, I thought the idea of “thinking about thinking” seemed like another activity necessitated by teachers to take up more time. After looking into what metacognition actually meant and the processes it entails, my mindset changed. It is logical to think about the thought processes that occur during learning. Engaging in metacognitive thought seems like an obvious, efficient activity for students to do to test their knowledge—yet very few do it, myself included. In undergrad, I prided myself on getting high grades, thinking that my method of reading, re-writing, memorizing, and then repeating was a labor-intensive but effective method. It did the job, and it resulted in high grades. However, if my goals included retaining the content, this method failed me. If someone today asked me about the Krebs Cycle, I could not recite it like I could for the test, and I definitely could not tell you about its function (something to do with glucose and energy?).
Upon entering graduate school, what I thought were my “fool-proof” methods of study soon became insufficient and fallible. The work load in medical gross anatomy and medical histology increased by at least 20 times (well, it felt like it anyway). It was laborious to keep up with taking notes in lecture, re-writing, reading the text, and then testing myself with practice questions. I felt as though I was drowning in information, and I saw a crippling arthritis in my near future. I then faced my first devastating grade. I felt cheated that my methods did not work, and I wondered why. Needing a change, I started trying different study methods. I started reviewing the information, still re-writing, but self-quizzing with a small group of classmates instead of by myself. We would discuss what we got wrong and explain answers if we knew them. It helped me improve my grades, but I wish I had more guidance about metacognition at that point.
As I begin studying for my terrifying qualifying exams this semester, I am currently facing the daunting task of studying all the material I have learned in the last 2 years of graduate school. Easy task, right? Even though you may sense my dread, I have a different approach to studying because of what I’ve recently learned about metacognition. An important aspect of metacognition is self-assessment, using tools such as pre-assessment and the most confusing point (muddiest point). The pre-assessment is a tool that allows students to examine their current understanding of a topic and to direct them to think about what they do and do not know. It helps guide students to focus their efforts on those elements they do not know or understand well (Tanner, 2012). The muddiest point tool can be used at the end of a long day of studying. Students reflect on the information covered in a class or study session and assess what was the muddiest point (Tanner, 2012).
Both tools have shaped my approach to studying. Now I study by human body systems, starting each system off by writing what I do know about the subject and then writing down what I want to know by the end of my review. This aids in my assessment of what I do and do not know, so that I can orient myself to where I struggle the most. At first, it seemed like a time-intensive activity, but it quickly made me realize that it was more efficient then rewriting and rereading the content I already knew. I implemented muddiest point in my studies too because after a strenuous day of trying to grasp intense information, I end up feeling like I still do not know anything. After reviewing the information and filling in the gaps, at the end of my week of review, I quiz myself and ask myself what I was most confusing. It helps me plan for future study sessions.
Metacognition feels like it takes a lot of time when you first start doing it because it makes the learner deal with the difficult parts of a subject matter. Students, myself included, want the act of acquiring new information to be rewarding, quick, and an affirmation of their competency of the material. An example of this is when I would get an answer correct when I did practice questions while preparing for an exam, but I never thought about why the correct answer was correct. Getting it right could have been pure luck; in my mind, I must have known the material. By thinking about the “why,” it prompts students to think deeply about their thought process to picking that answer. This act alone helps solidify understanding of the topic. If one can explain how they got to the answer, or why they believe an answer to be true, it allows them to assess how well they understand the content matter.
My role as a student is beginning to change—I have become a teacher’s assistant, slowly on my way to full-on teacher status. After learning about metacognition and applying it as a student, I attempted to try it on the students I teach.
For example, an important part of metacognition is learning to recognize what you do and do not know. In anatomy lab, in order to prompt students to think deeper about material, I ask students what they know, rather than just giving them the answer to their questions. I let them describe the structure and ask them to explain why they think that structure is what it is.
When I first did this, students resisted—the stress of the first-year medical school makes students desire the answer immediately and to move on. But I persisted in asking questions, explaining to students that finding out what you do know and do not know allows you to focus your studying to filling in those gaps.
Since I am a new convert to teacher assistant from student, students often ask me the best ways to study and about how I studied. I again urge them to take an approach that helps identify gaps in their knowledge. I encourage them to go over the chapter headings and write down what they know about each one, essentially completing a preassessment I previously mentioned.
At this point, I might be a little rough in my approach to instill the incredible power of metacognitive skills in students, but I am still working out the kinks. I am still learning—learning to be an effective teacher, learning the content as a student, and learning to learn about teaching and learning. As a student and a teacher, my hope for the future of my teaching is that I learn how to implement metacognitive methods effectively and to be able to assess these methods and keep trying to improve on them.
Tanner, K.D. (2012). Promoting student metacognition. CBE-Life Sciences Education, 11, 113-120. [https://www.improvewithmetacognition.com/promoting-student-metacognition/]
