Introduction to METACOGNITION Two Illustrated Models for and Two Illustrated Models for Developing knowledge about thinking (Growing New Dendrites) and Taking control of thinking (The Stage Metaphor). A "metacognitive" approach to instruction can help students learn to take control of their own learning by defining learning goals and monitoring their progress in achieving them. (John Bransford)

Metacognition and RDG 185’s Overarching Goal: Transfer “Metacognition is a key factor in learning that should be deliberately cultivated. Bransford and company emphasized the particularly important role that metacognition plays in promoting transfer of learning. That is, students can more readily apply knowledge acquired in one context to another context (1) if they have more awareness of themselves as learners, (2) if they monitor their strategies and resources, and (3) if they assess their readiness for tests and other performances” (Baker on Bransford’s research)

Key to Talking Control of Learning – Internal Dialogue and Metacognition Metacognition is “thinking about ones thinking.” What does that mean? Metacognition is the internal thought process of an individual. (Lappin) Metacognition is the internal dialogue or private speech that allows students to regulate their thinking and emotions. It is the key to helping students become self-aware, self-regulated, strategic learners. (Independent Teacher) A metacognitive learner, at bottom, engages in an internal dialogue of relentless self-questioning about the subject at hand. (The Free Library) Thinking skills that can be taught include metacognition, transfer, organization, internal dialogue, reflection, and higher level questioning. (McCabe and Rhodes) Reflection is "nothing less than an internal dialogue with oneself. It is the process of bringing past experiences to a conscious level, analyzing them, and determining better ways to think and behave in the future" (Roland Barth, 2003)

Flavell defined metacognition as knowledge about thinking and control of thinking. NOTE 1: Metacognition is not about learning new cognitive strategies, it is about using strategies to control thinking. What Bransford is implying below is that strategies should not be taught independent of internal dialogue (thinking about thinking – metacognition). “Resist substituting strategies for thinking.” (Bransford) NOTE 2: Metacognition has to be taught. Metacognition must be taught: “Metacognition is not an instinctive process; therefore deliberate efforts must be made to call attention to it when it is occurring.” (Bransford et al., 2000; Wolfe & Brush, 2000). NOTE 3: When we combine the information above, it becomes clear that the learner needs a conceptual framework, which provides them with knowledge about thinking to learn and within which they can take control of their thinking.

Flavell defined metacognition as knowledge about thinking and control of thinking. We are going to use two illustrated models that can help the learner develop a mental picture of (1) knowledge about thinking around which they can (2) organize the thinking strategies they will use to read to learn (control their thinking while reading to learn). MODELS: Knowledge about Thinking: The first illustrated model (Dendrites and Learning) illustrates how the brain learns physically. Control of Thinking: The second illustrated model (The Stage Metaphor) provides a visual metaphor around which the learner can take control of their thinking (metacognition).

Dendrites Axon Neuron Ends Cell Body The First Illustrated Model – Growing New Dendrites is Learning Flavell defined metacognition as knowledge about thinking and control of thinking. With the illustration below, the learner can gain knowledge about the foundation for how learning occurs in the brain. Dendrites Axon Neuron Ends Cell Body

Learning is growing new dendrites. Now let’s get acquainted with the Brain cell and their Dendrites illustration. Dendrites When the learner’s brain makes a connection between new information and what the learner already knows, a new dendrite grows Axon Neuron Ends Learning is growing new dendrites. Cell Body Rule 1: New dendrites and neural networks grow only from what is already there.

Dendrites of prior knowledge New information being read comes in through brain cell dendrites, travels through the cell body, down the axon to the end buds. There it looks for other brain cell dendrites (prior related information) in order to construct new meaning, which results in growing new dendrites, which literally are new learning. New Information Dendrites Axon End Buds Cell Body Prior Knowledge New Learning Dendrites of prior knowledge

Dendrites of prior knowledge With this basic understanding about how the brain learns by interconnecting new information with prior knowledge and growing new dendrites of learning, the learner has a model for selecting thinking strategies that cause this to occur. New Information Dendrites Axon End Buds Cell Body Prior Knowledge New Learning Dendrites of prior knowledge

Second Illustrated Model - The Stage Metaphor Flavell defined metacognition as knowledge about thinking and control of thinking. In the “Growing New Dendrites” model we just looked at, we discovered that interconnecting new information to be learned with prior knowledge is KEY and BOTTOM LINE for learning something new. With the “Stage Metaphor”, we are going to look at a model for thinking about thinking (metacognition – internal dialogue for taking control of learning). The Stage: metaphor for the prefrontal cortex Audience: Prior Knowledge - dendrites Stage: Prefrontal Cortex – where decisions are made Actor: New information THE STAGE

Now let’s get acquainted with the Stage Metaphor. The Stage: metaphor for the prefrontal cortex Audience: Prior Knowledge - dendrites Stage: Prefrontal Cortex – where decisions are made Actor: New information THE STAGE The Actor is the new information you are learning. The Stage is working memory where new information is stored and manipulated while you are learning. The Audience is all your prior knowledge related to the new information.

The Stage: metaphor for prefrontal cortex Stage: Prefrontal Cortex – where decisions are made Actor: New information Audience: Prior Knowledge - dendrites THE STAGE The Actor is the new information you are learning. The first thing the learner has to do is get new information into conscious awareness (working memory) by focusing their attention on the new information.

The Stage: metaphor for prefrontal cortex Learning Strategies Stage: Prefrontal Cortex – where decisions are made Actor: New information Audience: Prior Knowledge - dendrites THE STAGE The Stage is working memory where new information is stored and manipulated while you are learning.

The Stage: metaphor for prefrontal cortex Learning Strategies Audience: Prior Knowledge - dendrites Stage: Prefrontal Cortex – where decisions are made Actor: New information Re-expose Elaborate Time Interval Conceptual Framework Question Recite Internal Dialogue Audience: Prior Knowledge - dendrites THE STAGE The Stage is working memory where new information is stored and manipulated while you are learning. Once the Actor is in conscious awareness (working memory), the learner must get related prior knowledge in conscious awareness (working memory) along with the actor.

20-30 seconds to do something: think about thinking The Stage: metaphor for prefrontal cortex Learning Strategies Actor: New information Prior Knowledge Stage: Prefrontal Cortex – where decisions are made Re-expose Elaborate Time Interval 20-30 seconds to do something: think about thinking Question Recite Internal Dialogue Audience: Prior Knowledge - dendrites THE STAGE Once the Actor (new information) and the Audience (prior Knowledge) are on the Stage (working memory), the learner has 20 to 30 seconds to manipulate the information with learning strategies.

Rules of Consolidation The Stage: metaphor for prefrontal cortex Rules of Consolidation Actor: New information Stage: Prefrontal Cortex – where decisions are made Re-expose Time Interval Audience: Prior Knowledge - dendrites Elaborate THE STAGE Once the Actor (new information) and the Audience (prior Knowledge) are on the Stage (working memory), the learner has 20 to 30 seconds to manipulate the information with learning strategies, which means that learning strategies also have to come into conscious awareness (working memory).

Learning has occurred; a new dendrite has grown The Stage: metaphor for prefrontal cortex Actor: New information becomes prior knowledge Learning has occurred; a new dendrite has grown Stage: Prefrontal Cortex – where decisions are made THE STAGE If the learner is successful, new learning will become prior knowledge, which makes learning new related information easier to learn in the future.

The Stage: metaphor for prefrontal cortex “Learning depends, in part, on the effective use of basic cognitive processes such as memory and attention, the activation of relevant background knowledge, and the deployment of cognitive strategies to achieve particular goals.” (Baker). The Stage: metaphor for prefrontal cortex Learning Strategies Stage: Prefrontal Cortex – where decisions are made Actor: New information Audience: Prior Knowledge - dendrites THE STAGE A quick note on “attention”: working memory is whatever is in the learner’s conscious awareness at a given moment. Metacognition (taking control of learning) does not occur until the learner has brought new information, prior knowledge and cognitive strategies into their conscious awareness.

“To ensure that the basic processes are used effectively, that the activated knowledge is indeed relevant, and that appropriate strategies are being deployed, learners also need to have awareness and control of their cognitive processes.” (Baker) The Director “Peak mental performance (example, reading to learn) requires a combination of (1) knowing your brain, and (2) being able to observe your brain processes occurring. In the stage metaphor, the actors represent conscious information. The audience members represent information in your brain just below conscious awareness, such as memories and habits. Then there is the director. The director is a metaphor for the part of your awareness that stands outside of experience. This director can watch the show that is your life, make decisions about how your brain will respond, and even sometimes alter the script. The experience of observing yourself is sometimes called self-awareness, or mindfulness, or metacognition, which means “thinking about your thinking”, or meta-awareness, which means “awareness of your awareness” (Rock) The Director Stage: Prefrontal Cortex – where decisions are made Audience: Prior Knowledge - dendrites Actor: New information THE STAGE

“Resist substituting strategies for thinking.” (Bransford) Example: Surveying a textbook chapter before reading it: Strategy – Surveying as a Substitute for Thinking (no internal dialogue is asked of the learner): Read the title Read the introduction Reading the headings and subheadings Look at pictures charts and graphs, Read summary Read questions at end of chapter Strategy – Surveying with Metacognition – Thinking about Thinking: (as you do each step above, encourage thinking) A metacognitive learner, at bottom, engages in an internal dialogue of relentless self- questioning about the subject at hand: 1 What do I already know about what I am reading? (learning – constructing meaning) 2 How does what I am reading reinforce or contradict what I already know (compare and contrast)? 3 What do the concepts (terminology) introduced in the reading have in common? (analyzing) 4 How are concepts (terminology) introduced in the text compare; how do they contrast? (analyzing). How are the concepts related? 5 Are the new concepts (terminology) part of a larger concept (ex. folkways and mores are types of norms)? (classifying – inductive reasoning) 6 How are all the concepts in a reading related? (mind mapping – systematically organizing – deductive reasoning – synthesizing)