Introducing Metacognitive Learning Strategies

Summary

This video delves into metacognitive strategies, essential for enhancing student learning. It differentiates between cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies, emphasizing the latter's role in self-reflection and strategy selection. The video outlines a three-part model for classroom implementation: planning, monitoring, and evaluating strategies. It also introduces tools like strategy evaluation matrices to help students become more autonomous learners, aware of their strengths and weaknesses.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Learning strategies are mental and physical processes used by learners to overcome challenging tasks.
• 📚 Learning strategies are categorized into cognitive, metacognitive, and social effective learning strategies.
• 🤔 Cognitive strategies include repetition, organizing, summarizing, and using imagery to aid memorization.
• 👓 Metacognitive strategies involve thinking about thinking, where learners reflect on their learning abilities and approaches.
• 📈 The best students can plan, monitor, and evaluate which strategies work best for them.
• 👨‍🏫 Tracy Gerbin identified three types of knowledge needed for strategy development: person variable, task variable, and strategy variable.
• 📋 Planning is the first part of the model, where learners preview and prepare for a learning task.
• 🔍 Monitoring is the second part, where learners check their progress and comprehension during the task.
• 📊 Evaluating is the third part, where learners assess the effectiveness of their strategies and plan for future tasks.
• 🏫 The three-part model (planning, monitoring, evaluating) can be implemented in the classroom to develop metacognitive knowledge and strategies.

Q & A

What are metacognitive strategies?

Metacognitive strategies are approaches that learners use to reflect on and manage their own thinking processes. They involve thinking about thinking, planning, monitoring, and evaluating one's own learning.

How do cognitive learning strategies differ from metacognitive learning strategies?

Cognitive learning strategies focus on the direct manipulation of information to improve learning, such as repetition, summarizing, and using imagery. Metacognitive strategies, on the other hand, involve higher-level thinking about one's own learning process, including planning, monitoring, and evaluating the effectiveness of learning strategies.

What are the three types of learning strategies mentioned in the script?

The three types of learning strategies mentioned are cognitive learning strategies, metacognitive learning strategies, and social effective learning strategies.

What is the role of repetition in cognitive strategies?

Repetition is a cognitive strategy that learners use to reinforce information, making it easier and faster to recall by mentally or physically repeating the material.

How can visualization be used as a cognitive strategy in the classroom?

Visualization can be used as a cognitive strategy by encouraging learners to create mental images or associate new information with memorable or ridiculous situations to enhance recall and understanding.

What are the three types of knowledge Tracy Gerbin identified as necessary for developing and choosing effective learning strategies?

Tracy Gerbin identified three types of knowledge: the person variable (knowledge about one's own abilities), the task variable (knowledge of task requirements and resources), and the strategy variable (knowledge of different strategies and their appropriate use).

What is the purpose of planning in the context of metacognitive strategies?

Planning in metacognitive strategies involves setting goals, previewing tasks, and selecting appropriate strategies to accomplish the learning objectives, which helps learners become more autonomous and effective in their learning.

How can teachers support students in monitoring their learning?

Teachers can support students in monitoring their learning by providing tools and prompts that encourage self-reflection on progress, comprehension, and the effectiveness of the strategies being used during the learning process.

What is the significance of evaluating strategies in the metacognitive process?

Evaluating strategies is significant as it allows learners to assess the effectiveness of their approaches, identify areas for improvement, and make adjustments for future learning tasks, thus enhancing their metacognitive skills and overall learning.

How can a strategy evaluation matrix be used in the classroom?

A strategy evaluation matrix can be used in the classroom as a tool for students to identify and reflect on the strategies they might want to use for a specific learning task, helping them to make informed decisions about their learning approaches.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Metacognitive Strategies

This paragraph introduces the concept of metacognitive strategies in learning. It explains that learning strategies are mental and physical processes used by learners to overcome challenging tasks. The video focuses on cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies, which are essential for successful learning. Cognitive strategies include repetition, organizing, summarizing, and using imagery for memorization. Metacognitive strategies involve reflecting on one's learning abilities and approaches, which can lead to greater progress and autonomy in learning. The paragraph also discusses the three types of knowledge students need to develop effective strategies: personal, task, and strategy variables.

05:03

📈 Implementing Metacognitive Strategies in the Classroom

This paragraph discusses how to implement metacognitive strategies in the classroom through a three-part model. The first part is planning, where students preview and prepare for a learning task by identifying what they already know, what they want to learn, and the strategies they will use. The second part is monitoring, where students actively check their comprehension and progress during the task. The final part is evaluating, where students reflect on their performance, the effectiveness of their strategies, and how they can improve for future tasks. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of these metacognitive processes in enhancing students' learning outcomes.

Keywords

💡Metacognitive strategies

Metacognitive strategies refer to the self-awareness and self-regulation skills that learners use to manage their own learning processes. In the video, metacognitive strategies are described as 'thinking about thinking,' which involves reflecting on one's own learning abilities and approaches. These strategies are crucial for students to become autonomous learners, as they allow them to evaluate the effectiveness of their learning methods and make adjustments as needed. An example from the script is when students consider which strategies they found helpful or difficult during a task and plan for future improvements.

💡Learning strategies

Learning strategies encompass a variety of mental and physical processes that learners consciously control and select to overcome challenging tasks. The video discusses cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies, emphasizing their role in successful learning. Cognitive strategies, such as repetition and summarizing, are directly related to the manipulation of language to enhance learning, while metacognitive strategies involve higher-level thinking about the learning process itself. The video illustrates learning strategies with classroom activities like making mind maps and self-testing.

💡Cognitive learning strategies

Cognitive learning strategies are a subset of learning strategies that focus on the mental manipulation of information to facilitate learning. These strategies include techniques like repetition, organizing, summarizing, and using imagery for memorization. The video explains that these strategies are used to improve learning by directly manipulating language, either mentally or physically. An example given is visualizing new words in memorable situations to aid recall, which is a cognitive strategy employed in the classroom.

💡Social effective learning strategies

Although not the main focus of the video, social effective learning strategies are mentioned as one of the general types of learning strategies. These strategies involve interaction and collaboration with others to enhance learning. They are important for building a supportive learning community and can include activities like group discussions, peer teaching, and collaborative projects. The video implies that while cognitive and metacognitive strategies are the focus, social strategies also play a role in a comprehensive learning strategy approach.

💡Planning

Planning is a metacognitive strategy that involves setting goals and determining the steps needed to achieve them. In the context of the video, planning is the first part of the three-part model for developing metacognitive knowledge and strategies. It allows learners to preview and prepare for a learning task by evaluating what they already know and what strategies they will use. An example from the script is a worksheet used before a reading task, where students plan their approach to the material.

💡Monitoring

Monitoring is the process of tracking one's own learning progress and understanding during a learning task. It is a key metacognitive strategy that allows learners to check their comprehension and production, making necessary adjustments as they learn. The video describes monitoring as an active process that requires learners to pause and reflect on their learning. An example provided is a tool used during a reading class to help students reflect on their progress and understanding.

💡Evaluating

Evaluating is the final step in the three-part model discussed in the video, where learners reflect on and assess the effectiveness of their learning strategies and the success of their learning outcomes. This metacognitive strategy is crucial for learners to identify what worked well and what needs improvement, thus informing their planning for future learning tasks. The video suggests that evaluation is an opportunity for learners to take steps towards more effective learning by considering changes for next time.

💡Person variable

The person variable refers to the knowledge and beliefs a learner has about their own or other students' abilities. This concept is part of Tracy Gerbin's framework for developing metacognitive strategies, where it is essential for learners to understand their strengths and weaknesses. In the video, the person variable is mentioned as one of the types of knowledge students need to develop effective learning strategies, as it influences their self-awareness and approach to learning.

💡Task variable

The task variable involves the knowledge of available information, resources, and task difficulty that students need to have to develop effective learning strategies. According to the video, understanding the task at hand is crucial for selecting and applying the most appropriate strategies. It helps learners gauge the complexity of a task and match it with suitable learning strategies, which is a critical aspect of metacognitive strategy development.

💡Strategy variable

The strategy variable is about identifying goals and the thought and action required to complete them. It is the third type of knowledge that students need to develop and choose the best strategies, as mentioned in the video. Understanding the strategy variable allows students to set clear objectives for their learning and to select and use strategies that will help them achieve these goals effectively.

Highlights

Metacognitive strategies are introduced as tools for students to enhance their learning.

Learning strategies are defined as mental and physical processes used by learners to overcome challenges.

Cognitive strategies include repetition, organizing, summarizing, and using imagery for memorization.

Metacognitive strategies involve reflecting on one's learning abilities and approaches.

Students who plan, monitor, and evaluate their strategies make greater progress.

Tracy Gerbin identifies three types of knowledge necessary for developing effective learning strategies.

The person variable involves a learner's knowledge and beliefs about their own abilities.

The task variable requires knowledge of information, resources, and task difficulty.

The strategy variable involves identifying goals and the thought and action required to achieve them.

Learners become autonomous as they use metacognitive strategies to understand their strengths and weaknesses.

A three-part model is presented for planning metacognitive strategies in the classroom.

Part one of the model focuses on planning, where learners preview and strategize for a learning task.

A strategy evaluation matrix is a tool for students to identify potential strategies.

Part two, monitoring, involves learners reflecting on their progress during tasks.

The final part, evaluating, has learners assess the effectiveness of their strategies and plan for future learning.

The video provides a practical approach to implementing metacognitive strategies in educational settings.

Transcripts

[Music]

hi and welcome to this video introducing

metacognitive strategies today we'll be

looking at what metacognitive strategies

are how they can help students and how

you can Implement them in the

classroom firstly what are learning

strategies Weinstein and Mayer describe

learning strategies as including mental

and physical processes which are

consciously controlled and selected by

the Learners to overcome challenging

tasks learning strategies are classified

into several General types which

interact and support each other the

three types are cognitive learning

strategies metacognitive learning

strategies and social effective learning

strategies in this video we're going to

focus on cognitive and metacognitive

learning strategies

cognitive strategies are one type of

learning strategy that Learners use in

order to learn more successfully

strategies include repetition organizing

language summarizing meaning guessing

meaning and using imagery for

memorization all of these strategies

involve deliberate manipulation of

language either mentally or physically

to improve learning you'll already be

employing many of these strategies in

the classroom for instance if the

learner tries to remember new words by

visualizing them represented in a

memorable or ridiculous situation this

makes it easier and faster to recall

these words in the

classroom activities which can be

described as cognitive strategies

include making mind maps visualization

Association monics using clues in

reading comprehension underlining key

words scanning and self testing and

monitoring in the graphic you can see

some of the general types of cognitive

test

which are often used in the

classroom the best students however can

plan Monitor and evaluate which kind of

strategies work best and when to use

them students who display this kind of

behavior often make much greater

progress this brings us to metacognitive

strategies metacognitive strategies are

often described as thinking about

thinking these are the strategies which

Learners need to reflect on and identify

their abilities and approaches to

learning for example a student might

consider how successful they were during

a task which strategies they did or did

not use which kind of strategies did

they find most helpful useful or

difficult and what they might do in

future to improve their performance on a

specific kind of

skill as a result of this kind of

process Learners will become

increasingly autonomous in their

learning since they are aware of their

strengths and weaknesses Tracy gerbin

identified three types of knowledge that

students need in order to develop and

choose the best strategies the first is

the person

variable this is the knowledge and

beliefs a learner has about their own or

other students abilities as Learners the

second is the task variable students

need knowledge of available information

resources and task difficulty

the third and final variable is the

strategy variable students must identify

goals including the thought and action

required to complete these

goals students can use this knowledge to

prepare and plan for learning select and

use strategies monitor strategy use

orchestrate different strategies

together and evaluate strategy use and

learning so how can we include these

ideas in a real classroom

let's take a look at a three-part model

which will help us to plan sections in

which students get to develop their

metacognitive knowledge and

strategies part one is planning this

allows the learner to preview initial

ideas of how to accomplish a learning

task this is an example of the worksheet

a teacher uses before a reading task

students use it to evaluate what they

already know what they're trying to find

out and the strategies that they're

going to use to do that this strategy

evaluation Matrix is a tool a teacher

can use with the students for them to

identify strategies they might want to

use part two is

monitoring this happens during a class

as the students are accomplishing the

tasks Learners monitor their progress

and check language comprehension and

production in order to do this the

students must pause and take time to

reflect on how things are going the

teacher can help by using tools like

this one from the same reading

class the last part is

evaluating the Learners consider and

evaluate how well they accomplish the

learning task how well the strategies

they use work and what they might do the

same or differently in the future during

the evaluation they're already taking

steps to plan for the next time

[Music]