Thinking About Thinking: How to Challenge & Change Metacognitive Beliefs | Katy O'Brien | TEDxUGA

Summary

This video discusses the importance of metacognition for students recovering from brain injuries, particularly in academic environments. It highlights the challenges these students face due to cognitive impairments, such as attention, memory, and executive function problems. The speaker emphasizes how self-regulation strategies, like goal setting, performance monitoring, and strategy adaptation, help students manage their cognitive difficulties. By understanding and shifting their metacognitive beliefs, students can improve their academic performance. The speaker also compares brain injuries to physical injuries, stressing the importance of continuous effort in recovery, even though brain injuries are often invisible to others.

Takeaways

• 😀 Brain injury, including concussions, affects cognitive functions like attention, memory, and executive function, making academic success challenging.
• 😀 Metacognition, or 'thinking about thinking,' is essential for students with brain injuries to succeed in college by helping them manage their cognitive challenges.
• 😀 Self-regulation, where individuals set goals, monitor their performance, and adjust strategies, is crucial for students with brain injuries to improve their academic performance.
• 😀 Even in a 'distraction-free' room, students with brain injuries can experience numerous distractions, demonstrating the complexity of their cognitive difficulties.
• 😀 Students with brain injuries must relearn how their brain works post-injury, creating a challenging cycle where their brain, still recovering, is tasked with this process.
• 😀 Metacognitive beliefs (e.g., 'I'm bad with names') are formed through life experiences and can influence students' performance and recovery after brain injuries.
• 😀 Self-regulation strategies help students stay on track, such as setting goals, monitoring attention, and executing strategies like sitting up straight or writing notes to stay focused.
• 😀 People tend to underestimate their abilities (underconfidence), which can lead them to use effective strategies, improving their overall performance.
• 😀 The first time we assess our memory or performance, we often rely on beliefs rather than actual retrieval attempts, which may lead to inaccurate predictions.
• 😀 Brain injuries are often invisible, meaning people may look physically fine while still struggling with cognitive challenges, similar to how someone recovering from a knee replacement needs ongoing support and therapy.

Q & A

What is metacognition and why is it important for students with brain injuries?

Metacognition is the ability to think about one's thinking processes. It is important for students with brain injuries because it helps them understand and regulate their cognitive functions, which is crucial for their academic success after experiencing brain injuries.

What are some common causes of brain injuries in students?

Common causes of brain injuries include car accidents, recreational accidents like biking, skiing, sledding, falls from bunk beds or stairwells, and multiple concussions from activities such as sports.

What cognitive challenges do students with brain injuries commonly face?

Students with brain injuries often face difficulties with attention, memory, and executive function. These challenges can make it harder to focus, remember new information, and organize their thoughts or behaviors.

What role do distractions play in the learning environment of students with brain injuries?

Distractions, even in seemingly distraction-free rooms, can significantly impact students with brain injuries. In the provided example, a student noted that despite being in a controlled room, they found many distractions, such as a swivel chair, earplugs, and a clock.

How does self-regulation help students with brain injuries?

Self-regulation involves setting goals, monitoring progress, and adjusting strategies to achieve desired outcomes. For students with brain injuries, self-regulation helps them stay focused and make adjustments when cognitive challenges interfere with their performance.

What is the difference between self-regulation and simply monitoring one's performance?

Self-regulation is not just about monitoring one's performance, but also about exerting control to improve performance. This involves setting goals, checking if those goals are being met, and adjusting strategies accordingly to stay on track.

What impact do metacognitive beliefs have on students' learning and performance?

Metacognitive beliefs, which are shaped by past experiences, influence how students approach learning. For example, if a student believes they have a poor memory, they may struggle with tasks that require remembering information, even if they are capable of performing better.

Why do individuals with brain injuries often have to relearn how their brain works?

After a brain injury, the brain no longer functions in the same way it did before, so individuals must relearn how to use their cognitive abilities effectively. This process is complicated by the fact that their brain, which was injured, is also the one responsible for relearning these functions.

What is the significance of invisible injuries in the context of brain injuries?

Invisible injuries refer to the cognitive and emotional challenges faced by people with brain injuries that are not immediately apparent to others. This can make it difficult for those affected to receive understanding and support, as the changes in their abilities are not outwardly visible.

How do beliefs about memory impact how students with brain injuries perform in everyday tasks?

Students with brain injuries often have distorted beliefs about their memory due to past experiences. For instance, they may believe they are bad at remembering certain things, such as a simple grocery list, which can lead to errors like forgetting items even if they were once able to recall them easily.