Get Your Learners Thinking with Metacognition
When was the last time you thought about thinking?
Having an awareness of your own thinking is known as metacognition. Research suggests that fostering metacognitive thinking results in higher academic achievement and improved critical thinking skills.¹˒² Metacognitive approaches have existed for years, but there is still room to explore these strategies in online learning. That’s why researchers at University College Dublin (UCD) have been using Brightspace to explore the benefits of metacognition in digital learning environments.
The Metacognition Teaching and Learning Strategies course was developed by Dr. Emma O’Neill, Dr. Carmel Hensey, and Dr. Crystal Fulton as part of a university-wide research project looking at learning design in Brightspace. This course explores the concept of metacognition and provides practical strategies to use in learning design. The course is hosted in the Learning Centre and is available for all Brightspace Community members to browse.
4 Key Takeaways
The metacognition course is filled with fantastic insights for instructional designers – too many for one article! Instead of dishing out the entire course here, let’s get a taste with four key takeaways. When you’re done this article, we highly encourage you to check out the course on your own to get the bigger picture.
Crafting a metacognitive culture
If you want to follow a metacognitive approach, your first task is to teach learners about metacognition. After all, how can learners get invested in metacognition if they don’t know what it is? Introduce the concept of metacognition early so learners can see the value of this way of thinking. This could take the form of an explicit written explanation, a YouTube explainer, or even a Brightspace quiz. The point is to get learners to take an active role in their own learning and that they are not just there to passively intake information.
Learn more about Introducing metacognition.
The importance of feedback
Consistent feedback is necessary for the development of metacognitive skills. According to O’Neill, Hensey, and Fulton, learners need to see feedback as “an important part of their learning journey and not just a static validation of their ability”.³ The metacognitive course showcases powerful examples of iterative learning through feedback, and the importance of cultivating a growth mindset. In Brightspace, instructional designers can support feedback in many ways, such as personalized learning paths, discussion responses, or automated feedback in quizzes.
Learn more about the importance of feedback in a metacognitive approach.
Enabling on the learning journey
Learners should have plenty of opportunities to plan, monitor, and assess their learning as they make progress. This is known as enabling, and it allows learners to practice metacognitive skills as they simultaneously engage with subject matter. Brightspace is uniquely equipped to enable along the learning journey. Assessments, quizzes, or embedded Practices with Creator+ are just a few tools to enable learners.
Learn more about enabling opportunities.
Creating a community
We learn better together, and the metacognitive approach stresses the importance of supporting a community of inquiry. Learning is a social activity, and we build our knowledge more effectively when we can engage with others and share ideas. Just by interacting with this instructional design community you’re demonstrating a susceptibility to learn from others and participate in critical discourse around learning. The Brightspace Community is a great place to start thinking about our own thinking!
Learn more about communities of inquiry.
See for yourself!
To learn more about this framework, and how you can insert metacognitive strategies into your own learning design, please access the Metacognition Teaching and Learning Strategies course in the Learning Centre.
References
- Bakracevic-Vukman, K., & Licardo, M. (2010). How cognitive, metacognitive, motivational and emotional self‐regulation influence school performance in adolescence and early adulthood. Educational Studies, 36(3), 259-268.
- Kuhn D. & Dean, D. (2004) Metacognition: A Bridge Between Cognitive Psychology and Educational Practice. Theory into Practice, 43, 268-273.
- O’Neill, E., Hensey, C. & Fulton, C. (n.d.). Metacognitive Teaching and Learning Strategies. Brightspace. https://community.desire2learn.com/d2l/home/17441