Approaches for Teaching Metacognitive
Strategies to Individuals and Groups
Saundra Yancy McGuire, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice Chancellor
Professor, Department of Chemistry
Past Director, Center for Academic Success
Louisiana State University
QUESTIONS?
1.
What questions do you have from
this yesterday’s session?
2.
What do you want to know more
about?
Ten Things Most Faculty Don’t Know
1. It’s not about what we say, it’s about
what students hear and are thinking.
2. The amount of learning is often inversely
proportional to the clarity of the
explanation of the topic
3. “Good” students will not seek help;
they must be approached and invited
by the instructor; it’s all about the
relationship
4. How to teach students how to read, how
to listen, how to write, and how to learn
5. Students can learn to be their own tutors
6. Showing students examples of others who
drastically improved motivates them to put in
the time and the effort it takes to improve
7. The message has to be “you’re brilliant; we’ll
help you soar” rather than “you were great in
high school, but college requires more”
8. Students CAN be taught how to learn and how
to study (www.howtostudy.org)
9. Emotions play a powerful role in learning!
10. There are not smart students and students
who are not smart; there are students who
have and use strategies, and those who don’t !
Effective Metacognitive Strategies
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Always ask why, how, and what if
Use SQ5R for reading assignments
(survey, question, read, recite, review,
wRite, reflect)
Test understanding by giving “mini
lectures” on concepts
Always solve problems without looking at
an example or the solution
Use the Study Cycle with Intense Study
Sessions
Use the textbook!
What is the task described here?
“The procedure is actually quite simple. First, you arrange
things into different groups. Of course, one pile may be sufficient
depending on how much there is to do. If you have to go somewhere
else due to lack of facilities, that is the next step. Otherwise, you are
pretty well set. It is important not to overdo things. That is, it is
better to do too few things at once than too many. In the short run
this may not seem important but complications can easily arise. A
mistake can be expensive as well. At first, the whole procedure will
seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become just another facet
of life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task
in the immediate future, but then one can never tell. After the
procedure is completed, one arranges the materials into different
groups again. Then they can be put into their appropriate places.
Eventually, they will be used once more, and the whole procedure
will then have to be repeated. However, that is part of life.”
Bransford, J.D.& Johnson, M.K. “Contextual Prerequisites for Understanding: Some Investigations of
Comprehension and Recall,” Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 2:7, 1972.
Metacognitive Get Acquainted Activity*
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What do you believe is important to
understand and learn in
_____________________?
 What do you believe to be critical
characteristics of successful students in
___________?
 How will you study and prepare for exams in
______________________________?
*Simpson, M. & Rush, L. (2012) in Teaching Study Strategies in Developmental
Education, Hodges, Simpson, Stahl eds. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s
Hodges, Simpson, Stahl eds. (2012) Teaching
Study Strategies in Developmental Education, New
York: Bedford/St. Martin’s
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Historical Background on Study Strategies
Developmental Education and Learning Assistance Today
Diverse Populations in the Classroom
Students’ Beliefs about Study Strategies
Theory, Research, and Best Practices
Assessment and Evaluation
Another Valuable Reference
Gabriel, Kathleen F. (2008) Teaching Unprepared Students.
Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing
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Effective Strategies for
Teaching Unprepared Students*
Establish High Expectations
Emphasize Consistent Contact
Determine Students’ Learning Styles
Define Student Success
Clarify Student Responsibility
Establish a Learning Community of
Scholars
Meet Students Where They Are
Interweave Assessment and Teaching
*Gabriel, Kathleen F. (2008) Teaching Unprepared Students. Sterling, VA:
Stylus Publishing
Learning Style/Preference
VISUAL
AURAL
READ/WRITE
KINESTHETIC
www.cas.lsu.edu
2.) Sensory Preference (Modality)
Reading/Writing
Your prefer to learn by reading and taking notes. Read all assignments. Focus on headings and
subheadings to help you find the author's organization of information. You might find it useful to reread and
rewrite words and notes. Use flashcards, lists, and charts to study.
Aural
You prefer to learn and process material by listening. Participation in study groups and class discussions
provide one of the very best ways to learn from what you hear and say. You might think that you should tape
your lectures, but that won't help you separate and organize important lecture ideas. Instead, try converting
written
lecture notes to audio tapes. Read your notes aloud into a tape recorder, leaving brief amounts of time
between main ideas and questions. This gives you time to think and then process out-loud.
Kinesthetic
You prefer to learn by direct experience or by moving. When you learn from direct experience, you learn
by touch or by physical movement. The more you do, the more you learn. Highlighting, underlining, labeling
information, and writing add movement to learning. Mapping, creating or using 3-D models if possible,
charting, or creating other graphics or interactive tools also are ways to learn by doing. Role-plays, and
experiments also help you learn actively. Participation in study groups or tutoring others provides
additional ways to become an active learner.
Visual
Visual learners prefer concept mapping, flash charts, visual outlines and graphics. Adding meaningful
symbols, colors, and graphics to notes also provide visual cues. Try to visualize how information appears on
a page. In study groups or discussions, clarify what is said through either an image or drawing out a map.
Time Management is
Life Management
Big Rocks
Is this jar full?
What if we fill it to
the top with small rocks…
would it be full?
What if we fill it to
the top with sand…
would it be full?
What if we fill it to
the top with water…
would it be full?
The question is this:
What is the “moral of the story” when it comes to time management?
Semester Calendar
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
6
JANUARY
Week 1
7
8
Orientation
9
Orientation
10
Orientation
11
12
13
Week 2
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Week 3
21
Martin Luther King Holiday
22
Classes resume
Final date for dropping without receiving a “W”
23
24
Final date for adding courses
25
26
27
Week 4
28
29
30
31
1
6
Mardi Gras Holiday
7
Classes Resume
8
15
16
Classes Begin
EXAM
PROJECT
EXAM
FEBRUARY
2
EXAM
3
Week 5
4
Mardi Gras Holiday
5
Mardi Gras Holiday
9
10
Week 6
11
12
13
14
17
Week 7
18
19
20
21
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23
24
Week 8
25
26
27
28
29
1
2
Week 9
3
MIDTERMS
4
MIDTERMS
5
6
MIDTERMS
MIDTERMS
7
MIDTERMS
8
MIDTERMS
9
Week 10
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Week 11
17
Spring Break
18
Spring Break
19
Spring Break
20
Spring Break
21
Spring Break
22
23
Week 12
24
Classes Resume
25
26
27
28
29
30
Week 13
Course scheduling for fall begins
31
1
6
Week 14
7
FAMILY REUNION
EXAM
MARCH
EXAM
PROJECT
Find at:
www.cas.lsu.edu
EXAM
FAMILY WEDDING
EXAM RESEARCH PAPER
APRIL
2
3
9
10
EXAM
4
5
11
12
EXAM
8
Final date for resigning from university and/or
dropping courses
PROJECT
EXAM
13
Week 15
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Week 16
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
Week 17
28
29
30
1
2
3 Classes end
Concentrated Study Period
Concentrated Study Period
Concentrated Study Period
Concentrated Study Period
MAY
Weekly Planner
ISS
’s
Using Cognitive Science Information
to Improve Student Performance
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Scenario Analysis
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Learning Strategies Handout
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Description of one strategy you can
implement to help students achieve greater
success in the course(s) you are teaching
What Faculty Can Do to Teach
Metacognitive Strategies
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Administer a Learning Strategies Inventory after
the First Examination
Conduct a Learning Strategies Session in Class
Invite a speaker from the Learning Assistance
Center to talk with the class
Discuss metacognitive learning strategies during
office hours
Take the on-line workshops on the LAC and
Student Success & Retention websites
Demonstrate the confidence that all students can
excel in the course!
Special Note
Please visit the CAS website at
www.cas.lsu.edu.
We have on-line workshops that will introduce
you and your students to effective
metacognitive strategies, including concept
mapping. Have fun turning your students into
expert learners!
Saundra McGuire