Metacognition: The Key
to Knowledge Transfer in Writing
Saundra Yancy McGuire, Ph.D.
Asst. Vice Chancellor & Professor of Chemistry
Past Director, Center for Academic Success
Writing Instructor Seminar
February 1, 2013
2004-2005 National College Learning Center Association
Frank L. Christ Outstanding Learning Center Award
Reflection Questions
• What skills do you want students to
transfer?
• How do you teach students these skills?
• How do you teach students to transfer
these skills?
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Desired outcomes
• We will understand why many students have
difficulty with writing
• We will have concrete strategies that faculty can
teach students to improve knowledge transfer in
writing, and we will be committed to trying them
• We will have more resources for our students
• We will view our students differently
• We will see positive changes in our students’ selfperception and performance
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The Story of Two Students
• Travis, a psychology student
47, 52, 82, 86
B in course
• Robert, a chemistry student
42, 100, 100, 100
A in course
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Travis, psychology student
47, 52, 82, 86
Problem: Reading Comprehension
Solution: Preview text before reading
Develop questions
Read one paragraph at a time
and paraphrase information
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Robert, chemistry student
42, 100, 100, 100
Problem: Using examples to do
homework problems
Solution: Study information before trying
homework problem
Use example to test skill
Do homework problems as if
doing a test or quiz (no looking at
solution manual or examples!)
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Two quick stories
 Paradigm shift in speaking skills
 Paradigm shift in writing skills
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What facilitated the paradigm shift?
 Foundational Knowledge
 Metacognition
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Why don’t many students know
how to write?
Several reasons are suggested by Brain Track*
*www.braintrack.com/blog/2012/11/why-college-students-today-cant-write
• Colleges don’t demand high-quality writing
• High schools aren’t preparing students with writing
skills
• College professors don’t want to spend time
playing catch-up
• Students don’t get enough feedback
• Graduation doesn’t depend on demonstrating
writing skills
• Grading isn’t harsh enough
• Web and text habits seep into academic writing
• Required writing courses often aren’t writingfocused.
• Students aren’t taught the fundamentals
- rules of good writing
- how to think critically and creatively
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Reasons suggested by others…
• Writing instructors and students don’t speak
the same language
• Students are “programmed” NOT to think or
trust their judgment; writing is emotional
• Students don’t know how to respond to
feedback
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Instructors Must Help Students
Make the Transition to College Writing
Help students identify and close “the gap”
Past strategies
unsatisfactory
writing
Effective strategies
good
writing
To Close the Gap
 Teach students how to learn, think, and write!
 Metacognition is the key!
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Metacognition*
The ability to:
• think about one’s own thinking
• be consciously aware of oneself as a
problem solver
• monitor and control one’s mental
processing (e.g. “Am I understanding this
assignment?”)
• accurately judge one’s level of learning
*term coined by Flavell in 1976
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Reflection Questions to Help
Students Develop a New Paradigm
• What’s the difference, if any, between
studying and learning?
• For which task would you work harder?
A. Do well on a on a test
B. Teach the material to the class
What are the parallel questions for
shifting the paradigm in writing?
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To Perform Well in Classes
Students Must…
• Stay in learn mode, not study mode
• Study as if they have to teach the
material, not just make an A on the
test
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To Write Well
Students Must …
• Stay in knowledge transformation
mode, not knowledge telling mode
• Engage in a conversation with the
readers, whose characteristics they’ve
carefully considered
• Others?
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Counting Vowels in 45 seconds
How accurate are you?
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Dollar Bill
Dice
Tricycle
Four-leaf Clover
Hand
Six-Pack
Seven-Up
Octopus
Cat Lives
Bowling Pins
Football Team
Dozen Eggs
Unlucky Friday
Valentine’s Day
Quarter Hour
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How many words or phrases
do you remember?
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Let’s look at the words again…
What are they arranged according to?
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Dollar Bill
Dice
Tricycle
Four-leaf Clover
Hand
Six-Pack
Seven-Up
Octopus
Cat Lives
Bowling Pins
Football Team
Dozen Eggs
Unlucky Friday
Valentine’s Day
Quarter Hour
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NOW, how many words or phrases
do you remember?
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What were two major differences
between the first attempt
and the second attempt?
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1. We knew what the task was
2. We knew how the information
was organized
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What we know about learning
• Active learning is more lasting than passive
learning
• Thinking about thinking is important
– Metacognition
• The level at which learning occurs is
important
– Bloom’s Taxonomy
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Bloom’s Taxonomy
Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001
http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Bloom's_Taxonomy
Combining information to
form a unique product;
requires creativity and
originality.
Evaluation
Synthesis
Using information to solve
problems; transferring
abstract or theoretical ideas
to practical situations.
Identifying connections and
relationships and how they
apply.
Application
Comprehension
Restating in
your own words;
paraphrasing,
summarizing,
translating.
Knowledge
Louisiana State University  Center for Academic Success  B-31 Coates Hall  225-578-2872  www.cas.lsu.edu
High School
Memorizing verbatim
information. Being able to
remember, but not
necessarily fully
understanding the
material.
Identifying
components;
determining
arrangement, logic,
and semantics.
Undergraduate
Analysis
Making decisions and
supporting views;
requires
understanding of
values.
Graduate School
Bloom’s
Taxonomy
This pyramid depicts the different levels of thinking we use when learning.
Notice how each level builds on the foundation that precedes it. It is
required that we learn the lower levels before we can effectively use the
skills above.
When we teach students about
Bloom’s Taxonomy…
They GET it!
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At what level of Bloom’s did you have to
operate to make A’s or B’s in high school?
35%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
25%
21%
13%
1
2
3
4
3%
3%
5
6
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At what level of Bloom’s do you think you’ll
need to be to make an A in college?
35%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
23%
15%
14%
7%
6%
1
2
3
4
5
6
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How do we teach students to move
higher on Bloom’s Taxonomy?
Teach them the Study Cycle*
*adapted from Frank Christ’s PLRS system
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The Study Cycle
34
Reflect
Review
Preview
Preview before class – Skim the chapter, note headings and boldface words,
review summaries and chapter objectives, and come up with questions
you’d like the lecture to answer for you.
Attend
Attend class – GO TO CLASS! Answer and ask questions and take meaningful
notes.
4
Reflect
Review
Study
Assess
Review after class – As soon after class as possible, read notes, fill in gaps
and note any questions.
Study – Repetition is the key. Ask questions such as ‘why’, ‘how’, and ‘what if’.
• Intense Study Sessions* - 3-5 short study sessions per day
• Weekend Review – Read notes and material from the week to make
connections
Assess your Learning – Periodically perform reality checks
• Am I using study methods that are effective?
• Do I understand the material enough to teach it to others?
*Intense Study Sessions
Decide what you want to accomplish in your study session
1
Set a Goal
2
Study with Focus
(30-50 min)
Interact with material- organize, concept map, summarize, process, re-read, fill-in notes,
reflect, etc.
3
Reward Yourself
(10-15 min)
Take a break– call a friend, play a short game, get a snack
4
Review
(1-2 min)
(5 min)
Go over what you just studied
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Stages in the Writing Cycle?
34
Reflect
Review
Plan
Brainstorm ideas…
4
Reflect
Prewrite
Get started!– Use a strategy! Freewriting, focused freewriting, looping,
brainstorming, clustering, mapping, others?
Develop a thesis statement, .
Draft
Revise
Assess/ Reflect
Revise for: focus, development, organization, style, convention; use a
reverse outline
Come back after letting it “Sit” for 24 hours. Have others look at it…
Don’t be afraid to change things around
*Intense Writing Sessions
Decide what you want to accomplish in your session (prewriting, drafting, revising, etc.)
1
Set a Goal
2
Write with Focus
(30-50 min)
Interact with material- organize, concept map, process, draft, reflect, etc.
3
Reward Yourself
(10-15 min)
Take a break– call a friend, play a short game, get a snack
4
Review
(1-2 min)
(5 min)
Go over what you just wrote and make plans to continue. Schedule your next session!
Center for Academic Success
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
A visual manipulative approach to learning

Excellent tool for content/concept analysis

Organize and manipulate concepts, ideas, theories and
other material in a visual format.

Can be used for learning, teaching, organizing, problemsolving, decision-making and brainstorming.

Offers simplicity and clarity to complex, multifaceted
material.
Concept Mapping
Create a Chapter/Research Paper Map
Chapter/Title of Paper
Primary Headings
Subheadings
Secondary Subheadings
Compare and Contrast
Concept #1
Concept #2
How are they similar?
How are they different?
Persuasive Writing or Critical Analysis
Thesis
Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Details
Details
Reasons, Facts, Examples
Reasons, Facts, Examples
Conclusion
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
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Mindset* is Important!
 Fixed Intelligence Mindset
Intelligence is static
You have a certain amount of it
 Growth Intelligence Mindset
Intelligence can be developed
You can grow it with actions
Dweck, Carol (2006) Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
New York: Random House Publishing
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Help Students Develop the Right Mindset
Dweck, Carol, 2006.
Mindset: The New Psychology
of Success. New York:
Random House Publishing
Shenk, David, 2010. The Genius in All of
Us: Why Everything You've Been Told
About Genetics, Talent, and IQ Is
Wrong. New York: Doubleday
Mindset determines reactions to
• Challenges – avoid vs. embrace
• Obstacles – give up easily vs. persist
• Tasks requiring effort – fruitless vs. path to
mastery
• Criticism – ignore vs. learn from
• Success of Others – feel threatened by vs.
find lessons and inspiration in
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Learning Strategies Should
be Based on Learning Style
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Learning Styles
• Influence how we take in information
from the outside world
• Influence how we process information
• Influence how we interact with others
• Influence our motivation for learning
different subjects
• Influence our frustration level with
learning tasks
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Learning Style Diagnostics
www.cas.lsu.edu
• Brain Dominance
• Personality
• Sensory Preference
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Sensory Preference
• Visual: prefers pictures, symbols,
charts, graphs, concept maps, etc.
• Aural or auditory: prefers hearing
lectures, reading notes out loud, etc.
• Read/write: prefers flashcards, notes,
lists, outlines, etc.
• Kinesthetic: prefers direct experience,
mapping, charting, experiments,
visualizing action, etc.
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Feedback from a Spring 2011 student
“…Personally, I am not so good at chemistry and
unfortunately, at this point my grade for that class is reflecting
exactly that. I am emailing you inquiring about a possibility of
you tutoring me.”
April 6, 2011
“I made a 68, 50, 50, 87, 87, and a 97 on my final. I ended up
earning a 90 in the course, but I started with a 60. I think what
I did different was make sidenotes in each chapter and as I
progressed onto the next chapter I was able to refer to these
notes. I would say that in chemistry everything builds from
the previous topic”
May 13, 2011
Semester GPA: 3.8
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How might you significantly
improve student writing?
• Teach students the writing process and
specific strategies
• Don’t judge student potential on initial
performance, and don’t them do it!
• Encourage students to persist in the face of
initial failure
• We must encourage the use of
metacognitive tools in student and
instructor learning communities
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Five Strategies for Instructors to Promote
Metacognitive Learning Skills
1. Present Bloom’s Taxonomy
2. Encourage Use of the Writing Cycle with
Intense Writing Sessions
3. Teach Students to Judge Their Learning by
getting the most out of assignments
and “teaching” the material
4. Promote Active Reading Techniques (SQ5R –
survey, question, read, recite, review, wRite,
reflect)
5. Strongly promote CAS on-line workshops
www.cas.lsu.edu
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Final Reflection Questions
• What are three strategies that you feel
might help your students become better
writers?
• How do you plan to implement these
strategies?
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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. Please feel free to contact me at
smcgui1@lsu.edu.
Have fun teaching your students powerful
metacognitive strategies!
Saundra McGuire
Center
for Academic Success
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Useful Websites
• www.cas.lsu.edu
• www.howtostudy.org
• http://learners.ncu.edu/writingprogram
/writing_center.aspx?menu_id=63
• www.vark-learn.com
• www.oncourseworkshop.com
Skip Downing
• Searches on www.google.com
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Additional References
• Bruer, John T. , 2000. Schools For Thought: A Science of Learning in the
Classroom. MIT Press.
• Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., Cocking, R.R. (Eds.), 2000. How people
learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, DC: National
Academy Press.
• Cromley, Jennifer, 2000. Learning to Think, Learning to Learn: What
the Science of Thinking and Learning Has to Offer Adult Education.
Washington, DC: National Institute for Literacy.
• Ellis, David, 2006. Becoming a Master Student*. New York: HoughtonMifflin.
• Hoffman, Roald and Saundra Y. McGuire. (2010). Learning and
Teaching Strategies. American Scientist , vol. 98, pp. 378-382.
• Nilson, Linda, 2004. Teaching at It’s Best: A Research-Based Resource for
College Instructors. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company.
• Pierce, William, 2004. Metacognition: Study Strategies, Monitoring,
and Motivation.
http://academic.pg.cc.md.us/~wpeirce/MCCCTR/metacognition.htm
*Excellent student reference
Center
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Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., Cocking, R.R. (Eds.), 2000. How people learn: Brain,
Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Center
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