21 Metacognition
One primary goal of this course is to help support your understanding of how you learn. This will require goal setting, developing a plan and evaluation of progress. We have structured activities in our course for this purpose. My hope is that you will find ways to learn more effectively and optimize your study habits. Motivation and insight will be tools to drive the process.
Cognitively-active learning behaviors will help you in this course and those that follow. Our exams contain application questions, which are not identical to those in assignments. This requires understanding of vocabulary and applying it in sentences you have not previously seen. The chart below is from a referenced, peer-reviewed journal article of survey responses from college biology students about their own behaviors.
| Cognitively passive learning behaviors | Cognitively active learning behaviors |
|---|---|
| I previewed the reading before class. | I asked myself: “How does it work?” and “Why does it work this way?” |
| I came to class. | I drew my own flowcharts or diagrams. |
| I read the assigned text. | I broke down complex processes step-by-step. |
| I reviewed my class notes. | I wrote my own study questions. |
| I rewrote my notes. | I reorganized the class information. |
| I made index cards. | I compared and contrasted. |
| I highlighted the text. | I fit all the facts into a bigger picture. |
| I looked up information. | I tried to figure out the answer before looking it up. |
| I asked a classmate or tutor to explain the material to me. | I closed my notes and tested how much I remembered. |
| I asked myself: “How are individual steps connected?” and “Why are they connected?” | |
| I drew and labeled diagrams from memory and figured out missing pieces. | |
| I asked myself: “How does this impact my life?” and “What does it tell me about my body?” |
References
Sebesta, A. J., & Bray Speth, E. (2017). How Should I Study for the Exam? Self-Regulated Learning Strategies and Achievement in Introductory Biology. CBE life sciences education, 16(2), ar30. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.16-09-0269
Stanger-Hall K. F. (2012). Multiple-choice exams: an obstacle for higher-level thinkinginintroductory science classes. CBE life sciences education, 11(3),294–306. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.11-11-0100
