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HASTI PUBLIC SCHOOL & JR.COLLEGE ,DONDAICHA

BLOG NO.234

Do your students /your ward  spend a lot of time studying but feel like their  hard work doesn’t help their performance on exams? They may not realize  that their study techniques, which might have worked in earlier phase namely primary , middle school high school, don’t necessarily translate to how they are  expected to learn in  next phase .Teachers and  students therefore need to analyse  the technique  & how to analyse  that  Hasti school will tell you

Our Hasti school  therefore introduce you to the idea of “metacognition,” which  will further tell you why metacognition helps students  learn better, and introduce some strategies for incorporating metacognition into your studying.

Metacognition is thinking about how you think and learn.

The key to metacognition is asking yourself self-reflective questions, which are powerful because they allow us to take inventory of where we currently are , (thinking about what we already know), how we learn (what is working and what is not), and where we want to be (accurately gauging if we’ve mastered the material). Metacognition helps you to be a self-aware problem solver and take control of your learning.

Questions for Metacognitive Reflection

Asking self-reflective questions is key to metacognition. Take the time to be introspective and honest with yourself about your comprehension. Below are some suggestions for metacognitive questions you can ask yourself.

Metacognition is supported by asking essential questions before, during, and after studying. These questions help guide decision-making and enhance learning outcomes. Consider the following inquiries:

Before Learning

•           What am I supposed to learn?

•           What strategies should I use?

•           How much time do I have?

During Learning

•           How am I doing?

•           Am I on track with my plan?

•           Do I understand the material?

•           Should I adjust my pace?

After Learning

•           What did I learn?

•           Did I achieve my goals?

•           What could I have done differently?

•           Is there anything I still don’t understand?

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While answering these questions may take time, they provide an opportunity to adapt learning approaches and improve overall performance when faced with challenges.

•           Does this answer make sense given the information provided?

•           What strategy did I use to solve this problem that was helpful?

•           How does this information conflict with my prior understanding?

•           How does this information relate to what we learned last week?

•           What questions will I ask myself next time I’m working these types of problems?

•           What is confusing about this topic?

•           What are the relationships between these two concepts?

•           What conclusions can I make?

Try brainstorming some of your own questions as well.

Use writing

Writing can help you organize your thoughts and assess what you know. Just like thinking aloud, writing can help you identify what you do and don’t know, and how you are thinking about the concepts that you’re learning. Write out what you know and what questions you have about the learning objectives for each topic you are learning.

Organize your thoughts

Using concept maps or graphic organizers is another great way to visualize material and see the connections between the various concepts you are learning. Creating your concept map from memory is also a great study strategy because it is a form of self-testing.

Take notes from memory

Many students take notes as they are reading. Often this can turn notetaking into a passive activity, since it can be easy to fall into just copying directly from the book without thinking about the material and putting your notes in your own words. Instead, try reading short sections at a time and pausing periodically to summarize what you read from memory. This technique ensures that you are actively engaging with the material as you are reading and taking notes, and it helps you better gauge how much you’re actually remembering from what you read; it also engages your recall, which makes it more likely you’ll be able to remember and understand the material when you’re done.

Review your exams

Reviewing an exam that you’ve recently taken is a great time to use metacognition. Look at what you knew and what you missed. Try using this handout to analyze your preparation for the exam and track the items you missed, along with the reasons that you missed them. Then take the time to fill in the areas you still have gaps and make a plan for how you might change your preparation next time.

Take a timeout

When you’re learning, it’s important to periodically take a time out to make sure you’re engaging in metacognitive strategies. We often can get so absorbed in “doing” that we don’t always think about the why behind what we are doing. For example, if you are working through a math problem, it’s helpful to pause as you go and think about why you are doing each step, and how you knew that it followed from the previous step. Throughout the semester, you should continue to take timeouts before, during or after assignments to see how what you’re doing relates to the course as a whole and to the learning objectives that your professor has set.

Test yourself

You don’t want your exam to be the first time you accurately assess how well you know the material. Self-testing should be an integral part of your study sessions so that have a clear understanding of what you do and don’t know. Many of the methods described are about self-testing (e.g., thinking aloud, using writing, taking notes from memory) because they help you discern what you do and don’t actually know. Other common methods include practice tests and flash cards—anything that asks you to summon your knowledge and check if it’s correct.

Figure out how you learn

It is important to figure out what learning strategies work best for you. It will probably vary depending on what type of material you are trying to learn (e.g. chemistry vs. history), but it will be helpful to be open to trying new things and paying attention to what is effective for you. If flash cards never help you, stop using them and try something else instead. Making an appointment with an academic coach at the Learning Center is a great chance to reflect on what you have been doing and figuring out what works best for you.

Metacognition goes beyond basic cognitive strategies and encourages students to delve deeper into their learning process.

While cognitive strategies involve recalling, analyzing, interpreting, and applying information, *metacognition helps identify which specific cognitive strategies are necessary for effective learning. It also prompts learners to reflect on their current strategies and consider alternative approaches to improve their understanding.

The metacognition process can be broken down into three stages: plan, monitor, and evaluate.

1.         Plan The planning stage involves developing a comprehensive approach to learning a particular topic. This includes determining what information needs to be learned, understanding existing knowledge, selecting effective learning strategies, and formulating a learning plan. By establishing a clear plan, students set the foundation for successful learning.

2.         Monitor During the learning process, it is crucial to continuously monitor comprehension and progress. This can be achieved through various actions, such as taking practice tests, engaging in self-assessment, or seeking feedback from teachers or peers. Monitoring allows learners to gauge their understanding, identify areas of weakness, and adjust their learning strategies if necessary.

3.         Evaluate Once the learning process is complete, it is essential to evaluate the results and reflect on the overall experience. Learners should assess whether their learning goals were achieved, what they have gained from the process, and what could have been done differently. This critical evaluation enables individuals to learn from their experiences and make more informed choices in future learning endeavours.

‘There is a strong body of research from psychology and education demonstrating the importance of metacognition and self-regulation to effective pupil learning.

Broadly speaking – it works. Together with cognition and motivation, metacognition is key to being a self-regulated and independent learner, who is actively engaged in their own learning experiences.

As always, we’d love to know your thoughts on this, please feel free  to share and post  your thoughts, commendation ,remarks, & suggestions*.

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