Increasing the English Language Learning for All Students: Metacognition is the Key

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Increasing the English Language Learning for All
StudentsMetacognition is the Key!

• Saundra Y. McGuire, Ph.D., Director
• Center for Academic Success
• Adj. Professor, Dept. of Chemistry
• Louisiana State University

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2004 National College Learning Center
AssociationFrank L. Christ Outstanding Learning
Center Award 
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The Story of Four LSU Students2003 - 2004

• Travis, junior psychology student
• 47, 52, 82, 86
• Robert, freshman chemistry student
• 42, 100, 100, 100
• Michael, senior pre-medical organic student
• 30, 28, 80, 91
• Terrence, junior Bio Engineering student
• GPA 1.67 cum, 3.54 (F 03), 3.8 (S 04)

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Desired outcomes

• We will better understand the steps in the
  learning process
• We will have concrete learning strategies that
  faculty can teach students to increase learning,
  and we will be committed to trying some of these
  strategies in our classes
• We will have more resources for our students
• We will know how best to help all students
• We will see positive changes in our students
  performance and self-perception

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Reflection Question

• When/how/why did you learn the structure of the
  English language?
• What are the major differences between students
  who are excellent students and those who are
  mediocre or marginal at learning English?

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So, what can we do to improve student learning?

• Teach students effective learning strategies
• Use pedagogical strategies that require the use
  of learning strategies
• Assess and provide feedback as often as possible
• Help students understand the learning process

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Cognitive Science The Science of the Mind

• Questions
• How do humans process information?
• How do people increase their knowledge?
• What factors influence learning?
• What types of learning facilitate transfer of
  information learned to new settings?
• How can we change teaching to improve learning?

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What We Know About Learning

• Learning is a complex process involving the
  development of conceptual understanding
• Individual learners must actively construct their
  own learning (constructivism)
• New learning is based on prior knowledge
• Active learning is more lasting than passive
  learning
• Thinking about thinking is important
• Metacognition
• The level at which learning occurs is important
  for effective transfer
• Blooms Taxonomy
• Misconceptions can impede learning

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Student Misconceptions

• Who would have thought?!?

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Novices vs. Experts

• They think differently about problems
• Novices think in discrete information bits
• Experts think in concepts

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Intelligent novices are novices in one area, but
expert in another area
Intelligent Novices

• Intelligent novices learn new domains more
  quickly than other novices
• The metacognitive skills make the difference

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Metacognition

• The ability to
• think about thinking
• be consciously aware of oneself as a problem
  solver
• monitor and control ones mental processing (e.g.
  Am I understanding this material?)
• accurately judge ones learning

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What intelligent novices know

• Learning is different from memorization
• Solving problems without looking at the solution
  is different from using the solution as a model
• Comprehension of reading material must be tested
  while the reading is in progress
• Knowledge is not handed out by the instructor
  it is constructed by the learner
• The basic concepts in an area are connected to
  each other

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Turning Students into Intelligent Novices

• Have them do think aloud exercises
• Have them ask why and what if
• Have them write exam questions that
• are at the application level (or higher) on
  Blooms taxonomy
• Have them make pictures/diagrams/maps
• Provide time for them to do metacognitive
• activities in class

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Rote Learning

• Involves verbatim memorization
• (which is easily forgotten)
• Cannot be manipulated or applied to novel
  situations
• (e.g. remembering phone numbers, dates, names,
  etc.)

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Meaningful Learning

• Learning that is tied and related to previous
  knowledge and integrated with previous learning
• Can be manipulated, applied to novel situations,
  and used in problem solving tasks
• (e.g. comparing and contrasting the Arrhenius
  and B-L definitions of acids and bases.)

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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.
Blooms Taxonomy
Evaluation
Graduate School
Making decisions and supporting views requires
understanding of values.
Combining information to form a unique product
requires creativity and originality.
Synthesis
Identifying components determining arrangement,
logic, and semantics.
Analysis
Undergraduate
Using information to solve problems transferring
abstract or theoretical ideas to practical
situations. Identifying connections and
relationships and how they apply.
Application
Restating in your own words paraphrasing,
summarizing, translating.
Comprehension
High School
Memorizing verbatim information. Being able to
remember, but not necessarily fully understanding
the material.
Knowledge
Louisiana State University ? Center for Academic
Success ? B-31 Coates Hall ? 225-578-2872 ?
www.cas.lsu.edu
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Example Blooms Levels of Learning Applied
to Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Courtesy of http//www.kyrene.k12.az.us/schools/br
isas/sunda/litpack/BloomsCriticalThinking_files/v3
_document.htm
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Faculty Must Help Students Learn How to Learn!

• Teach them the difference between learning
  (meaningful learning) and memorization (rote
  learning)
• Teach them specific learning strategies
• Implement pedagogical strategies that make them
  use the learning strategies

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The Study Cycle
Phase 1 Preview chapter(s) to be covered in
class before class. Phase 2 GO TO CLASS!
Listen actively, take notes, participate in
class. Phase 3 Review and process class notes
as soon after class as possible. Phase
4 Implement Intense Study Sessions. Repeat

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Intense Study Sessions

• 2-5 minutes Set Goals
• 20-50 minutes STUDY with FOCUS and
  ACTION (Read your text, create flash cards,
  create maps and/or outlines, work problems
  -without peeking at the answers, quiz
  yourself) Achieve your goal!
• 5 minutes Take a break

• 5 minutes Review what you have just
  studied
• Repeat

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How does background knowledge affect
comprehension?Read this passage and see!

• 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.
• What is the task?

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Washing Clothes Exercise

• Source Bransford, J.D. Johnson, M.K.
  Contextual Prerequisites for Understanding
  Some Investigations of Comprehension and Recall,
  Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior,
  27, 1972.

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Another Cognitive Science Concept Judgment of
Learning (JOL)

• The ability to
• Realistically evaluate what youve learned and
  what you havent learned
• Devise strategies to test your learning (e.g.
  write about the topic, give a lecture about the
  topic, etc.)
• Use strategies to deepen your learning

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Why Students Do Not Accurately Judge their
Learning

• They base their learning on whats in short term
  memory
• They dont test their learning
• Theyve never engaged in an activity that would
  show them that they are overestimating their
  learning

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The Role of Emotions in Learning

• Inadequate learning is correlated with negative
  emotions and vice versa
• Anxiety lessens the ability to learn
• Confidence in potential for success
• increases motivation
• Feelings of hopelessness/helplessness decrease
  motivation for learning
• Increased motivation leads to increased studying
  which leads to increased success which leads to
  increased motivation

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Ways to Create Positive Feelings and Reduce
Anxiety

• Introduce engaging, fun activity if possible Let
  students know that everyone can succeed
• Provide clear grading schemas and rubrics if
  possible
• Show the instructors human side
• Demonstrate an active interest in having every
  student succeed
• Emphasize the importance of effort, rather than
  prior preparation in performance
• Others?

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Our students can significantly increase their
learning!

• We must teach them the learning process and
  strategies
• We must use pedagogical strategies that motivate
  students to learn

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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.
• Hacker, D. J., Dunlosky, J., and Graesser, A.C.
  (1998). Metacognition in Educational Theory and
  Practice. Mahwah, NJ Erlbaum Associates
• Halpern, D.F and Hakel, M.D. (Eds.), 2002.
  Applying the Science of Learning to University
  Teaching and Beyond. New York, NY John Wiley and
  Sons, Inc.
• Kameenui and Carnine, 1998. Effective Teaching
  Strategies That Accommodate Diverse Learners.
  Upper Saddle River, NJ Merrill Publishing
• Zull, James (2004). The Art of Changing the
  Brain. Sterling, VA Stylus Publishing.