Metacognition is simply described as thinking about thinking (Kearsley, 1994). It is more complexly defined as one's "knowledge of their own learning and cognitive processes and their consequent regulation of those processes to enhance learning and memory" (Ormrod, 1999, p.319). The better a person is at metacognitive skills the higher their learning and achievement will be. The following will describe and discuss skills and knowledge included in metacognition. The class text talks about six skills or knowledge that is involved. They are:
fÊ Being aware of what one's own learning and memory capabilities are and of what learning tasks can be accomplished
fÊ Knowing which learning strategies are effective and which are not
fÊ Planning an approach to a learning task that is likely to be successful
fÊ Using effective learning strategies
fÊ Monitoring one's present knowledge state
fÊ Knowing effective strategies for retrieval of previously stored information
Aware of Learning and Memory Capabilities
Someone can learn better when they are aware of their learning and memory capabilities and the tasks that can realistically be accomplished. They can realize that it is highly unlikely to learn everything in a 200 page reading assignment in one night (Ormrod, 1999, p.320). If they know that they can memorize definitions easily then they can focus less time on that then something they have difficulty with. A person, who is aware of their learning capabilities, may know that they learn better in a quiet setting. This person will then know that studying in the library will be more productive then studying in their dorm room.
Knowing Which Learning Strategies are Effective
It saves time when someone knows which learning strategies are effective and which are not. This will make studying more effective and less time consuming. Many college students highlight which is believed to not be an effective studying...