Help Students Reflect on their Work

Metacognition 鈥撀爐hinking about thinking 鈥撀爃as been widely studied as a vehicle for increased student engagement in the learning process. Students that are aware of their strengths and weaknesses as learners, writers, readers, test-takers, and group members will be more likely to actively monitor their learning strategies and determine their readiness for particular tasks. Activities that support metacognition reflect on two critical areas: a student鈥檚 understanding of their own learning processes and a student鈥檚 sense of purpose and belonging. Key elements of metacognition include asking open-ended questions, being curious about one鈥檚 experience, and seeing the self as not just the subject, but as the object of study. In the context of what Baxter Magolda and others call 鈥渟elf authorship," a lifelong process that resonates strongly during the college years,聽metacognition is absolutely essential to student and human development.聽

Metacognition may also play a pivotal role in developing a more equitable campus. Dr. Sandra McGuire visited the CU campus as part of the Office of Diversity Equity and Community Engagement鈥檚 inclusive excellence project, and ran workshops on metacognition as a learning process and how it can impact motivation. If students sense that faculty are interested in their process and invested in their growth throughout the semester, they are more likely to visit office hours and continue developing that relationship.

Metacognitive reflections embedded in course activities allow students to evaluate their learning immediately following the activities themselves. Feedback from student reflections also gives instructors the opportunity to revise activities to optimize the instructions and provide prompts to guide students at points where misunderstanding is common. It鈥檚 inquiry-based learning at its most personal.聽

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