Strategies for Teaching Metacognition

Participants at the 2008 workshop, The Role of Metacognition in Teaching Geoscience, collaborated to form strategies for instruction that supports students' metacognitive habits of mind. While these strategies focus on the geosciences, they may be applicable to other disciplines as well.

Strategies for different groups of students

• A scholarly approach to critical reading of geoscience literature
• Early Warning
• Using students' prior knowledge/experience as a foundation for a specific activity
• Clinical Interviews to Promote Metacognition
• Finding meaning in the introductory science course
• Interactive metacognitive learning wrapper
• A Gateway Metacognitive Tactic for "Busy" Faculty

Strategies that are specific to an assignment or activity

• Use of Metacognitive wrappers for field experiences
• Knowledge Surveys
• Reflective Writing to Construct Meaning
• Think Aloud Pair Problem Solving for Geoscience Faculty Development
• Using a PBL (Problem Based Learning) Approach to Help Students Learn How Experts Solve Problems
• Metacognitive Learning Strategies in All Classes
• A tactic to actively promote metacognitive skills as learning strategies in classroom activities using LectureTools
• Air Quality Measurements and Potential Health Effects

See more teaching ideas from a discussion at the workshop.