When someone is able to articulate what helped them succeed in a class or how they know they understand a specific concept, they are practicing metacognition, or thinking about their own thinking and cognitive processes (Lovett, 2008). Researchers Aykol and Garrison have studied metacognition in online learning settings, and have concluded that metacognition is an important skill in learning, and especially in settings that are highly self-directed, such as online learning environments. According to Aykol and Garrison, “metacognition must go beyond simply thinking about thinking and awareness. Inquiry-based metacognition must include self-corrective strategies which make it an essential element of critical thinking and higher learning” (2011). Tanner purports that directly teaching metacognitive practices in the classroom can improve student learning outcomes (2012) and give students a better understanding of what they are learning and how they are learning new information (Brownlee, Purdie, & Boulton-Lewis, 2001). According to multiple studies on metacognition, metacognitive practices increase students’ ability to transfer knowledge to new contexts (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, p. 12; Palincsar & Brown, 1984; Scardamalia et al., 1984; Schoenfeld, 1983, 1985, 1991).

Based on what is known about metacognition and learning, it is reasonable to suggest that faculty incorporate metacognitive practices into their teaching. In fact, in a 2018 talk on metacognition presented at Penn State, Dr. Saundra McGuire cites several case studies of individual students who, after receiving instruction about metacognitive practices, improved their academic performance in her classes by entire letter grades. But how do we incorporate metacognitive practices into course content? How do we promote metacognition in our teaching? 

Promoting Metacognition

Metacognition is not a prescriptive strategy that works the same way in all disciplines. Rather, metacognition is most effective at helping students learn when it is designed to fit a specific course, topic, or activity, because students are better able to identify when to use a metacognitive strategy in the future. Put another way, metacognitive practices should reflect the specific learning context of a course or discipline for maximum benefit (Zohar & David, 2009). 

That said, the rest of this page strives to provide templates or outlines for metacognitive strategies that are designed to be iterated on to fit the specific needs of a course and the tools available.