Description: Think about the last time you went into an exam feeling like you had the material down tight and were going to do well on the exam. How did you actually do on that exam? If you did not do as well as you thought you were going to do going in what did you attribute the difference to? What did you do about it? With your answers to these questions in mind read the article linked below that describes research looking at how you SHOULD have answered these questions and how you Can do better on exams by paying attention to the suggestions in the article about managing your metacognitive processes.
Source: Metacognition training boosts gen chem exam scores, University of Utah.
Date: October 20, 2017
Links: Article Link — https://unews.utah.edu/metacognition-chemistry/
Metacognition is the general label for all the control processes in our brains; for all of the things we do or change in response to feedback and how we monitor our performance but also our preparation for important events like exams. It is really worth spending some time reflecting on if and if so how the results of this study apply to you, to your exam preparation, and, most importantly, to your metacognitive reflections upon your exam preparations. The biggest improvment reported in the study was for students scoring in the bottom 25% of the class. If THAT is not an incentive to try these things on for size I don’t know what is!
Questions for Discussion:
- What is metacognition?
- How is metacognition involved in exam preparation and on exam performance prediction and review?
- What practical steps can you start taking using, and developing, your metacognitive skills to benefit your exam performance?
References (Read Further):
Casselman, B. L., & Atwood, C. H. (2017). Improving General Chemistry Course Performance through Online Homework-Based Metacognitive Training. Journal of Chemical Education.
Miller, T. M., & Geraci, L. (2011). Training metacognition in the classroom: the influence of incentives and feedback on exam predictions. Metacognition and Learning, 6(3), 303-314. http://agingandcognition.tamu.edu/files/2012/01/Miller-Geraci-2011-training-metacog.pdf
Keith, N., & Frese, M. (2005). Self-regulation in error management training: emotion control and metacognition as mediators of performance effects. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(4), 677. http://www.academia.edu/download/42832322/Self-Regulation_in_Error_Management_Trai20160219-26877-1fwpq9z.pdf
Coskun, A. (2010). The Effect of Metacognitive Strategy Training on the Listening Performance of Beginner Students. Online Submission, 4(1), 35-50. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED509339.pdf
