During the duration of this course we have discussed about several topics related to learning, technologies and the ways these can helps us achieve a more efficient, durable and palpable learning. However, while talking about these components of education we have also been talking about something else without knowing it, and that thing is metacognition.

If we speak about cognition, we speak about a very simple think: information. It can come in the shape of science, math or English, or words, pictures or sound, but it’s still only information. You can write it, listen or just think about it. But something very different happens when we think about the way we think information- when we think of the nature of it. When we consider and ponder why we write it or listen to it, how should we represent it or when we discuss the meaning of it, we are actually discussing metacognition. This is, thinking about thinking.

This is itself very interesting, but it is also extremely useful for students, especially when we discuss it in the form of self-regulated learning. There are many kinds of learning, depending if we are speaking of university or high school students, esl or science students- however, they can all achieve a self-regulated learning. This basically means three things:

1. Thinking about the information you are going to learn. You might want to consider the difficult, the media you are going to use, the length, if it’s available to you, when and where are you going to do it. It means planning ahead and using multiple strategies to try to achieve an optimal learning.
2. Then, at the moment of learning, it means using all the resources and strategies you planned, just as you planned them, and monitor the result. Try to follow the plan as much as possible, and think about what’s happening- this will help for the next step.
3. As you finish your learning and remember the information you now know, you also will consider on the effects the plan you took. Was it helpful? Was it as you imagined? What are the differences between of what I thought I was doing, what I was actually doing and what I was asked to do? And finally: what can I do to get better? The student will ponder about his errors and mistakes, and about his or her achievements too, and this way, he will discover what’s best for him and what he can do to get better.

Eventually, self-regulated learning will help the student beyond of what a school, a teacher or a text book can help him. This is way this ought to be recommended as soon as possible, for it is a very healthy habit that becomes useful in upper education. This way, metacognition leads us to a better and more efficient education.

Sources:

https://lincs.ed.gov/sites/default/files/3_TEAL_Self%20Reg%20Learning.pdf

https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/what-it-means-to-be-a-self-regulated-learner/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5408091/

https://serc.carleton.edu/sage2yc/self_regulated/what.html