PHILIPPINE STATE COLLEGE OF AERONAUTICS

Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Social Science Area

Learning Module 7: Managing and Caring for the Self

American developmental psychologist, John Flavell, is most commonly recognized for introducing the
term 'metacognition' as a result of his research in the 1970s which focused on children’s knowledge and
control of their memory processes.

Metacognitive practices increase students’ abilities to transfer or adapt their learning to new contexts and
tasks. They do this by gaining a level of awareness above the subject matter: they also think about the
tasks and contexts of different learning situations and themselves as learners in these different contexts.
Students who know about the different kinds of strategies for learning, thinking, and problem-solving will
be more likely to adequately use them.

Metacognition is commonly defined as “thinking about thinking,” it is the awareness of the scope and
limitation of your current knowledge and skills. It also includes one’s emotions and motivations while
learning in a check. The emotional state and the motivation of a person then should also be in the
preferred ideal state for that person to facilitate further his/er learning. It has two aspects:

a. Self- appraisal: your personal reflection on your knowledge and capabilities

b. Self-management of cognition: mental process you employ using what you have in planning and
adapting to successfully learn or accomplish a certain task.

However, it must be noted that to make self-appraisal and self-management work, you must have an
accurate self-assessment – you must be honest about what you know and capable of finding ways to utilize
your strengths and improve on your weaknesses.

Metacognition is made up of two elements, knowledge of cognition and regulation of cognition. The
knowledge of cognition element is made up of the learner’s awareness of their cognitive abilities whilst the
regulation of cognition refers to how learners monitor and respond to their cognitive processes.

Knowledge of Cognition

what you know about how you think. Under knowledge of cognition, several variables affect how you know
or assess yourself as a thinker:

a. Personal variable: your evaluation of your strengths and weakness in learning.

b. Task variable: what you know or what you think about the nature of the task, as well as strategies the
task requires
i i bl h i kill l d h i d li ih i k
 c. Strategies variable: what strategies or skills you already have in dealing with certain tasks.

Regulation of Cognition

How you adjust your thinking processes to help you learn better

According to Waterloos Student Success Office (n.d.), the following are the other skills that can help you in
exercising metacognition:

1.Knowing your limits

2.Modifying your approach

3.Skimming

4.Rehearsing

5.Self-test

You Could Make Metacognition Work

1.

1. It starts with the ability to assess the task at hand. Here, you should have a clear picture of what you need to accomplish.
2. In the second phase, evaluate your strengths and weaknesses.
3. Afterward, plan out your approach. Note that this does not have to be a detailed plan.
4. Then take action and apply the strategies and monitor your progress
5. The next phase, where you reflect on your learning and adjust your approach. Here, you might determine new strategies
that ultimately lead back to a re-assessment of the tasks

Challenges in Attaining Metacognition

According to a Pascarella and Terenzini study, one of the most significant challenges college students face
is managing their own learning. This is why metacognition is so important. When students have strong
metacognition skills, they are able to anticipate change and navigate complexity. But metacognition is not
as easy as it seems to be, this can be tricky if students have an inaccurate view of their skills. Often,
students who are highly skilled will suffer Imposter Syndrome, where they underestimate their skills
because they are painfully aware of what they don’t know. On the other hand, students with a lower skill
level might experience the Dunning Kruger Effect, where they overestimate their skills.
There might be a time that you have bump into one of these
Create a Learning Plan
 Plan it Out!

Some of you might probably have a plan on how you allocate your time for efficient studying. Other else might
also plan to but don’t know how.

In the process of Metacognition more than knowing the different strategies in learning, your environment while
learning does takes a great part in how you effectively learn especially now that you are learning at your own
pace.

In this little corner create your learning plan for the entire week and indicate the specific tasks you have to
accomplish, hours that you plan to spend on studying, and other personal touches on your learning plan. Lastly,
don’t forget to revisit your learning plan from time to time and remember to accomplish your tasks.

Happy Studying and Planning!

How do you learn best? This question should have been answered after this chapter. The term “learning
styles” speaks to the understanding that everyone learns differently

The VARK model was designed by Neil Fleming in 1987. In this model, Fleming developed a way to help
students learn more about their preferences. VARK learning styles are visual, auditory, read/write, and
kinesthetic sensory modalities that are used for learning information. Fleming introduced an inventory
that was designed to help students and others learn more about their individual learning preferences.

Visual Learners

Visual learners learn best by seeing. Graphic displays such as charts, diagrams, illustrations, handouts, and
videos are all helpful learning tools for visual learners. Visual learners prefer this type of learning would
rather see information presented in a visual rather than in written form.

Auditory Learners

Auditory learners learn best by hearing information. They tend to get a great deal out of lectures and are
good at remembering things they are told.
Reading and Writing Learners

Reading and writing learners prefer to take in information that is displayed as words and text.

Kinesthetic Learners

Kinesthetic (or tactile) learners learn best by touching and doing. Hands-on experience is important for
kinesthetic learners.

In order to identify which type of learner people are, Fleming developed a self-report inventory that
posed a series of situations. Respondents select the answers that best match their preferred approach to
learning. To know what type of learner you are, you can visit https://vark-learn.com/the-vark-
questionnaire/. And insert a screenshot of your result at page 8.

The VARK Questionnaire

VARK Questionnaire version 8.01

Francine Alexa B. Mercado

BSAvtour 1-1

Choose the answer which best explains your preference and click the box next to it. Please click more than one if a single
answer does not match your perception. Leave blank any question that does not apply.

Top of Form

I need to find the way to a shop that a friend has recommended. I would:

Ask my friend to tell me the directions.

Use a map.

✓ find out where the shop is in relation to somewhere I know.

write down the street directions I need to remember.

I want to learn to do something new on a computer. I would:

read the written instructions that came with the program.

talk with people who know about the program.

✓ start using it and learn by trial and error.

follow the diagrams in a book.

I want to save more money and to decide between a range of options. I would:

read a print brochure that describes the options in detail.

talk with an expert about the options.

✓ use graphs showing different options for different time periods.

consider examples of each option using my financial information.

When choosing a career or area of study, these are important for me:

Working with designs, maps or charts.

Communicating with others through discussion.

Using words well in written communications.

✓ Applying my knowledge in real situations.

A website has a video showing how to make a special graph or chart. There is a person speaking, some lists and
words describing what to do and some diagrams. I would learn most from:

seeing the diagrams.

✓ watching the actions.

reading the words.

listening.

I prefer a presenter or a teacher who uses:

diagrams, charts, maps or graphs.

✓ question and answer, talk, group discussion, or guest speakers.

demonstrations, models or practical sessions.

handouts, books, or readings.

I want to learn about a new project. I would ask for:

a written report describing the main features of the project.

examples where the project has been used successfully.

an opportunity to discuss the project.

✓ diagrams to show the project stages with charts of benefits and costs.

I want to learn how to take better photos. I would:

ask questions and talk about the camera and its features.

use diagrams showing the camera and what each part does.

use the written instructions about what to do.

✓ use examples of good and poor photos showing how to improve them.

I have a problem with my heart. I would prefer that the doctor:

✓ showed me a diagram of what was wrong.

described what was wrong.

used a plastic model to show me what was wrong.

gave me something to read to explain what was wrong.

I want to find out more about a tour that I am going on. I would:

use a map and see where the places are.

✓ look at details about the highlights and activities on the tour.

talk with the person who planned the tour or others who are going on the tour.

read about the tour on the itinerary.

When learning from the Internet I like:

✓ videos showing how to do or make things.

audio channels where I can listen to podcasts or interviews.

interesting written descriptions, lists and explanations.

interesting design and visual features.

I want to learn how to play a new board game or card game. I would:

✓ use the diagrams that explain the various stages, moves and strategies in the game.

watch others play the game before joining in.

read the instructions.

listen to somebody explaining it and ask questions.

I want to find out about a house or an apartment. Before visiting it I would want:

a printed description of the rooms and features.

to view a video of the property.

a plan showing the rooms and a map of the area.

✓ a discussion with the owner.

I want to assemble a wooden table that came in parts (kitset). I would learn best from:

diagrams showing each stage of the assembly.

advice from someone who has done it before.

✓ written instructions that came with the parts for the table.

watching a video of a person assembling a similar table.

When I am learning I:

✓ use examples and applications.

like to talk things through.

read books, articles and handouts.

see patterns in things.

I have finished a competition or test and I would like some feedback. I would like to have feedback:

✓ from somebody who talks it through with me.

using examples from what I have done.

using a written description of my results.

using graphs showing what I achieved.

The Dimension of Learning Styles by Dunn and Dunn

Since 1967, Dr. Rita and Kenneth Dunn have been compiling and scrutinizing educational literature and
research concerned with how people learn. They found an abundance of research, dating as far back as 80
years, that repeatedly verified the individual differences among how students each begin to concentrate
on, process, absorb, and retain new and difficult information. Through their work in schools, they observed
distinct differences in the ways students responded to instructional materials. Some liked to learn alone,
while others preferred learning in groups or from a teacher. Out of this preliminary work, they identified
five key dimensions on which student learning styles differed: 1) environmental, 2) emotional
support, 3) sociological composition, 4) physiological, and 5) psychological elements. The separate
elements within each dimension are found in table below

Environment Emotional Sociological Physiological Psychological

Motivational
Sound support Individual Perceptual Global
Light Persistence Pairs or Team Intake Analytical
Temperature Individual Adult Time Impulsive
Seating Design responsibility Varied Mobility Reflective
Structure
Direction: Try to answer these questions for you to identify how you could learn best, according to the
dimension of learning styles.

Environment

Do you prefer a noisy, busy, well lit, warm environment or a quiet, subdued, cooler environment? Should
the learning environment be formal (e.g. desks and chairs) or informal (e.g. pillows)?

Emotional

Do you need a lot of emotional support? Will you persist on learning tasks? Can you assume individual
responsibility? Do you need lots of structure?
Sociological

Do you learn best alone or working with someone? How much guidance from adults do you want or need?

Physiological

Are you an auditory, visual, read and write, or kinesthetic learner? Do the you like to snack while learning?
When is the optimal time for learning? Do you require freedom to move during learning?

Psychological

How do you attack problem, globally or analytically? Do you jump into problems or pause to reflect before
starting?

References

Cambridge Assessment International Education. Getting started with metacognition. Accessed August 24,
2020. https://cambridge-community.org.uk/professional-development/gswmeta/index.html

Chick, N. All CFT Teaching Guides: Metacognition. Vanderbilt University. Accessed August 24, 2020.
https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/metacognition/

Dunn, R. (2000). Learning styles: Theory, research, and practice. National Forum of Applied Educational
Research Journal, 13 (1), 3-22.

VARK, A Guide to Learning Styles. http://www.vark-learn.com Springfield, MO

Self-report Inventory. https://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/

METACOGNITION
“Too often, we teach students what to think but not how to think.”-OECD Insights (2014)
1. RememberThat this cycle can happen rapidly or over a longer stretch of time and it doesn’t always follow the
sequence systematically.

Answer This QuestionsAfter having a prior knowledge about Metacognition what can
you say about the different studying tips presented in these Infographs?Are the contents from
these Infographs applicable to everyone? Why or Why not?

Learning Activity
Insert your Learning Plan

LEARNING STYLES
To know what type of learner you are:CLICK

To know what type of learner you are

Insert a Screenshot of your Result

Learning Activity
Honesty ClauseIntellectual development requires honesty, responsibility, and doing your own work. In
this part of the learning module you hereby swear that all of the output you have submitted are from
your own and any part thereof which is discovered to have been copied/plagiarized will constitute
academic misconduct and you will be sanctioned according to the revised student handbook.E-signature
over Printed Name