Metacognition
In this section, you will identify your existing knowledge, skills, and values and decide on some strategies for your learning or work toward your SMART goals. This is an important and ongoing phase in the learning process, known as metacognition.
Metacognition is the process of identifying what you already know/can do, what you don’t know, then strategizing for your learning.
In this first step in the process, we ask you to consider your current abilities with respect to the module’s intended learning outcomes and your degree. Be honest with yourself, as these ratings will help you decide what to strategically work on or not.
Learning activity: Rate your current ability on the course’s learning outcomes
Instructions: For the learning outcomes of this course, rate your current ability on a scale of 0 to 10. 0 = don’t know/cannot do; 10 = expert-level proficiency or knowledge.
- Set SMART goals
- Develop a community and networking skills, including with people with different backgrounds, cultures, and or/ with different lived experiences.
- Use metacognition skills to assess your effectiveness/ability in each of the areas/modules, including progress toward goals.
- Develop mentorship relationships that are equitable, ethical, and sustainable, using evidence-based strategies.
- Prepare for and constructively engage in difficult conversations.
- Demonstrate academic resilience skills, including areas for future learning.
How do you know what you know?
Description: Each time you assess your abilities, also assess how you came to each decision. Did you use intuition? Self-test? Explain a your decision to someone else? Other? In general, the more sophisticated your approach, the more confidence you can have in your rating (intuition is the least reliable).
Instructions: Take a few moments with each learning outcome to explain what you know about each one, and how you know it.
- Set SMART goals.
- Develop a community and networking skills, including with people with different backgrounds, cultures, and or/ with different lived experiences.
- Use metacognition skills to assess your effectiveness/ability in each of the areas/modules, including progress toward goals.
- Develop mentorship relationships that are equitable, ethical, and sustainable, using evidence-based strategies.
- Prepare for and constructively engage in difficult conversations.
- Demonstrate academic resilience skills, including areas for future learning.
Go to your Workbook and write your thoughts.
Strategize for your learning
The next steps in metacognition involve using your ratings to strategize how to reach your goals. The strategies will involve time management, seeking help using other supports, and more. Each of the modules address different aspects of strategies you can use. You can decide which of the modules you would like to work on first. Note: If you are working on the modules within a formal course, there may be a set order.
You can use your self-assessment results from above along with your values, interests and goals to decide what to do next. Maybe you want to work on the module that you know least about. Or maybe you want to build confidence and expertise in an area that’s more familiar. It’s up to you.