The ability of students to monitor their own learning and adapt their study strategies along the way are skills which are key to long-term persistence. The example outlined here is provided by Eric Gaze, the Director of the Quantitative Reasoning Program at Bowdoin College, and also a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics. It is an activity that can be used in all classes, but seems most useful for introductory classes and especially those in a student’s first semester of college.
Gaze works to dispel common myths about how learning works with his students and to discuss optimal study strategies. How Learning Works (Lovett et al., 2023) outlines three keys to learning, which Gaze shares with his students:
- Prior Knowledge
- Students must build on their correct prior knowledge and, just as important, root out pernicious misconceptions.
- Cognitive Framework
- Thinking is not based on memorization or computation; it is about making connections and building a robust cognitive framework.
- Metacognition
- Monitoring your understanding is crucial to developing deep durable understanding.
Along with providing students with evidence of how metacognition improves learning outcomes, Gaze shares an anecdote from the book Great by Choice (Collins & Hansen, 2011), describing the race to reach the South Pole between two groups of explorers. Roald Amundsen and his team reached the South Pole first on December 14, 1911, beating Robert Scott’s team, by following a disciplined plan. Amundsen’s team would diligently travel 20 miles a day, every day, while Scott and his group would travel in bursts, making the most of good weather and hunkering down in bad weather. Gaze describes the two groups of explorers and asks students to guess who got to the South Pole first. Only after student groups guess does Gaze reveal that not only did Amundsen arrive first, but Scott’s team didn’t survive the journey out.
Having a disciplined plan to survive the semester is just as important for our students as explorers having a disciplined plan for surviving a harrowing adventure. To support students in creating their plan, Gaze shares the study cycle for maximizing learning for deep lasting understanding. Students should preview material before each class, refreshing what has been discussed and how it connects to prior knowledge. Then in class students should actively participate, raising any questions that came up in the preview stage. After class students should at some point that day review what was discussed in class, again making connections and raising any questions for clarification in office hours. In addition to this regimen, students will ideally utilize intense study sessions that are 3-4 regular one-hour periods during the week where they engage with homework and readings. In these sessions, students should set a goal, turn off all social media, study with focus for 30-50 minutes, take a 5-minute break (check their phones!) then review what was accomplished towards their goal.
Digital Resources
LMS/ Course management software
Eric Gaze reinforces metacognitive strategies by asking students to keep a weekly metacognitive review journal online in the course LMS. Students are asked to outline the past week of in-class content and what questions they might have. These prompts encourage students to monitor their understanding and not let little misunderstandings turn into huge problems. In addition, students are asked to keep a log of their studying habits. Are they doing preview and review on class days? Are they using regular intense study sessions?
These online journals and logs hold students accountable for their learning and provide a visible record of learning progress and areas for improvement.
Digital Enablement
Some faculty will implement review practices with a brief reflection on note cards at the end of class. Having students use online tools creates a permanent record of their habits, allows for students to track progress over time, and serves as a somewhat more private recording space. Knowing that the instructor will be reviewing the journals and logs helps to hold students accountable for their actions and study strategies, even if points are only given for completion.
Online journals and logs are relatively easy to implement and can be done less frequently than weekly as fits the class dynamic. Offering some homework credit for the journals and logs can go a long way in getting students to take it more seriously and honestly. Intentionally having students monitor their understanding creates a level playing field between students with different levels of social capital. Students from under-resourced backgrounds may be hesitant to ask for help or go to office hours; metacognitive journals can highlight areas of confusion and encourage use of resources to address gaps in knowledge. An instructor reading a student’s online reflections and study logs can proactively reach out and invite students in for help.