Engaging learners in meaningful Metacognitive Reflection in Online Learning Environments

Concurrent Session 4

Brief Abstract

Metacognitive reflection has a powerful impact on enhancing learning. However, there is insufficient guidance on teaching strategies that will promote metacognitive reflection in virtual learning environments. We designed a collaborative metacognitive reflective assignment based on Kolb’s experiential learning cycle. This approach can be implemented from K-12 through higher education.

 

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Anita Samuel, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USU)

Anita Samuel, Ph.D., is currently Assistant Professor in the Health Professions Education program at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland. She received her doctorate in Adult and Continuing Education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she now teaches courses on distance learning, instructional technology, and organizational change. She has also worked, for more than a decade, in Malaysia serving an international student population. Her current research interests include faculty experiences in online learning, faculty development, online education in health professions, and instructional design.

Additional Authors

Extended Abstract

Metacognitive reflection is an essential part of life-long learning enabling adult learners to become aware of their limitations, lack of understanding, and partial absences that exist even as they strive to make meaning (Dewey, 1933; Imel, 2002). Effective reflective practice highlights embedded assumptions, but it also requires critically challenging  established (possibly tacit) beliefs. The education literature has demonstrated the powerful impact of metacognitive reflection on enhancing the quality of learning (Manasia & Pârvan, 2014). Unfortunately, there is insufficient guidance on teaching strategies that will stimulate metacognitive reflection. And teaching metacognitive reflection is further complicated in virtual learning environments. 

Research supports that the unique connectivity properties of online learning are bolstered by the integration of metacognition and reflection (Garrison, 2003; Lehmann, Hähnlein, & Ifenthaler, 2014). However, challenges remain in designing activities (e.g. prompts) that go beyond information dissemination. To promote deeper construction of meaning and ultimately, achieving a shift in perspective (Garrison, 2003; Lehmann et al., 2014), we developed a collaborative metacognitive reflective assignment as one activity within a nine-week long graduate level online course.

The metacognitive reflective assignment is based on Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning cycle which comprises: concrete experience (CE), reflective observation (RO), abstract conceptualization (AC), and active experimentation (AE). In this interactive session, we will begin by leading participants through the metacognitive reflective exercise. 

Participants will move through the four stages of guided reflection by engaging in the following exercise:

Concrete Experience:  Please describe a scenario in which you had or observed a clinical or teaching or learning encounter that proved to be challenging or difficult.

  Reflective Observation: Next, you should make an intentional effort to reflect on the experience from multiple perspectives. The perspectives that come to your mind first are yours (personal) and will only form the first part of your RO. Think about the other ways that you may make sense of the experience. How would other players in this scenario make sense of it?  Ideally, the multiple perspectives should challenge your personal views. 

Theory conceptualization: Subsequently, you should begin to theorize or conceptualize the reflective observations and experiences using readings and concepts (connect your experiences in the previous steps with pertinent theories).

Active Experimentation: Finally, this is your opportunity to suggest what you would do differently based on your new learning generated. In other words, you should not only describe and reflect on the experiences, but must also consider experimenting with new learning and action plans. You should be specific and concrete in what you propose to do. Think of this question: If I were to face a similar scenario what would I do differently with respect to the themes that emerged here?

 Learners complete this assignment in an online discussion forum. This creates a collaborative learning environment where peers can then comment on and provide other points of view. 

For adult learners, this assignment provides space for them to deeply reflect on an incident. The assignment is especially meaningful to learners because it engages them in reflections on situations that are meaningful and relevant to them. Further, this assignment moves learners beyond content knowledge to a space of  metacognitive reflection. The prompts and framing it on Kolb’s cycle provides learners with the tools they need to engage in meaningful reflection on their own. This assignment models a best practice for metacognitive reflection. 

Learners engaged deeply with this assignment and thoughtfully questioned their personal actions and explored alternatives. It is often challenging for learners to translate theory into practice. In this assignment, they had to bring a theoretical lens to analyze the scenario and faculty and peer feedback helped to clarify lingering questions. 

The uniqueness of this approach lies in expanding this assignment beyond the scope of one course. This strategy can be implemented in a variety of teaching environments including K-12 and higher education environments. Engaging in metacognitive reflection online affords learners time to reflect on the event without feeling external time pressures. While most reflective assignments are conducted as individual activities usually shared between the learner and instructor, the collaborative nature of this assignment allows learners to learn from each other. 

This is a simple, flexible activity that all instructors, irrespective of the subject, can include in their courses. There is no additional investment to put this assignment into practice but, the impact is high, and the potential is unlimited.

 

The key takeaways from this session are that participants will be able to:

  • Identify challenges with engaging learners in metacognitive reflection online

  • Participate in a metacognitive reflective exercise

  • Understand one guided process of metacognitive reflection

  • Design a metacognitive reflective exercise for their context

Session Format:

This interactive session will be structured as follows:

10 mins - Participant ‘Getting to Know You’. Open discussion time on challenges engaging learners in meaningful reflection in online learning.

10 mins - Participants will engage in a reflective exercise guided by the presenters. 

10 mins - Pair share and reporting out

10 min interaction - Discussion on how participants can implement this in their contexts and challenges they might face

5 mins - Wrap up

 

 

                                                                              References 

Dewey, John. How we think. DigiCat, 2022.

Garrison, D. R. (2003). Cognitive presence for effective asynchronous online learning: The role ofreflective inquiry, self-direction and metacognition. Elements of quality online education: Practice anddirection, 4(1), 47-58.

Imel, S. (2002). Metacognitive Skills for Adult Learning. Trends and Issues Alert.

Lehmann, T., Hähnlein, I., & Ifenthaler, D. (2014). Cognitive, metacognitive and motivational perspectives on preflection in self-regulated online learning. Computers in human behavior, 32, 313-323.

Manasia, L., & Pârvan, A. (2014). Challenging adult learning and work experience through metacognitive reflection. A case study approach. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 142, 447-453.