The Three Steps of Metacognition

Metacognition is defined as the process of how you think about the tasks you are completing. There are three steps to be successful in metacognition: self-monitoring, evaluating if the strategy you designed to complete the task is effective or ineffective, and thinking about how you can modify the strategy you used to finish incomplete tasks. Metacognition is important to understand and practice because it ensures you use your time efficiently. I use metacognition when studying for tests so I can make sure I know which study methods helped me remember the information the most quickly. I found that I study best by going over the answers without looking at them, checking them, and then repeating this process. I use it to know which strategies work best for my learning style. Thinking through the correct metacognition strategy will greatly help you to succeed in school because you will know the steps to ensure you successfully complete the tasks on time and provide yourself with sufficient time to complete the tasks effectively. 

Self-Monitoring 

Self-monitoring is planning how you will think through the task you need to complete. To contemplate how to complete the task, you should write down the strategy using either bullet points or a numbered list. There are many tangible tools you can use to write down these steps with, such as a notebook, whiteboard, or your notes app. Set reminders on your phone that remind you to think through these steps. Another strategy is to highlight the steps and write them in a planner. 

Make Sure Your Metacognition Strategies Are Effective 

Evaluation of Your Metacognition Strategy 

To evaluate your effectiveness, you should ask yourself if you accomplished all of your goals. So, if you completed the two pages on whatever day you designated, there are no changes you need to make. However, if you did not accomplish completing the two pages, you need to reflect on the strategy you did to complete your homework and how you can modify it. For example, if your strategy was to write in your planner to complete your homework and you followed through on this strategy, however, skipped multiple math problems, you should add to your planner a solution to keep track of completing all of your problems. A good solution would be to put a star next to every problem you complete and when you have completed the last problem, check each question to make sure they are fully answered. A good strategy to evaluate yourself would be to write down what you did throughout the week from the time you woke up to the time you went to bed, and consider if there were any times of the day you were unproductive. You should set a timer for 25 minutes to do your homework, then take a break for 15 minutes, and repeat this process until you complete the two pages of homework. 

You need to have an effective strategy to complete tasks. For example, if you can have a strategy to complete two pages of homework, then you ought to monitor if your strategy is ineffective or effective. Try creating a visual schedule with a column to the left, titled, “Completed My Goals Today,” and a column to the right, titled with, “Did Not Complete My Goals Today.” Also, the days of the week should be written on the sides of the columns. You should use a symbol such as a star to represent that you completed the task, and another symbol such as a dot to represent that you didn’t complete the task. At the end of each day, if you completed the task, you should draw the star and if you did not complete the task, you should draw the dot, in the column in the box for the designated day on the schedule. You should choose the strategy easiest for you to help you complete tasks.

The next time you are doing your homework or studying, you should consider trying metacognitive strategies to know which strategies work best for you!

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