Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 6
Metacognitive Control of Learning
and Remembering
Jason R. Finley, Jonathan G. Tullis, and Aaron S. Benjamin
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
Introduction
The study of learning and memory has a long and veritable history in psycholog-
ical research. One recent and important development is the growth of research in
metamemory
—the study of what people understand about their memory and how
they use that knowledge to direct their own learning experiences in service of their
goals. Metamemory research has been guided in part by the framework proposed by
Nelson and Narens (1994), which differentiates between
metacognitive monitoring
of one's states of learning and
metacognitive control
over the processes by which
one achieves desired levels of skill and memory. These processes are guided by
learners' knowledge and beliefs about how memory works, about what aspects of
performance are reliable indicators of durable learning, and about what actions are
effective for advancing learning (cf. Dunlosky & Hertzog, 2000; Hertzog, Dunlosky,
& Robinson, 2007).
This chapter will discuss the role of metacognition in the learning of simple
verbal materials, with a particular emphasis on metacognitive control. Learners
can regulate their study experience to enhance learning in a myriad of ways
(cf. Benjamin, 2008; Dunlosky, Serra, & Baker, 2007; Serra & Metcalfe, 2009).
Here we consider forms of control that have been studied in simple laboratory
tasks and that generalize in a straightforward way to options available to students
studying for tests: self-pacing study effectively, devising efficient study schedules,
judiciously selecting items for study and re-study, strategically making use of self-
testing strategies, accommodating study to anticipated test conditions, and using
successful retrieval strategies. We will review research that reveals how learners use
these strategies in simple laboratory tasks and that suggests how such metacognitive
skills can be improved through instruction or experience. We will end by addressing
the supportive role that information technology can play in the processes by which
metacognition influences learning and memory.