Teaching.IU

Context

Critical thinking is something we all desire our students to develop during their time with us. However, this can be difficult because of underdeveloped metacognition skills. Helping students develop metacognition skills through assessment of their own work can dramatically improve their performance not only in a particular class but with overall critical thinking skills.

Step-by-Step Implementation

1. Design Self-Assessment Tool (survey, Rubric, Reflection Questions for Journal) and include the following sections: 

• Purpose of the tool  
  • This activity will help you develop your study skills [insert more details} 
  • This activity will help you prepare more accurately for [insert more details]
  • This activity will help you evaluate how you prepared and performed [insert more details] 
• Reflection 
  • What did you do to prepare for this (exam, project, activity)?  
  • How much time did you spend preparing for this activity?  
  • Did you review alone or with someone else?  
  • How far ahead of the activity did you begin to prepare?
• Post Feedback Reflection (after reading instructor feedback on activity) 
  • Are there patterns to your mistakes? If yes, what are they?  
  • Where did you lose the most points on this activity?  
    • [insert various components here]
• Planning for Future Success (after reviewing their answers in section c) 
  • Was there a strategy that seemed to work best/worst for you? 
  • How will you change your study skills after seeing your feedback and reflecting on your processes?  

2. Provide the self-assessment to the students after they have completed an exam, assignment or project for the course 

• • You may want to withhold a grade until they complete the self-assessment 
  • You may want to allow students to correct things that they can after reflecting on their mistakes
  • You may want to give extra credit for the completion of the self-assessment

Effectiveness

Students often have an “aha!” moment when they are forced to review their preparation and performance. It allows them to feel more in control of the outcome by having the opportunity to learn how to do better next time. It puts the growth mindset into action by allowing them to make mistakes but learn from their mistakes and get credit through the process (if instructor adjusts grade).