Implementing metacognitive writing in a large enrollment gateway chemistry class
Article
Swamy, U, Bartman, J. (2019). Implementing metacognitive writing in a large enrollment gateway chemistry class
. ACS SYMPOSIUM SERIES, 1330 49-67. 10.1021/bk-2019-1330.ch003
Swamy, U, Bartman, J. (2019). Implementing metacognitive writing in a large enrollment gateway chemistry class
. ACS SYMPOSIUM SERIES, 1330 49-67. 10.1021/bk-2019-1330.ch003
Multiple choice exams are an essential part of testing in high enrollment gateway General Chemistry courses. Student performance on these exams has a considerable impact on student engagement, morale, motivation, persistence and even on progress to graduation. A majority of freshmen (and sophomores) are unprepared or underprepared for college and are especially lacking effective study strategies, ability to self-regulate and efficient test taking skills. The need to create self-regulated learners resonates beyond chemistry and is relevant across disciplines because students are more likely to succeed if they can assess their preparation and monitor their learning, evaluate their exam performances and make the requisite adjustments on their own without instructor input. While a majority of the students check their exam grade (and which questions they got right or wrong), only a few examine their performance closely trying to learn from their mistakes. Even then they focus on content skills and not soft skills like study habits, test taking etc. Many faculty use exam wrappers to encourage students to reflect on their exam performance after the exam. In this report, students are also introduced to metacognitive strategies during the semester. They reflect on their learning and study strategies at various points in the semester. These instructor-designed prompts ask students to discuss how they are preparing for an exam and what score they expect, in addition to evaluating and dissecting their exam performance.
