Learning to learn: Creating engineering classrooms for deep understanding

Metacognition involves an ability to reflect upon a learning episode, understand what strategies provoked learning, and gauge one´s current level of understanding. This paper details preliminary evidence regarding the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Metacognitive Learners course, a pre-engineering course structured to develop metacognitive strategies and habits through scaffolded collaborative group work, small and large group discussions about learning, and guided writing exercises designed to support learner reflection. Course curriculum addressed metacognition and metacognitive skill development in three explicit ways: a) team problem solving, b) student goal setting, and c) reflective writing about group process, project progress, and individual learning. Following this course, student survey data across all 4 sections suggests initial success in creating a learning environment that supports developing metacognition - students considered how they learned best, described their knowledge to others, and were asked to check their own understanding and progress throughout the course via dialogue and reflective writing.