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Module 3 – LEARNING TO BE A BETTER STUDENT

MODULE 3
LEARNING TO BE A BETTER STUDENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

In this lesson, you will be able to:

1. examine personal learning experience;
2. evaluate the different metacognitive techniques and study strategies;
3. assess the metacognitive techniques that is most applicable for you; and

PRE-ASSESSMENT

Multiple Choice
Instruction: Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. It is the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes through experience.

A. knowledge
B. learning
C. Cognitive
D. Mind

2. It is a process in which the brain is able to change throughout one’s life.

A. Neuroplasticity
B. Neurotransmitters
C. Metacognitive regulation
D. Metacognition

4. Which of the following statement below is NOT true about “learning”?

A. Learning helps an individual to adapt to the constantly changing environment
B. Learning starts only at birth and will not continue throughout life
C. Learning is a constant process that can result from direct and indirect experiences
D. Learning is important to the survival of human beings because it enables them to discover new
knowledge, technology, and interventions.

5. It is the basic building blocks of the nervous system that transmit impulses or messages.
a. brain
b. neurons
c. frontal lobe
d. cerebral cortex

6. Cognitive is relating to, or involving conscious mental activities such as: 1. Thinking; 2.
Understanding 3. Learning 4. Procrastinating 5. remembering)

a. 5, 4, 3 & 1
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Module 3 – LEARNING TO BE A BETTER STUDENT
b. 1,5, 3 & 2
c. 1,2,3,4 & 5
d. 2, 3 & 5

7. It is the awareness of one’s thinking and the strategies one uses to learn.
a. cognitive
b. metacognition
c. learning
d. brain

8. Which of the following is not included in the three essential components of self-regulated learning
(SLR):

a. Planning
b. Problem Solving
c. Self-evaluation
d. learning

9. Wrinkled part of the brain where the process of neuroplasticity, or changes in the structure and
functions of the neurons in the brain happens.

a. brain
b. neurons
c. frontal lobe
d. cerebral cortex

10. Refers to how an individual monitors and controls his or her cognitive processes.
a. Metacognitive regulation
b. metacognitive knowledge
c. neurotransmitters
d. metacognition
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Module 3 – LEARNING TO BE A BETTER STUDENT
MODULE MAP

Learning to be a Better Student

Learning process happens in

the brain (cerebral cortex)

Neuroplasticity

Self-Regulated Learning
Metacognition (SLR)

• Planning
• Problem Solving
• Self-evaluation

The lesson map presents how to be a better student. As such, learning process happens in the brain
specifically in the Cerebral Cortex which is a wrinkled part of the brain where the process of
neuroplasticity, or changes in the structure and functions of the neurons in the brain happens.
Throughout this process, students develop their metacognition knowledge and become Self-
Regulated learner through planning, problem-solving and self-evaluation.
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Module 3 – LEARNING TO BE A BETTER STUDENT

CORE CONTENT

ENGAGE METACOGNITIVE AWARENESS INVENTORY (MAI)

Instruction: The Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) is a common assessment used to

measure metacognition. This is a Revised MAI likert-type rating scale ranging from “I never do
this” to “I do this always”. Place a check mark in the column across from each value that best
represents you.

EXPLORE LEARNING TO BE A BETTER STUDENT

According to neuroscientists, learning new knowledge and skills everyday keeps the
structures of the brain changing and increases its ability to learn.

Learning- is the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes through experience. It is a

transformational process that leads to personal growth and development.
➢ Helps an individual to adapt to the constantly changing environment
➢ Starts at birth and continues throughout life
➢ Constant process that can result from direct and indirect experiences
➢ Important to the survival of human beings because it enables them to discover new
knowledge, technology, and interventions.

What Happens to the Brain During Learning?

Neurons- are the

basic building
blocks of the
nervous
system that
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Module 3 – LEARNING TO BE A BETTER STUDENT

transmit
impulses or
messages.

Neurotransmitters- are the electrochemicals that connect and allow the transmission of
impulses from one neuron to another.
➢ Several neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, glutamate, dopamine, and
norepinephrine are associated with memory and learning.

Neuroplasticity- a process in which the brain is able to change throughout one’s life.
➢ It involves the addition of new neuron, new interconnections between neurons, and the
reorganization of information processing areas.

Cerebral Cortex- wrinkled part of the brain where the process of neuroplasticity, or changes in
the structure and functions of the neurons in the brain happens.

➢ Full of neurons and is responsible for the most sophisticated information processing in
the brain
➢ Plays a key role in human learning, thought, memory, and language (Rathus, 2017).

Although the brain continues to grow and develop throughout one’s life the overall number of
neurons and synapses declines with age.
Dr. Michael Merzenich, a leader in the field of neuroplasticity research, suggests that learning
new knowledge and skills everyday keeps the structures of the brain in constant change
which increases its ability to learn.

Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning

Cognitive- relating to, or involving conscious mental activities (such as thinking, understanding,
learning, and remembering)
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Module 3 – LEARNING TO BE A BETTER STUDENT

Metacognition- the awareness of one’s thinking and the strategies one uses to learn.
Metacognitive Knowledge- includes knowledge of one’s own cognitive abilities,
knowledge of cognitive tasks, and knowledge of the strategies to complete the cognitive tasks.
Metacognitive regulation- refers to how an individual monitors and controls his or her cognitive
processes.
Self-regulated Learning (SLR)- the process in which students systematically direct their
thoughts, feelings, and actions toward the attainment of their academic goals.
The three essential components of self-regulated learning (SLR):

a. Planning- increases efficiency, control, and motivation

b. Problem Solving- allows students to learn to think and look for solutions when faced with
hardships.
c. Self-evaluation- increases self-awareness that leads to the better understanding of one’s own
emotions, strengths, and weaknesses.

Ways That Can Help You In Exercising Metacognition

1. Knowing your limits. One cannot really make any significant advancement in using
metacognitive skills without having not known. Knowing your limits also looks the scope and
limitations of your resources so that you can work with what you have at the moment and
look for ways to cope with other necessities.
2. Modifying your approach. It begins recognition that your strategy is with appropriate
with the task and/or that you do not comprehend the learning experience successfully.
Recognizing, for example, that you are not understanding what you are reading, you should
learn to modify your strategy in comprehending your material.
3. Skimming. This is basically browsing over a material and keeping an eye on keywords,
phrases, or sentences. It is also about knowing where to search for such key terms. For
example you might want to look at the Introduction first or the abstract. The Table of
Contents of the book can also provide you with a quick guide to the contents of the book.
4. Rehearsing. This is not just about repeatedly talking, writing, and/ or doing what you have
learned, but also trying to make a personal interpretation or summary of the learning
experience. One of the fun ways to do this is by imagining yourself being interviewed about
your task.
5. Self-Test. As the name implies, this is trying to test your comprehension of your learning
experience or the skills you have acquired during learning. While some materials already
come with tests. Self-test does not only focus on what you have learned but also on how you
learned it.
Other strategies that you need to develop include asking questions about your
method, self-reflection, finding a mentor or support group if necessary, thinking out
loud (though you have to be considerate of others also when doing this), and
welcoming errors as learning experience.
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Module 3 – LEARNING TO BE A BETTER STUDENT

Tips You Can Use in Studying

1. Make an outline of the things you want to learn, the things you are reading or doing and/or
the things you remember.
2. Break down the task in smaller and more manageable details.

3. Integrate variation in your schedule and learning experience. Change reading material
every or and do not put similar topics together.
4. Try to improve your ideas. First, write your draft without doing much editing. Let the ideas
flow. Then leave your draft at least overnight or around 24 hours—some even do not look at it
for a week—and do something else.
5. Revise, summarize, and take down notes, then reread them to help you minimize
cramming in the last minute, especially when you have a weakness memorizing facts and data.
Some people are motivated when the deadline is very close—tomorrow for instance—and they
just review the day before some evaluation or exercise.
Engage what you have learned. Do something about it. On a reading material for example,
highlight keywords and phrases, write your opinions about the matter on a separate notebook,
or create a diagram or concept map.

EXPLAIN AWARENESS OF MY METACOGNITIVE PROCESSESS

After reading the explore part of this lesson you may be able to digest what you have learned by
answering the following questions in not longer than 5 sentences:
1. Were you aware of your metacognitive processes?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. What changes did you feel as you try to use the metacognitive strategies and skills?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

3. In your own words explain how does our brain works when we undergo a learning
process?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

4. Why shouldn’t we stop learning?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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Module 3 – LEARNING TO BE A BETTER STUDENT

TOPIC SUMMARY

• This lesson discussed the concepts that explained the nature and dimensions of
learning. Metacognition and self-regulated learning are also discussed along with
suggestions and strategies on how to improve learning and become a better student.

REFERENCES

• Go-Monilla, M., Ramirez, N. (2018). Understanding the Self. 839 EDSA, South Triangle,
Quezon City: C & E Publising.

• J.Dunlosky,K.A.Rawson,E.J.Marsh,M.J. Nathan, & D.T. Willingham (2013). Improving

Students’ Learning with Effective Learning Techniques : Promising Directions from
Cognitive and Educational Psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest

• Metacognitive Awareness Inventory, Retrieved from

https://services.viu.ca/sites/default/files/metacognitive-awareness-inventory.pdf
Retrieved on 18 January 2