Components of Metacognition

Knowledge of Cognition
(1) Declarative knowledge – knowledge about one’s skills, intellectual resources,
and abilities as a learner.
Examples:
• Knowing what is important to learn
• Understanding one's intellectual strengths and weaknesses

(2) Procedural knowledge – knowledge about how to implement learning

procedures (strategies)
Examples:
• I am aware of what strategies I use when I study
• I have a specific purpose of each strategy I use

(3) Conditional knowledge – knowledge about when and why to use learning
procedures.
Examples:
• I learn best when I know something about the topic
• I use different learning strategies depending on the situation

Regulation of Cognition
(4) Planning – planning, goal setting, and allocating resources prior to learning.
Examples:
• Pacing oneself when studying in order to have enough time
• Thinking about what really needs to be learned before beginning a task

(5) Information Management Strategies – skills and strategy sequences used on-
line to process information more effectively (organizing, elaborating, summarizing,
selective focusing).
Examples:
• Focusing attention to important information
• Slowing down when important information is encountered

(6) Monitoring – Assessing one’s learning or strategy use.

Examples:
• Considering alternatives to a problem before solving
• Pause regularly to check for comprehension

(7) Debugging Strategies – strategies used to correct comprehension and

performance errors
Examples:
• Ask help form others when one doesn’t understand
• Stop and go over of it is not clear

(8) Evaluation of learning – analysis of performance and strategy effectiveness

after learning episodes.
Examples:
• Summarize after learning
• Find easier ways to do things