FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev.

0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE1: Understanding the Self Module No. 12

STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. _12_

CHAPTER III: MANAGING AND CARING FOR THE SELF

A. LEARNING TO BE A BETTER STUDENT
MODULE OVERVIEW

This part on managing and caring for the self includes topics about learning to be a better student
and discusses the function of the brain and its influences on learning. This also includes
metacognition and self-regulated learning and their role in forming learning strategies that students
may employ.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Understand the physiological and psychological aspects involved in the learning process.
2. Identify the different learning strategies based on existing researches.
3. Develop ways to become an effective learner.

LEARNING CONTENTS (title of the subsection)

WHAT HAPPENS DURING LEARNING?

We have known since antiquity that the seat of learning is the human brain. But it has only been in
the last decade that neuroscience researchers have been able to go inside the brain and observe
how learning actually occurs at the molecular level. New technologies like diffusion imaging have
opened up the brain’s inner workings and allowed scientists to “see” what is going on inside the
brain when people are engaged in learning. More sophisticated experiments with the brains of
laboratory animals are stretching the bounds of our understanding further.

To comprehend the way learning occurs in the brain, you have to understand its physiology. The
brain acts as a dense network of fiber pathways consisting of approximately 100 billion (1010)
neurons. The brain consists of three principle parts – stem, cerebellum and cerebrum – as
shown in Figure 1 below. Of the three, the cerebrum is most important in learning, since this is
where higher-ordered functions like memory and reasoning occur. Each area of the cerebrum
specializes in a function – sight, hearing, speech, touch, short-term memory, long-term memory,
language and reasoning abilities are the most important for learning.

Figure 1: The Human Brain

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 1

 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE1: Understanding the Self Module No. 12

So how does learning happen? Through a network of neurons, sensory information is transmitted
by synapses (see Figure 2) along the neural pathway and stored temporarily in short-term memory,
a volatile region of the brain that acts like a receiving center for the flood of sensory information we
encounter in our daily lives.

Figure 2: Synapse Across Two Neurons

Once processed in short-term memory, our brain’s neural pathways carry these memories to the
structural core, where they are compared with existing memories and stored in our long-term memory,
the vast repository of everything we have ever experienced in our lives. This process occurs in an
instant, but it is not always perfect. In fact, as information races across billions of neurons’ axons,
which transmit signals to the next neuron via synapse, some degradation is common. That’s why
many of our memories are incomplete or include false portions that we make up to fill holes in the
real memory.

Neuroscientists have long believed that learning and memory formation are made by the
strengthening and weakening of connections among brain cells. Recently, researchers at the
University of California Irvine’s Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory proved it. In
experiments with mice, they were able to isolate and observe the actions of the brain while learning
a new task. Researchers found that when two neurons frequently interact, they form a bond that
allows them to transmit more easily and accurately. This leads to more complete memories and easier
recall. Conversely, when two neurons rarely interacted, the transmission was often incomplete,
leading to either a faulty memory or no memory at all.

As an example of this, consider your daily commute. You don’t really need to think consciously about
how to get to work, because it is a trip you have taken so many times that the memory of how to
navigate is ingrained. The neurons that control this memory have communicated so often, they have
formed a tight bond, like a group of old friends.

Contrast your daily commute with the experience of driving to a location you have never visited. To
make this trip, your brain has to work much harder. You need to get directions, write them down or
print them and then pay extra attention to road signs along the way. In this case, the neurons involved
in navigating to this new destination have not shared synapses frequently before and so they
communicate incompletely or inefficiently. This requires forming new connections within the

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 2

 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE1: Understanding the Self Module No. 12

brain, which results in greater conscious effort and attention on our part.

This research has important implications for learning, especially regarding how we acquire new
knowledge, store it in memory and retrieve it when needed. When learning new things, memory and
recall are strengthened by frequency and recency. The more we practice and rehearse something
new and the more recently we have practiced, the easier it is for our brain to transmit these
experiences efficiently and store them for ready access later. This process is called fluency.

Another recent study at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology,
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School found that the structural core of the
brain receives sensory information from different regions and then assembles bits of data into a
complete picture that becomes a memory of an event. This memory is strengthened by multiple
sensory inputs. For example, if we both see and hear something, we are more likely to remember it
than if we only hear it.

If we experience an emotional reaction to something – fear, anger, laughter or love – that emotion
becomes part of the memory and strengthens it dramatically. In recalling memories, subjects who had
experienced an emotional reaction were far more likely to remember the event and with higher
accuracy than those who simply witnessed an event without any emotional attachment. That explains
why highly emotional events – birth, marriage, divorce and death – become unforgettable.

What does this neuroscience research suggest about learning? We need to ensure that learning
engages all the senses and taps the emotional side of the brain, through methods like humor,
storytelling, group activities and games. Emphasis on the rational and logical alone does not produce
powerful memories.

A third recent discovery at the University of Michigan’s Biopsychology Program confirmed that the
brain behaves selectively about how it processes experiences that enter through our five senses. The
brain is programmed to pay special attention to any experience that is novel or unusual. It does this
by making comparisons between the new information brought through the senses and existing
information stored in our brain’s long-term memory. When the brain finds a match, it will quickly
eliminate the new memory as redundant.

When new information contradicts what’s already stored in memory, however, our brains go into
overdrive, working hard to explain the discrepancy. If the new information proves useful to us, it
becomes a permanent memory that can be retrieved later. If this new information does not seem
useful or if we do not trust its source, we are likely to forget it or even reject it altogether, preferring to
stick with the information we already possess.

Since learning inherently requires acquisition of new information, our brains’ propensity to focus on
the novel and forget the redundant makes it a natural learning ally. In fact, our brains are hard wired
to learn, from the moment we are born. Our native curiosity is driven by our brain’s inherent search
for the unusual in our environment.

On the other hand, past memories can be an impediment to future learning that contradicts previous
information. As we age and gain more experience, we tend to rely too much on our past knowledge.
We may miss or even reject novel information that does not agree with previous memories.

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 3

 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE1: Understanding the Self Module No. 12

BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR CHANGES

Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to change its physical structure and function based on input
from your experiences, behaviors, emotions, and even thoughts. It used to be believed that except
for a few specific growth periods in childhood, the brain was pretty much fixed. Now, we know that’s
not true. Your brain is capable of change until the day you die.

Habits Become Wired into Your Brain

Your brain forms neuronal connections based on what you do repeatedly in your life – both good and
bad. Worrying about every little thing. Cruising online pornography. Picking at your fingernails. Hitting
the gym. Meditating. Your repeated mental states, responses, and behaviors become neural traits.

Changing Your Behavior Means Changing Your Brain

To break bad habits, you really have to change your brain. When it comes to changing your behavior
– and in life, in general, you’ll have more success if you make friends with your mind and brain and
put them to work for you. You can change your behavior – even those hard-to-break habits – by
building alternate pathways in your brain.

When you first try to adopt a new behavior, you have to enlist your prefrontal cortex, the thinking
brain, and insert conscious effort, intention, and thought into the process. When you’ve performed the
new routine enough times for connections to be made and strengthened in your brain, the behavior
will require less effort as it becomes the default pattern.

The amount of time it takes to modify behavior depends on what you’re trying to do and can range
anywhere from 3 weeks to months or even longer. The relationship between adopting a new behavior
and automaticity (acting without having to think about it) is much like climbing a hill that starts out
steep and gradually levels off. In the beginning, you make some really impressive progress, but the
gains diminish over time.

METACOGNITION AND STUDY STRATEGIES

Metacognition is often referred to as “thinking about thinking.” It is a regulatory system that helps a
person understand and control his or her own cognitive performance.

Metacognition allows people to take charge of their own learning. It involves awareness of how they
learn, an evaluation of their learning needs, generating strategies to meet these needs and then
implementing the strategies. (Hacker, 2009)

Learners often show an increase in self-confidence when they build metacognitive skills. Self-efficacy
improves motivation as well as learning success. Metacognitive skills are generally learned during a
later stage of development. Metacognitive strategies can often (but not always) be stated by the
individual who is using them. For all age groups, metacognitive knowledge is crucial for efficient
independent learning because it fosters forethought and self-reflection.

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 4

 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE1: Understanding the Self Module No. 12

The Two Processes of Metacognition

Many theorists organize the skills of metacognition

into two complementary processes that make it
easier to understand and remember:

1. Knowledge of cognition has three

components: knowledge of the factors that
influence one’s own performance; knowing
different types of strategies to use for
learning; knowing what strategy to use for a
specific learning situation.
2. Regulation of cognition involves: setting
goals and planning; monitoring and
controlling learning; and evaluating one’s
own regulation (assessing results and
strategies used).

Metacognitive Strategies

Metacognitive skill is essential for improving productivity and effectiveness at school or

work.

When metacognitive strategies are applied, one can become better learner. One can control not
only thoughts but also actions much more effectively.

1. Self-Questioning
Self-questioning involves pausing throughout a task to consciously check your own actions.
Without questioning, one may not be aware of faults.
The following questions may be asked to improve one’s self:

• Is this the best way to carry out this task?

• Did I miss something? Maybe I should check again.
• Did I follow the right procedure there?
• How could I do better next time?
• Am I looking at this task the right way?

2. Meditation
Meditation involves clearing the mind. It could consider as a metacognitive strategy because
meditation aim to:

• Clear out the chatter that goes on in our heads.

• Reach a calm and focused state that can prime us for learning.
• Be more aware of our own inner speech

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 5

 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE1: Understanding the Self Module No. 12

3. Reflection
Reflection involves pausing to think about a task. It is usually a cyclical process where one
reflect, think of ways to improve, try again then go back to reflection.
Reflection is metacognitive only if it consciously reflects on what your thought processes
were and how to improve upon them next time.

4. Awareness of Strengths and Weaknesses

Central to metacognition is a person’s capacity to see their own strengths and weaknesses.
Only through looking at one’s self and making a genuine assessment of one’s weaknesses
can a person achieve self-improvement.
One way to start looking at your strengths and weaknesses is to use a SWOT chart.
• Strengths: write down what you perceive to be your strengths as a learner.
• Weaknesses: write down what you perceive to be your weaknesses as a
learner.
• Opportunities: identify opportunities you may have to improve your cognitive
skills in the coming weeks or months.
• Threats: identify potential threats that may prevent you from improving your
cognitive skills in the coming weeks or months.

5. Awareness of Learning Styles

Learning styles theories such as Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences and Learning
Modalities theories argue that different people learn in different ways.
For example, you may feel you are better at learning through images than reading.

Some common learning styles include:

• Visual: A visual learner learns best through images, graphics, TV
documentaries and graphs. They are good at identifying patterns and
matching complementary colors.
• Auditory: A visual learner learns best through listening rather than watching
or reading. They enjoy being read stories and listening to podcasts.
• Kinesthetic: A kinesthetic learner learns best through movement. They like to
learn by doing things rather than reading or listening. They are active rather
than passive learners.
• Logical-Mathematical: People who are logical-mathematical learners are
good at using reasoning to find answers. They are good with numbers but may
struggle with subjective issues in the humanities.
• Interpersonal: An Interpersonal learner loves learning through social
interaction. They’re good at group work, have high emotional intelligence, and
can compromise to get their job done.
• Intrapersonal: An intrapersonal learner is someone who likes to mull things
over in their own heads. They’re happy to learn in silence and isolation and
may find working with others to be a distraction.

6. Mnemonic aids
Mnemonic aids are strategies which can be used to improve information retention. This
involves using rhymes, patterns and associations to remember.
This works by adding context (additional or surrounding information) to a fact to help in
recalling.
An example of using mnemonic aids is for remembering names.
You might remember a name in one of the following ways:

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 6

 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE1: Understanding the Self Module No. 12

• Rhyme: You meet a singer named Tom. You tell yourself “Tom would sing a
song before long.” Now, next time you meet Tom the singer, you might be able
to recall your rhyme to remember both his name and profession!
• Association: I have a sister named Vanessa. I always remember people
named Vanessa because my head says “Oh, she has the same name as my
sister!” every time I meet a Vanessa.

7. Writing Down your Working

Most people will recall in high school math classes their teacher saying: “I want to see your
working so I know how you got to your answer.”
This teacher is ensuring you are employing the right thinking processes and can show
others how you went about thinking about the task.
When you become expert at a topic you tend not to think about your thinking. We sometimes
call this “unconscious competence”.

8. Thinking Aloud
The benefit of thinking aloud is that it makes a person really think. You have to talk through
what your brain is doing, making those thinking processes explicit.
Teachers will often ask students to speak out loud about what they’re thinking. It not only
helps the student be more conscious of their cognitive processes, it also helps the teacher
identify areas where the student is going astray.

9. Graphic Organizers
Graphic organizers, also sometimes called cognitive tools, help to consciously improve the
thinking processes. It is useful in:
• Organizing our thoughts.
• Creating connections between things we know.
• Thinking more deeply about something.
• Visualizing processes and procedures.

10. Regulation Checklists

A regulation checklist can either be task based or generalized.
A task based regulation checklist is usually created before a task begins. It will:
• List the thought processes required to succeed in the task.
• List the observable outcomes of higher order thinking linked to the task.
• List the checkpoints during the task where people should pause to reflect on
their thinking.
A general regulation checklist provides regulation strategies that can be used across any
normal task, such as:
• Reminders to pause and reflect-in-practice at regular intervals.
• Prompts to remind students to think about what strategies they are using and
whether they are appropriate for the task.
• Self-questioning prompts to remind students to question their choices.
• Quick charts and questionnaires to help people focus on their developments

11. Active Reading Strategies

Active reading strategies are strategies that ensure concentrating while reading and actually
comprehend the information.
Examples of active reading strategies include:
• Underlining text: Underline key or important bits of information to highlight
their importance in your mind.
• Using a ruler to read: place a ruler under the sentence you’re reading to
help you focus on that line.

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 7

 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE1: Understanding the Self Module No. 12

• Scan for the main ideas: In informational texts, you can scan for the
information you need. Pay close attention to subheadings that give you a clue
about where you will find the key information.
• Questioning: Ask yourself questions or ask your friends questions to check
comprehension.
• Summarizing: Try to sum up the page you just read in one or two sentences
to check for comprehension before moving on.
• Predicting: Try to predict how a story will go by looking at the pictures on the
cover.
• Clarifying: Ask for clarification from friends or a teacher when you don’t
understand rather than just moving on.

12. Active Listening Strategies

Active listening strategies are strategies students use to ensure they are listening attentively.
Some examples of active listening strategies include:
• Turning your body to directly face the speaker.
• Making eye contact.
• Asking questions.
• Nodding when appropriate.
• Repeating what was said to you.

13. Planning Ahead

When planning ahead, one often have to think about how to go about a task. It is sometimes
referred to as “plan of attack”.
Planning ahead involves thinking about what to go through in order to complete a task.
During the planning phase, decisions may be made such as:
• Deciding what strategies you’ll use when your task, competition or activity
begins.
• Tossing up a range of different thinking skills you might use when
approaching a task.
• Reminding yourself not to make the same mistakes you made last time.
• Preparing some tools that will help you keep your thinking on track, such as
preparing graphic organizers.

MANAGING OUR OWN LEARNING

Self-regulated learning (SRL) refers to the process a student engages in when she takes
responsibility for her own learning and applies herself to academic success (Zimmerman, 2002).

Self-regulated learning involves not only attaining a detailed knowledge of an ability, but also other
skills such as self-awareness, self-motivation, and the ability to behave in a way that it’s possible for
you to apply what you learned appropriately.

Cycle of Self-Regulated Learning

1. Planning: The student plans her task, sets goals, outlines strategies to tackle the task,
and/or creates a schedule for the task
In the planning phase, students have an opportunity to work on their self-assessment and
learn how to pick the best strategies for success.

2. Monitoring: In this stage, the student puts her plans into action and closely monitors her
performance and her experience with the methods she chose.
In the monitoring phase, students get experience implementing the strategies they chose

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 8

 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE1: Understanding the Self Module No. 12

and making real-time adjustments to their plans as needed.

3. Reflection: Finally, after the task is complete and the results are in, the student reflects on
how well she did and why she performed the way she did.

In the reflection phase, students synthesize everything they learned and reflect on their
experience, learning what works for them and what should be altered or replaced with a new
strategy.

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 9

 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE1: Understanding the Self Module No. 12

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1

MY STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Identify your strengths and explain how can this help you to achieve your goals.

STRENGTH HOW CAN THIS HELP ACHIEVE MY GOALS IN LIFE

Identify your weaknesses and come up with possible solutions on how to overcome them in order to
achieve your goals.

WEAKNESS HOW CAN I OVERCOME THIS

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 10

 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE1: Understanding the Self Module No. 12

LEARNING ACTIVITY 2

BRAIN WORKS

Make a research about the brain and identify the functions of the two hemispheres of the brain.

SUMMARY

The learning process does not just involve acquiring new skills and information, it is a crucial process
which is both a product of both physiological process and individual factors. For learning to be
effective, we need to understand the learning process and to be aware of how we learn. Metacognition
and self-regulation skills are necessary to understand what works for us and what does not in terms
of learning. By carefully and honestly evaluating how we learn and by being open to making necessary
changes or improvements we can have a more effective and fulfilling learning experience.

REFERENCES

Degho, S., Degho, G., De Claro, LJ., Lejano, J., Understanding the Self. An Outcome-Based
Workbook for College Students. Mutya Publishing House Inc., 2018.
Arcega, A., Cullar, D.,Evangelista, L., Falculan, L. Understanding the Self. Mutya Publishing House
https://trainingindustry.com/articles/content-development/how-the-brain-learns/
https://thebestbrainpossible.com/the-neuroscience-of-changing-your-
behavior/#:~:text=Neuroplasticity%20is%20the%20ability%20of,brain%20was%20pretty%20much%

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 11

 FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in GE1: Understanding the Self Module No. 12

20fixed.
http://theelearningcoach.com/learning/metacognition-and-learning/
https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/metacognitive-study-strategies/

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 12