UNiVERSiTY OF MAKATi

COLLEGE OF SCiENCE
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

Und!standing
"e Self
MODULE 11
This is the beginning of Chapter of the course Understanding the Self. This is
Chapter 2 - Unpacking the Self
At the end of the chapter, students are expected to understand, acquire and
apply the theoretical underpinnings on how to manage and care for the
different aspects of the self.
In this module - “Learning to be a better student”, students are expected to
learn what happens during learning, the brain how it changes behavior,
Metacognition and study strategies, managing one’s own learning - self-
regulated learning .

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LESSON 1

Learning to be a
Better Student
Where does learning occur?

During the early elementary years, the child develops motor skills, visual-motor coordination, reasoning,
language, social understanding and memory. As learning is consolidated into neural networks, concepts
combine into meaningful units that are available for later use. An ability to generalize and abstract begins at
this stage and continues into adulthood. Also during this time, the child learns about perspective-taking and
social interaction. The ability to understand one's social place is crucial for the development of appropriate
relationships with other people. These skills are closely tied to development of the tracts of the right
hemisphere as well as in the areas of the brain that are tied to emotional processing (also called the limbic
system) (Semrud-Clikeman, 2007). (A tract is a pathway that connects one part of the brain with another,
usually consisting of myelin-insulated axons. Tracts are known collectively as white matter.)

During the later elementary years and early middle school years, the child's brain activity is mostly in the
posterior regions where the areas for auditory, visual and tactile functioning intersect. This intersection is
called the association area of the brain and generally contains information that has been learned and is now
stored. This is the information that is commonly measured on achievement tests and verbally based ability
tests.

Learning to be a Better Student

Learning to be a Better Student
The frontal lobes begin to mature more fully in middle school. The maturation continues through high school
and adulthood (Semrud-Clikeman & Ellison, 2009). The frontal lobes are a more recent evolutionary
development in brains and allow humans to evaluate and adapt their behavior based on past experience. The
frontal lobes are also thought to be where social understanding and empathy reside (Damasio, 2008).
The refined development of the frontal white matter tracts begins around age 12 and continues into the
twenties. This region of the brain is crucial for higher cognitive functions, appropriate social behaviors and the
development of formal operations. These tracts develop in an orderly fashion and experience appears to
contribute to further development.

In adolescents, inferential thinking as well as metacognition should be emphasized. For some adolescents,
brain development matches our educational expectations. For others, the two do not coincide and there is a
mismatch between biology and education. In this case, the adolescent is unable to obtain the maximum
benefit from instruction and is often unable to understand more advanced ideas. Although learning problems
may be due to immaturity, they may indicate more serious learning or attentional problems.

Learning to be a Better Student

Each side of your brain contains four lobes. The frontal lobe is important for
cognitive functions and control of voluntary movement or activity. The
parietal lobe processes information about temperature, taste, touch and
movement, while the occipital lobe is primarily responsible for vision. The
temporal lobe processes memories, integrating them with sensations of taste,
sound, sight and touch.

What happens during learning? Brain and Behavior Changes

Musicians, athletes and quiz bowl champions all have one thing in common:
training. Learning to play an instrument or a sport requires time and patience.
It is all about steadily mastering new skills. The same is true when it comes to
learning information — preparing for that quiz bowl, say, or studying for a big
test.

The brain is a neural network, a mesh of neurons all interacting with each
other. We understand a lot about small neural networks, because computers
can actually simulate small neural networks – which is a powerful tool for
solving problems like computer vision. Let’s take one practical example: a
neural network designed to figure out whether a picture of an organism
represents a plant or an animal. (Most applications of simulated neural
networks are for problems like this, problems that are hard to encode into
rules but are very easy for humans.) As input, the neural network receives the
array of pixels making up an image. This input creates signals that cause
other neurons to fire, which causes other neurons to fire, and so forth. A few
neurons might be designated as the outputs, and in this case we might have
a neuron that fires for “plant” and a neuron that fires for “animal.”
Learning to be a Better Student
But getting back to learning, even in the enormously complex human brain, it depends on a huge number of individual
neurons each following a set of simpler rules – just like in the much simpler simulated neural net we discussed. Neurons
in the brain are connected by synapses, tiny structures that provide an electrical and chemical junction between neurons.
Connections that lead to success are reinforced, so in the future they are even stronger. Unproductive connections
eventually become weaker. The main underlying mechanisms here are long-term potentiation, long-term depression, and
structural plasticity.

Long-term potentiation is how successful connections are reinforced. Here’s an example. Let’s say neuron A connects
to neuron B. Neuron A fires; this causes neuron B to fire immediately after; and this leads to a successful outcome, like
getting a test question right or sinking a three-pointer. Electrical and chemical mechanisms at the synapse react to all
this, and the connection is strengthened so that in the future neuron A firing is even more likely to lead to neuron B firing.

Long-term depression is simply the opposite of long-term potentiation – neurons that fire out of sync tend to lose
connection strength, and the connection becomes less functionally relevant. Structural plasticity means that – especially
when you’re young – unproductive synapses can be “pruned” and eventually disappear, and new synapses can appear,
called synaptogenesis. Most excitingly, even in adults, new neurons are constantly being born in some parts of the brain.

Practice and repetition. It’s most effective, and most satisfying, to practice with constant real-world
challenges. This is how babies learn to move their bodies and use language. It’s how athletes refine their
skills, and how adult learners who move to a foreign country quickly learn a second language.
Learning to be a Better Student
 RESEARCH TIME
The following are the 3As of the learning process. Research and familiarize
their definitions

• ALIGN
• ASSIMILATE
• APPLY

Note: This will definitely be part of your examination soon.

Learning to be a Better Student
Metacognition and Study Strategies

Metacognition is thinking about

how you think and learn. The key to
metacognition is asking yourself self-
reflective questions, which are
powerful because they allow us to take
inventory of where we currently are
(thinking about what we already know),
how we learn (what is working and
what is not), and where we want to be
(accurately gauging if we’ve mastered
the material). Metacognition helps you
to be a self-aware problem solver and
take control of your learning.

By using metacognition when you

study, you can be strategic about your
approach. You will be able to take
stock of what you already know, what
you need to work on, and how best to
approach learning new material.
Learning to be a Better Student
Strategies for using metacognition when you study

There are some ideas for how to engage in metacognition when you are studying. Think about which of these resonate with you and plan
to incorporate them into your study routine on a regular basis.

* Use your syllabus as a roadmap

Look at your syllabus. Your professor probably included a course schedule, reading list, learning objectives or something similar to give
you a sense of how the course is structured. Use this as your roadmap for the course. For example, for a reading-based course, think
about why your professor might have assigned the readings in this particular order. How do they connect? What are the key themes that
you notice? What prior knowledge do you have that could inform your reading of this new material? You can do this at multiple points
throughout the semester, as you gain additional knowledge that you can piece together.

Summon your prior knowledge

Before you read your textbook or attend a lecture, look at the topic that is covered and ask yourself what you know about it already. What
questions do you have? What do you hope to learn? Answering these questions will give context to what you are learning and help you
start building a framework for new knowledge. It may also help you engage more deeply with the material.

Think aloud
Talk through your material. You can talk to your classmates, your friends, a tutor, or even a pet. Just verbalizing your
thoughts can help you make more sense of the material and internalize it more deeply. Talking aloud is a great way to
test yourself on how well you really know the material. In courses that require problem solving, explaining the steps aloud
will ensure you really understand them and expose any gaps in knowledge that you might have. Ask yourself questions
about what you are doing and why.

Learning to be a Better Student

Ask yourself questions
Asking self-reflective questions is key to metacognition. Take the time to be introspective and honest with yourself about your
comprehension. Below are some suggestions for metacognitive questions you can ask yourself.
Does this answer make sense given the information provided?
What strategy did I use to solve this problem that was helpful?
How does this information conflict with my prior understanding?
How does this information relate to what we learned last week?
What questions will I ask myself next time I’m working these types of problems?
What is confusing about this topic?
What are the relationships between these two concepts?
What conclusions can I make?
Try brainstorming some of your own questions as well.

Use writing
Writing can help you organize your thoughts and assess what you know. Just like thinking aloud, writing can help you identify what you do
and don’t know, and how you are thinking about the concepts that you’re learning. Write out what you know and what questions you have
about the learning objectives for each topic you are learning.

Organize your thoughts

Using concept maps or graphic organizers is another great way to visualize material and see the connections
between the various concepts you are learning. Creating your concept map from memory is also a great study strategy
because it is a form of self-testing.

Learning to be a Better Student

Take notes from memory
Many students take notes as they are reading. Often this can turn notetaking into a passive activity, since
it can be easy to fall into just copying directly from the book without thinking about the material and
putting your notes in your own words. Instead, try reading short sections at a time and pausing
periodically to summarize what you read from memory. This technique ensures that you are actively
engaging with the material as you are reading and taking notes, and it helps you better gauge how much
you’re actually remembering from what you read; it also engages your recall, which makes it more likely
you’ll be able to remember and understand the material when you’re done.

Review your exams

Reviewing an exam that you’ve recently taken is a great time to use metacognition. Look at what you
knew and what you missed. Try using this handout to analyze your preparation for the exam and track
the items you missed, along with the reasons that you missed them. Then take the time to fill in
the areas you still have gaps and make a plan for how you might change your preparation
next time.

Learning to be a Better Student

Take a timeout
When you’re learning, it’s important to periodically take a time out to make sure you’re engaging in metacognitive strategies. We
often can get so absorbed in “doing” that we don’t always think about the why behind what we are doing. For example, if you are
working through a math problem, it’s helpful to pause as you go and think about why you are doing each step, and how you
knew that it followed from the previous step. Throughout the semester, you should continue to take timeouts before, during or
after assignments to see how what you’re doing relates to the course as a whole and to the learning objectives that your
professor has set.

Test yourself
You don’t want your exam to be the first time you accurately assess how well you know the material. Self-testing should be an
integral part of your study sessions so that have a clear understanding of what you do and don’t know. Many of the methods
described are about self-testing (e.g., thinking aloud, using writing, taking notes from memory) because they help you discern
what you do and don’t actually know. Other common methods include practice tests and flash cards—anything that asks you to
summon your knowledge and check if it’s correct.

Figure out how you learn

It is important to figure out what learning strategies work best for you. It will probably vary depending on what type of material
you are trying to learn (e.g. chemistry vs. history), but it will be helpful to be open to trying new things and paying
attention to what is effective for you. If flash cards never help you, stop using them and try something else instead
. Making an appointment with an academic coach is a great chance to reflect on what you have been doing and
figuring out what works best for you.

Learning to be a Better Student

Managing your Own Learning: Self Regulated Learning

Self-regulated learning refers to one’s ability to understand and control one’s learning environment.
Selfregulation abilities include goal setting, selfmonitoring, self-instruction, and self-reinforcement (Harris &
Graham, 1999; Schraw, Crippen, & Hartley, 2006; Shunk, 1996). Self-regulation should not be confused with a
mental ability or an academic performance skill. Instead, self-regulation is a self-directive process and set of
behaviors whereby learners transform their mental abilities into skills (Zimmerman, Bonnor, & Kovach, 2002)
and habits through a developmental process (Butler, 1995, 1998, 2002) that emerges from guided practice and
feedback (Paris &
Paris, 2001).

Elements of Self-Regulated Learning

Effective learners are self-regulating, analyzing task requirements, setting productive goals, and selecting,
adapting or inventing strategies to achieve their objectives. These learners also monitor progress as they work
thorough the task, managing intrusive emotions and waning motivation as well as adjusting
strategies processed to foster success. These are the students who ask questions, take notes,
and allocate their timeand their resources in ways that help them to be in charge of their own
learning (Paris & Paris, 2001).

Learning to be a Better Student

Self-regulated learning skills
Self-regulated learning skills are essential tools for learning. Nevertheless, educators rarely teach them
explicitly. This is why many students end up lacking independence, motivation, persistence, and a positive
feeling of well-being during their studies. For educators to transmit these skills effectively to their students, it’s
important for them to be intimately familiar with the most important self-regulation mechanisms.
Students go through three main stages when they regulate their own learning: planning, performing, and
reflecting. These stages aren’t necessarily successive. The students can pass through many cycles throughout
the course of a learning task.

• During the planning stage, the students establish their goals and standards. They should be able to meet
them within the span of a specific task, session, or course. This stage involves the student’s perception of the
learning environment.
• During the performance stage, the students demonstrate their commitment to their learning experience. At
this point, they monitor their own learning. They can compare their progress with the standards they
established in the planning stage.
• During the reflection stage, the students think about and evaluate their learning experience.This includes
reflecting over feedback and mentally storing ideas and concepts for use in future learning.

Learning to be a Better Student

Advantages of Self-Regulated
Learning

Students are in control of their learning

process and can manage time as they
see fit.
Students feel a sense of achievement
and fulfillment when they have
accomplished goals they have set for
themselves and therefore are more
likely to set more challenging goals in
the future.

Self-regulation is not a process that is

only applicable to school learning, it
will be carried with students for the
rest of their lives in the work force,
social lives and families.
Learning to be a Better Student
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 UNiVERSiTY OF MAKATi
COLLEGE OF SCiENCE
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

Thank You!