Presenters are listed in alphabetical order.
Using “Metacognitive Moments” to Improve Learning in Asynchronous Courses
Well-designed asynchronous courses are more inclusive and can be more effective. This presentation explores using metacognitive questions to support student learning and improve the design of an asynchronous online course. Within the course, modules or a set of weekly activities were designed for each topic. Each week, there was a “Metacognitive Moment” survey that students completed to reveal the core activities. The idea for these weekly surveys grew out of Lovett’s (2013) exam wrapper research and Gagne’s nine events of instruction (e.g., Gagne et al., 1981). The weekly Metacognitive Moment surveys aimed to combine key features from each of these.
The session includes details a rich picture of the context of the course, the structure and implementation of the surveys, examples of the questions contained in the surveys, an analysis of student engagement in the surveys throughout the term (e.g., did the quality or quantity of writing increase or decrease?), and student opinions on the use of the Metacognitive Moment surveys drawn from a voluntary survey. Recommendations will be drawn on how to implement similar tools in other courses, particularly those taught in an asynchronous online format.