B OPTIMAL BLOG

What shapes the quality of metacognitive activity when the person examining cognition brings their own standpoint, assumptions, interpretations, and ways of knowing to the examination? Me Examining Me looks underneath metacognition—and behind the curtain—to explore what becomes visible.

Metacognition is often discussed without enough scrutiny of what the construct actually means. This article examines how definitions, related constructs, operationalization, and evidence shape our understanding of metacognition, and asks whether we are being metacognitive about metacognition itself.

Metacognition is often described as the “highest form of intelligence.” The research points somewhere more useful. Intelligence and metacognition are related but distinguishable aspects of cognitive functioning, and understanding that distinction changes how we support learners and develop metacognitive capability.

Metacognition is often reduced to “thinking about your thinking.” But that shorthand leaves out much of the regulatory work learners actually do before, during, and after action. This article offers a fuller view of metacognition—and why that distinction matters for how learners develop.

Employers ask candidates to “tell me about a time when…” because stories reveal how people think, act, adapt, and learn. This article explores how colleges can help learners reflect on their experiences, recognize what those experiences demonstrate, and build credible evidence of capability before they need it.

Students become more capable learners when the practices that shape learning are made visible, taught intentionally, applied in meaningful work, strengthened through feedback, and adapted across contexts. This article presents a developmental logic for helping learners recognize, direct, evaluate, and transfer those practices with increasing ownership.

Strong instructional design can support metacognition, but reflection, feedback, scaffolding, and authentic work do not by themselves define what is developing in the learner. This article argues that metacognitive design should begin by identifying the specific capability to be strengthened, then building the learning experience around that developmental target.

Students are routinely expected to plan, monitor, adjust, reflect, and transfer learning but these practices often remain hidden beneath assignments and academic expectations. This article explores what becomes possible when colleges make those invisible practices visible, teachable, and intentionally supported.