The B Optimal Library

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Dark teal graphic with the word “METACOGNITION” in large cream text and the question “More than ‘thinking about your thinking’?” centered beneath it.

Metacognition Is More Than “Thinking About Your Thinking”

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.

HIGHER EDUCATION IN PRACTICE

Tim Bower

8 hours ago7 min read

A college-aged learner stands before a wall of photographs and notes from academic, work, leadership, and community experiences. Glowing lines connect selected images, showing how reflection helps the learner recognize patterns and turn experience into evidence of capability.

Tell Me About a Time When...

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.

HIGHER EDUCATION IN PRACTICE

Tim Bower

Aug 66 min read

Learners Need More Than Feedback

Colleges invest heavily in meaningful experiences and thoughtful feedback, yet often overlook the learning practice that connects them. This article explores why interpretation—not experience or feedback alone—determines what learners ultimately take forward, and why helping students make meaning from experience may be the next frontier in higher education.

Tim Bower

Jul 296 min read