Learning Strategies and Metacognition in Students with Learning Disabilities

Presentation Type

Poster

Abstract

Our research looks at what studying strategies undergraduate students with disabilities use to learn, why they use some strategies over others, and what metacognitive awareness is involved in these decisions. Previous research has shown that, while practicing information retrieval through self-testing is extremely beneficial to learning, many students tend to use the strategy of repeated reading, which does little in the way of learning more after the initial reading, and the importance of engaging in metacognitive awareness becomes apparent (Karpicke, Butler, & Roediger, 2009).We are looking for a deeper understanding of the connections between metacognitive awareness of learning, working memory, and learning for undergraduate students with disabilities, and how metacognitive strategies can possibly be applied. The participants are undergraduate students at the University of North Florida who are registered with the campus’ Disability Resource Center (N=400), with students who are a part of the Access Academy (N=80) and THRIVE programs (N=40) particularly targeted. Qualtrics is the online survey program that is used for all data collection. We use one verbal and one visuo-spatial test to measure the working memory of participants. We have participants rank learning strategies in the order that they use them, from a list of pre-determined learning strategies (Karpicke et al., 2009). Material from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire is used to measure participants’ motivations through the constructs of self-regulation, self-efficacy, and beliefs of intrinsic task value (Duncan & McKeachie, 2005). Material from the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory is used to assess participants’ knowledge and regulation of their own cognitions (Schraw & Dennis, 1994). We will also utilize an experimental between-subjects condition by randomly selecting participants to answer one of two different question versions on repeated reading versus self-testing (Karpicke, et al., 2009). Data from this study will be beneficial in the development of specific and effective metacognitive awareness strategies for this population. We hope to better assist the guidance of students’ classroom and independent learning, and better ensure their future success.

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The conference poster stated that the abstract was to be about 300 to 500 words, which is why my abstract is over 250.

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Learning Strategies and Metacognition in Students with Learning Disabilities

Our research looks at what studying strategies undergraduate students with disabilities use to learn, why they use some strategies over others, and what metacognitive awareness is involved in these decisions. Previous research has shown that, while practicing information retrieval through self-testing is extremely beneficial to learning, many students tend to use the strategy of repeated reading, which does little in the way of learning more after the initial reading, and the importance of engaging in metacognitive awareness becomes apparent (Karpicke, Butler, & Roediger, 2009).We are looking for a deeper understanding of the connections between metacognitive awareness of learning, working memory, and learning for undergraduate students with disabilities, and how metacognitive strategies can possibly be applied. The participants are undergraduate students at the University of North Florida who are registered with the campus’ Disability Resource Center (N=400), with students who are a part of the Access Academy (N=80) and THRIVE programs (N=40) particularly targeted. Qualtrics is the online survey program that is used for all data collection. We use one verbal and one visuo-spatial test to measure the working memory of participants. We have participants rank learning strategies in the order that they use them, from a list of pre-determined learning strategies (Karpicke et al., 2009). Material from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire is used to measure participants’ motivations through the constructs of self-regulation, self-efficacy, and beliefs of intrinsic task value (Duncan & McKeachie, 2005). Material from the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory is used to assess participants’ knowledge and regulation of their own cognitions (Schraw & Dennis, 1994). We will also utilize an experimental between-subjects condition by randomly selecting participants to answer one of two different question versions on repeated reading versus self-testing (Karpicke, et al., 2009). Data from this study will be beneficial in the development of specific and effective metacognitive awareness strategies for this population. We hope to better assist the guidance of students’ classroom and independent learning, and better ensure their future success.