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The Development and Application of a web Based Metacognitive Mapping Tool Serdar Çiftci 1 and Mehmet Akif Ocak 2 1 MS. Department of Educational Technology, Institute of Educational Studies of Gazi University, Turkey 2 PHd Department of Computer and Instructional Technologies Teaching, Gazi University, Turkey serdar@gazi.edu.tr maocak@gazi.edu.tr Abstract: Teachers support metacognition by following different teaching methods in face to face learning environments. However, literature shows that web based learning environments lack of the use of tools which support and guide the students’ metacognitive activities. The primary purpose of this study is to give insight about development of a metacognitive mapping tool (MMT) supporting the college students’ metacognitive learning abilities. The participants of this study were 25 third grade college students selected from Gazi Faculty of Education, Gazi University. The students participated in a six week qualitative study. They studied an online Database Management Course by getting support from the tool. The tool was developed on the four components of metacognitive skills which were planning, monitoring, evaluation and revision. The tool was utilized for an asynchronous web based course. The tool allowed students to plan their studies, monitor and evaluate their progress. After monitoring and evaluation, students could revise their planning and change their thinking patterns. A content analysis was carried out to examine students’ interviews. The focus of the interviews was to investigate the students’ perceptions and purpose of utilization. This study argues that using the tool gives the students an opportunity to choose exact content of the course and to plan the content for individual aims. The tool used in this study can assist time management and tracing of the students’ personal study progress. Keywords: metacognition, metacognitive mapping tool, web based education, eLearning, metacognitive learning process 1. Introduction The biggest advantage of web based learning is that it gives students active learning opportunities (Tsai 2009). Together with the increase in the demand for web based learning environments, today, this kind of environments shows the rapid development. The causes such as regional distances, equal educational opportunities and time constraints are among of the causes of this increase in demand. While the studies conducted in the first place dealt with the development of learning environments and transfer of learning activities from the form of face-to-face environment to the web based environments. They, now, focuses on how web based learning can be given effectively. To provide an effective presentation of learning environments, supporting tools and advanced technologies in context must be provided and integrated. Collis and Meeuwsen (1999) indicated that students need to take responsibility for increased control of learning process and show positive attitude to achieve active learning in such an open-ended learning environment. Visual and written representation of the content on the web is not just enough to teach and learn. Students may be required for new learning strategies and skills so that they can become effective and successful online learners (Tsai 2009). Using learning tools help students to increase interaction with each other, the content and the teacher and are used more effectively. Over time, difficulties of web based learning were overcome and studies have largely concentrated on how additional gains can be achieved from web based learning. 2. Metacognition Metacognition, first, was defined by Flavell (1976) as knowledge about knowledge. Subasi (2003) defined the metacognition as the individual's own cognitive processes and knowledge. Schraw and Brooks (1998) and Zimmerman (1989) collected metacognitive processes under the heading of learning based on self-regulation. Prior research suggests that metacognitive strategies in face-toface learning improve students' achievements. Metacognitive knowledge of strategies consists of knowledge about cognitive strategies for enhancing learning and performance (Pifarre and Cobos 2009) (Figure 1). For constructivist learning, students' better use of self-regulation skills facilitates the process of information processing and the recall. Learners having deficiencies in key metacognitive and self-regulatory skills will not learn much from open-ended learning environments without the implementation of scaffolds to help them along (Azevedo, Moos, Greene, Winters and Cromley, 124
Serdar Çiftci and Mehmet Akif Ocak 2008). Thus, students' metacognitive awareness is important. Jones, Farquhar and Surry (1995) suggest that with improved learner awareness of metacognitive knowledge, learning efficacy could also be enhanced. Especially, in web based learning environments, the students have a sense of loneliness. In order to overcome these difficulties, different supporting tools for this purpose might be structured. Learning in a hypermedia environment requires from the learner to regulate his or her own learning in order to construct higher and deeper levels of knowledge; that is, it provides to make decisions about what, how, how much to learn, how much time to spend on it, how to access other educational materials, how to realize whether he or she understands the material, how to modify plans and strategies to learn better and when to increase one’s effort (Azevedo et al. 2008). This research is shaped on the basis of the metacognitive grounds. Figure 1: Metacognition development strategies used in face-to-face learning environments 2.1 Metacognitive mapping tool Metacognitive mapping tool (MMT) was developed based on the principles of the students’ planning of a web based content, monitoring of their activities and evaluation cycle (Figure 2). Students engaging in web based learning environments plan their own learning activities. This planning, mostly, takes place in the student's mind and cannot be followed actively. One of the aims of the MMT is to record planning, monitoring and evaluation activities shaped in the students' mind while guiding the students in a metacognitive way at the same time. In this way, students’ behavior can be observed. As a result of the monitoring, based on the students’ process, learning environment, mapping tool and the content can be formed in a more effective way. Figure 2: Four components of metacognitive skills Four components of metacognitive skills are explained below: Planning: Students in this section will be able to choose which headings to cover, which sequence to use and how much time they will spend on each topic. Planning consists of two sections. In the first section, students choose their topics that they will study and determine the study sequence. In the second section, students decide time planning of each topic. Monitoring: The students will be able to monitor the process during the instruction. The stage of the process which was planned, how much time was spent and remaining time might be accessible to all students from this section. The current situation might be supported with visual help and it is visible whether the student follows the plan which is part of the whole process. This section provides the infrastructure to the next sections which are evaluation and revision. Self-evaluation: The students monitoring the current state with monitoring section of the tool will be able to evaluate themselves whether the situation they are in is correct. In this section, students evaluate whether they obey the plan (in terms of time, content and sequence) with "yes / no" answers. The answer, "Yes”, shows that the student followed the plan in the learning process and did not need any editing. "No" response offers students revision stage by which the students get the opportunity to correct mistakes and see the lacking points in the process. 125
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Serdar Çiftci and Mehmet Akif Ocak<br />
2008). Thus, students' metacognitive awareness is important. Jones, Farquhar and Surry (1995)<br />
suggest that with improved learner awareness of metacognitive knowledge, <strong>learning</strong> efficacy could<br />
also be enhanced. Especially, in web based <strong>learning</strong> environments, the students have a sense of<br />
loneliness. In order to overcome these difficulties, different supporting tools for this purpose might be<br />
structured. Learning in a hypermedia environment requires from the learner to regulate his or her own<br />
<strong>learning</strong> in order to construct higher and deeper levels of knowledge; that is, it provides to make<br />
decisions about what, how, how much to learn, how much time to spend on it, how to access other<br />
educational materials, how to realize whether he or she understands the material, how to modify<br />
plans and strategies to learn better and when to increase one’s effort (Azevedo et al. 2008). This<br />
research is shaped on the basis of the metacognitive grounds.<br />
Figure 1: Metacognition development strategies used in face-to-face <strong>learning</strong> environments<br />
2.1 Metacognitive mapping tool<br />
Metacognitive mapping tool (MMT) was developed based on the principles of the students’ planning<br />
of a web based content, monitoring of their activities and evaluation cycle (Figure 2). Students<br />
engaging in web based <strong>learning</strong> environments plan their own <strong>learning</strong> activities. This planning, mostly,<br />
takes place in the student's mind and cannot be followed actively. One of the aims of the MMT is to<br />
record planning, monitoring and evaluation activities shaped in the students' mind while guiding the<br />
students in a metacognitive way at the same time. In this way, students’ behavior can be observed.<br />
As a result of the monitoring, based on the students’ process, <strong>learning</strong> environment, mapping tool and<br />
the content can be formed in a more effective way.<br />
Figure 2: Four components of metacognitive skills<br />
Four components of metacognitive skills are explained below:<br />
Planning: Students in this section will be able to choose which headings to cover, which sequence to<br />
use and how much time they will spend on each topic. Planning consists of two sections. In the first<br />
section, students choose their topics that they will study and determine the study sequence. In the<br />
second section, students decide time planning of each topic.<br />
Monitoring: The students will be able to monitor the process during the instruction. The stage of the<br />
process which was planned, how much time was spent and remaining time might be accessible to all<br />
students from this section. The current situation might be supported with visual help and it is visible<br />
whether the student follows the plan which is part of the whole process. This section provides the<br />
infrastructure to the next sections which are evaluation and revision.<br />
Self-evaluation: The students monitoring the current state with monitoring section of the tool will be<br />
able to evaluate themselves whether the situation they are in is correct. In this section, students<br />
evaluate whether they obey the plan (in terms of time, content and sequence) with "yes / no" answers.<br />
The answer, "Yes”, shows that the student followed the plan in the <strong>learning</strong> process and did not need<br />
any editing. "No" response offers students revision stage by which the students get the opportunity to<br />
correct mistakes and see the lacking points in the process.<br />
125
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