Module 1

1.How Accurate were the children in predicting how well they would remember the word list? How
well did they remember the list? Were they able to tell you what they did to remember the words
after repeating the list? Were there any differences in age in terms of how accurate their prediction
or their lists were?

My first subject is a 10-year-old boy. I told him that I have a list of ten words. I told him that I want him
to remember the words in the list. I read the words in front of him and after a minute I asked him to
recite all words he can remember. I was surprised that he got 8 out of 10 words. After repeating the
word to him he got all the words. I asked him how he remembers all those words. He said he creates
pictures in his head. He imagines different animals that I mention are his family. Like associating the
pig as his Tatay, the monkey as his Kuya, and so on. Later that day I found that the kid is good at
imagining things because he is good at drawing and I think that he has visualization skills and that
makes his memory good in holding information. My second subject was his sister age 6. I did the
same process. On the first try, she got 5 out of 10. I asked her to do the activity again. On the second
try, I read each word twice and she got 6 out of 10. I ask her how well she did. She answers back “well
I’m not in the mood” then she left. End of story.

Age is a factor in terms of how accurate their memory is. Younger kids' brain and their capacity to
remember is not fully developed. Childs's brain continues to grow and change as they age. For me,
there is a huge difference in age in terms of how accurate their memory in storing information

2.How well did the children do in retelling the story? Did the children tend to tell the story in the
“correct” order or in the order you told it? Were there age differences in how they responded here?

On the next afternoon, I visit the children again and for the last time, I asked them if they can listen to
a short story. I read a fairy tale story, the story of little red riding hood. After I finish telling the story I
asked them if they can repeat to me how’s the story goes. The 10-year-old boy tells the story in a
shortened way. His story was focused on how the big bad wolf ate the grandma and he re-tells the
story in a very demonstrative way on how the woodsman killed the wolf and rescue grandma. On the
other hand, the 6-year-old girls re-tells the story in a more detailed fashion. I think the kids responded
differently, the story doesn’t appeal to the boy because he said the story is not completely true and for
him, it doesn’t make sense. On the contrary, the girl loves the story that’s why she retells it in the right
order. They have a different level of interest. The girl shows more interest in the topic. She enjoys the
story. The more interest you show in a topic, the more likely it will imprint itself on your brain.

3.Consider the older children’s responses to the questions about memory and reading. Given their
responses, how well do schools seem to support children developing metacognitive strategies for
memory and reading? Did the children have a sense of which way they learn best? Do they seem
to think that teachers help them with this? How effectively do schools seem to be in
creating/supporting an appreciation of reading in children? Do the children seem to see teachers
being helpful in these areas?

Yes, they have a sense of which way they learn best. To help a child develop his/her memory and
reading. Metacognitive strategies are essential, providing visual aids or colorful pictures, and charts will
trigger their imagination and interest thus you will get their attention. They will be more attentive and
more participative and will make them actively engage in the process of learning. To make kids get
excited about learning schools should create a happy and fun learning strategy.
 What did you learn from the video? How can you also apply this?

2. What I learned from the video is that TQLR improves students listening skills as well as their learning
skills. It improves the students’ ability in listening to what the teachers are saying. Also, based on studies
using the TQLR approach increases the students’ interest in learning their lesson.

Song in a tune of Ten Little Indian for kinder students.

“Isa, dalawa at tatlong mga ibon

Apat, Lima, Anim na mga ibon
Pito, walo, siyam na mga ibon
Sampung puting ibon.”

Purpose – they will learn how to count and proper pronunciation of words.
Description of your output -
Explanation – It energized the students at the same time it keeps them from falling asleep and makes
them wide awake during the class. It also creates a positive vibe in a classroom.

Case study Related to Metacognition

Problem
Metacognition and Self-Scaffolding in MMORPGs:
Case Study of an Adolescent Male Gamer

The genre of massively multiplayer online role-playing games has become increasingly popular with
adolescent males. While researchers have studied the social aspect of online role-playing games, there is
little known about the metacognitive and self-scaffolding processes that players engage in as they
navigate these digital immersive environments. This case study focuses on the experience of an adolescent
male gamer as he develops his knowledge, self-awareness, and virtual identity.

Research Methodology

An observational case study approach was chosen for this study. According to Bogdan and Biklen (2007),
a case study should be used by qualitative researchers in instances where they choose to focus on a
particular aspect of a group. Observational case studies are characterized by participant observation
supplemented by interviews and a review of documents (Bogdan & Biklen, 2007). An observational case
study was also chosen because it focuses on an exploration of the participant’s experiences and his
relevance to the overall topic (Merriam, 2002).

Findings
Coded Field Notes
Analysis of coded field notes generated a focus on inner speech. According to Vygotsky (1984),
adolescents’ silent inner speech evolves from children’s vocalized self-directed speech. Silent inner speech
has also been referred to as self-talk (Bruffee, 1973). Using self-talk as a centralized focus, field notes were
further coded according to the type of self-talk. Three types of self-talk were found to be most dominant:
1. Self-scaffolding of directions
2. Stating existing self-knowledge
3. Questioning self-knowledge

Self-scaffolding of directions. There were several instances where Randy used self-talk to guide himself
through the game. “It’s gotta be over there…I need to get there.” Consistent with the characteristics of self-
scaffolding and self-talk, Randy spoke to himself regarding his capacity to learn and thought back to a
process that he had used successfully in the past (Bickhard; 1992; Bruffee, 1973; Vygotsky, 1984). In this
instance, “Usually when I try it, it works. This time was different. I guess it changed.” Randy referred back
to a previously successful strategy and became aware that the once-successful strategy was no longer
working in his favor.

Stating existing self-knowledge. Stating interest in and knowledge of a subject an individual wishes to
learn about is another characteristic of self-scaffolding and self-talk (Bickhard, 1992; Bruffee, 1973;
Vygotsky, 1984). This characteristic was clear in Randy’s comment, “I kept practicing and going back
because I knew it was gonna work.” Randy believed he knew enough about a particular aspect of the game
to help himself achieve success.

Questioning self-knowledge. In metacognitive awareness, the brain organizes and coordinates

information that an individual already knows with information that the individual needs to find out. The brain
then provides the individual with an action plan to locate the information that he needs (Flavell, 1979; Ogle,
1994). In this aspect, metacognitive awareness functions very much like an online search engine; an
individual uses what he already consciously acknowledges he knows to find the information he does not
know. In this example of questioning self-knowledge, “I’m not supposed be on this level...am I?” Randy was
trying to figure out how his avatar moved to another level in the game. When Randy stated, “Whatever... It
is what it is... I gotta move on,” he was attempting to organize information and coordinate an action plan to
overpower his opponent. There were also instances when Randy seemed surprised by his own
subconscious knowledge, “Whoa, since when is that possible? I’m getting good.”
The Making of Second Life
Au (2008) discussed the challenges and nuances of existing in a virtual environment. Throughout the book,
Au talked about the dynamic status of virtual identity and how it afforded users of immersive environments,
such as MMORPGs, the freedom to explore their interests. During one observation session, Randy
commented, “Now, I’m the engineer of this game.” Playing as an avatar allowed him to place himself in the
shoes of his character. Randy created his own new habitat and learned how to survive and succeed in his
new environment. For the moment, he was an engineer. This opportunity would not have been available to
Randy without the existence of his disembodied identity and the immersive nature of MMORPGs.
The ability to develop a disembodied identity in a virtual world has the potential to promote learning by
stimulating cognitive functions, increasing learner control and diminishing physical constraints (Au, 2008;
Blinka, 2008; Hermans, Kempen, & Van Loon, 1992; Stephenson, 2000). In response to a question
regarding navigating in his virtual environment, Randy responded, I know where I’m going. I weave in and
out. I tell myself to go left or right, up or down, wherever I need to go to win. I just know where I’m going. I
just have this feeling inside. I’m good with directions. I know how to climb over the walls, knock down the
stairs, throw stuff, squeeze my body in little corners, duck down, whatever. There’s no limit. Randy’s
response was provided from the perspective of his avatar. His response indicated his avatar was in control
of the situation and knew what to do. The interactive nature of MMORPGs allowed Randy to fully immerse
himself in the environment and respond as if he were actually in the game.

Conclusion/Reccomendation

The purpose of this case study was to understand the role of MMORPGs in stimulating metacognitive
functions and enhancing self-scaffolding skills in a 16-year-old male gamer. The interactive, multi-modal,
multi-sensory, graphically rich features of MMORPGs stimulated the metacognitive functions of the
participant. The dynamic stimulus of MMORPGs helped sustain his interest and motivated his desire to
enhance his gaming skills. The anonymity of MMORPGs allowed Randy to explore his identity without the
fear of real-world repercussions. MMORPGs diminished Randy’s physical, social, and cognitive limitations
and promoted his sense of self and willingness to learn. He continuously pushed himself to become a better
player and challenged himself to learn new gaming skills to overcome virtual conundrums. The researcher
asked the question, “What self-scaffolding skills does a teenage male utilize as he engages in MMORPGs?”
Metacognitive awareness and self-scaffolding were essential components in Randy’s participation in
MMORPGs. Randy had to always be alert and aware of his surroundings. Self-scaffolding took place
spontaneously, sometimes in the most hectic, tense situations. Randy had to rely on spur of the moment
strategies and techniques to outwit his opponents. The pressure to think and react instantaneously forced
Randy to make quick mental connections between existing knowledge and information presented to him in
the moment of play. The continuity of MMORPGs immersive environment forced Randy to rely on himself
to fill in gaps in his knowledge the moment he realized he did not possess the information. Learning is a
process that unequivocally can transcend curriculum and mediums. Adolescent males are spending an
increasing amount of time in web-based interactions, particularly in MMORGPs. What happens in an
MMORPG game does not just happen in a MMORPG. For players, it is more than just a game; MMORPGs
envelop the player’s identity, mind, and emotions. As such, contemporary educational frameworks should
adjust themselves to balance neomillenials’ needs with the intellectual skills necessary for their academic
success. This case study provided an account of the experiences of an adolescent male gamer. It resulted
in increased self-awareness for the participant and the researcher. The study also
showed the importance of self-scaffolding in contributing to the participant’s knowledge, feelings of success,
and motivation.

TITLE AND SOURCE

Metacognition and Self-Scaffolding in MMORPGs:

Case Study of an Adolescent Male Gamer
The Qualitative Report 2015 Volume 20, Number 4, Article 5, 454-465
http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR20/4/monem5.pdf

Metacognitive strategies that make learning more effective and efficient.

1.Boost your students' metacognitive skills by increasing their activity

Students who have the opportunity to exercise voice, action, and leadership in designing, developing, and
assessing their learning have a greater chance of becoming resilient and independent learners. Teachers
co-design learning opportunities for students to exercise authentic action in their learning when they:

 Assist students to take ownership of their learning by identifying strategies that support them to
attain learning goals
 Assist students to become increasingly self-directed over time, and to gain confidence in their ability
to complete learning tasks
 Provide opportunities to reflect on the effectiveness of their learning and plan for future
development, enable students to negotiate assessment methods and criteria matched to their
learning goals.

2. Approaches in integrating metacognitive strategies into everyday teaching

As part of everyday teaching, some of the most common strategies used to embed metacognitive
strategies are:

Explicit teaching
 With a focus on activating prior knowledge, introducing new knowledge and skills, modeling the
application of knowledge and skills, and providing ample opportunity for independent practice and
reflection.

 Supporting students to plan, monitor, and evaluate their work/learning

Explicitly teaching skills in these areas, and structuring work around these phases will allow
students to gradually internalize these techniques and use them to take control of their learning.

 Developing rubrics (and wherever possible co-designing them with students)

 Assist students with the monitoring of learning and the setting of individual learning goals that are
specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely (SMART).
Modeling of thinking

 Verbalize the thought processes used to consider, analyze and solve problems. This may be as
simple as 'thinking aloud'.

Questioning

 Both in terms of using questions to engage students, to monitor their progress, and stimulate their
thinking, as well as valuing questions from students as a form of feedback and an opportunity for
clarification/extension of learning.

5-minute non-stop writing

1. I realized that metacognition processes increase student motivation because students feel more in
control of their learning. Students who learn metacognitive strategies are more aware of their
thinking and more likely to be active learners who learn more deeply. In addition to these benefits,
metacognition changes the fixed versus growth mindset about students’ ability to learn. Increased
student ownership of learning and students taking control over their learning. More positive
attitudes concerning school and learning and Improved performance not only academic but also
about behavioral performance. To make the strategies more effective teachers should also need
to encourage students to think of their strategies to achieve their goals, and identify which learning
strategies are best for them.