How can we improve metacognition in online searching?
Improving metacognition means improving our ability to monitor what we know and how we know it. Here are some ways to accomplish this: Put the project aside for a brief time. Taking a break helps in several ways. When immersed in the process, people often feel they’ve learned more than they really have. Nelson and Dunlosky (1991) found that a short break improves the ability to accurately assess what’s been learned. Also, returning to a problem repeatedly over time improves memory and comprehension, and allows us to take a slightly different perspective each time. Talk it out. Chi, deLeeuw, Chiu & LaVancher (1994) find that keeping up a running dialogue with oneself is effective in highlighting inconsistencies and gaps in knowledge. Suppose we read a paper on testing and come across the claim that “passing cutoffs are set arbitrarily.” As we attempt to tell ourselves what arbitrary cutoffs means, we realize we don’t really know. We can then reread looking for this information, or ferre
