The role of metacognitive skills in learning to solve problems

Chapter 8
SUMMARY
In the world of education, the currently prevailing paradigm is constructivism.
This learning theory states that knowledge construction is
an active process in which self-regulation and reflection are important.
Games and simulations fit well with this paradigm because players are
able to explore and experiment in a realistic setting. Several empirical
studies however indicate that learning is not optimal in such environments.
This mainly appears to be due to the fact that learners are not
sufficiently guided in their learning process. The question is what kind
of support one could add to a constructivist environment, that focuses
on learning to solve problems, to make learning more effective. It is
proposed to use a systematic approach to problem solving in the form of
a compiled task model. Research has shown that the inclusion of such a
task model could enhance knowledge acquisition and regulation of learning.
The main aim of this research project is to investigate the role of
metacognition in learning to solve problems in constructivist learning
environments.
In chapter 2 the theoretical foundation is described that underpins the
empirical studies of this research project. It concludes with a theoretical
model that predicts how learning to solve problems occurs.
In the theoretical model, three levels are distinguished. These are the
object-, task- and meta-level. The object-level is domain-dependent. It
consists of domain-specific knowledge and cognitive activities related to
it. A learner who is not aware of higher levels in the problem solving
process than the object-level only has a limited control over the reasoning
process. When a learner is aware of higher levels, cognitive activities
can be ordered in such a way that they represent a systematic approach
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