Complete thesis - Murdoch University

An additional aspect of expertise relates to the cognitive ability to plan, defined as themanagement of knowledge structures. Expert planning is seen to be based on the identificationand exploitation of past situations and basic schema recognition. Experts followwell-structured plans towards a solution until knowledge is no longer readily available, atwhich time opportunistic behaviour takes over. Three principal characteristics of plans are:their heuristic nature – based on knowledge available; the optimal use of memory – throughthe process of abstraction, and a high level of control – plans enable the emergence of anactivity that cannot be derived from the detail of the activity being processed (Robillard,1999).In summary, experts:• construct representations of the problem based on higher-order principles and test solutionsbased on these• work from problem schema forwards to solution, based on known or recognised elements• plan solution strategy application and self-monitor progress.Declaration 5 adaptable chunking of knowledge structure and their management underpinsexpertise.3.1.6 Metacognition and reflectionCognitive psychology emphasises that effective knowledge construction is related to an awarenessand ability to control one’s thought processes. This acknowledges the place of metacognitiveand reflective strategies in knowledge construction – the mind does not just consist ofa collection of skills: a decision is required on which strategy or skill to employ in a particularsituation. This is higher order thinking (Flavell, 1979) to actively control the cognitiveprocesses engaged in thinking and acquiring knowing.Metacognition may be defined as awareness of one’s own cognitive processes (rather than thecontent of those processes) together with the use of that self awareness in controlling andimproving cognitive processes (Biggs and Moore, 1993). According to Flavell (1979) (one ofthe first to introduce the concept) metacognition consists of both metacognitive knowledgeand metacognitive experiences of regulation. Metacognitive knowledge refers to acquiredknowledge about cognitive processes, knowledge that can then be used to control cognitiveprocesses:knowledge of person variables – refers to knowledge about how human beings learn andprocess information, as well as individual knowledge of one’s own learning processes118