Archive for September 7th, 2009

  • Metacognitive

    Date: 2009.09.07 | Category: Glossary, Unit SSK12 | Response: 0

    Glossary
    Unit: SSK12
    Week: 2 (updated in Week 6)
    Date: 07 October 2009 (Updated: 09 October 2009)

    Word: metacognitive adj.
    Context: Metacognitive is mentioned by Lorraine Marshall in the ‘Read this first’ introduction of A Guide to learning independently.
    Definition: The Australian Oxford Dictionary simply defines metacognition as “awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes”. This might be more simply put as thinking about your own thinking and recognising what factors might influence our thinking (Encarta, 2009). A Dictionary of Psychology informs us that “Writings on metacognition can be traced back at least as far as De Anima and the Parva Naturalia of the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384–322 BC), and the phenomenon was brought to prominence during the 1970s largely by the US psychologist John H(urley) Flavell (born 1928)…” In an influential article presented by psychologists, R.E. Nisbett and T.D. Wilson they “summarized a range of evidence suggesting that people are often unaware of the factors influencing their own choices, evaluations, and behaviour….” (A Dictionary of Psychology, 2009).
    Word in Use: As she became more metacognitive in her approach to her choices, she became more aware of what was influencing her behaviour.

    Marshall, L., and F. Rowland. 2006. A Guide To Learning Independently. 4th ed. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Pearson Education Australia.

    The Australian Oxford Dictionary. 2004. 2nd ed. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

    Encarta® World English Dictionary. 2009. Metacognition.
    http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?search=metacognitive
    (accessed September 07, 2009)

    “metacognition n.” A Dictionary of Psychology. Edited by Andrew M. Colman. Oxford University Press 2009. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Murdoch University. <http://0-www.oxfordreference.com.prospero.murdoch.edu.au/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t87.e5014>
    (accessed September 07, 2009)

  • Meta-

    Date: 2009.09.07 | Category: Study Reflections, Unit SSK12 | Response: 0

    Reflection
    Unit: SSK12
    Week: 1
    Date: 07 September 2009

    Lorraine Marshall references the text in the Unit Reader as follows:
    Hobson, J. 1996. Concepts of the self: Different ways of knowing about the self. SSK12 lecture transcript. ed. Marshall, L. Perth: Murdoch University

    At the risk of looking silly, I’m wondering if the following full reference is also valid, if not more so:
    Hobson, J. 1996. Concepts of the self: Different ways of knowing about the self. SSK12 lecture transcript. ed. Marshall, L. Reprinted in SSK12 Introduction to University Learning Reader 2008, 27-36. Perth: Murdoch University

    When did we find the lovely word ‘metacognition’ and where is the Glossary thread? Have I missed something?

    The Oxford Dictionary of English (2005) defines ‘meta-‘ a combining form (or prefix) 1. denoting a change of position or condition: metamorphosis, 2. denoting position behind, after, or beyond: metacarpus, 3. denoting something of a higher or second-order kind: metalanguage.

    Upon cross-referencing ‘metalanguage’ from the definition above you find it is “a form of language or set of terms used for the description or analysis of another language” (Oxford Dictionary of English, 2005) and if you were to look up ‘metacognition’ you would find that it is an “awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes” (Oxford Dictionary of English, 2005).

    In both these cases (and many others pertaining to philosophy and psychology) when we apply the prefix ‘Meta-‘ to the original subject or word stem, the new word represents a subject or topic about the original subject. In other words, metalanguage is a language used to describe language and metacognition is thinking about thinking or in Hobson’s (1996) case, “contextualis[ing] the context”.

    In summary, to answer Koral’s question, in this case I believe ‘meta’ to mean something above and beyond the subject we are applying it to in order to better understand that subject. (I hope that made sense) 🙂

    More on the context that defines me and the questions that may raise after I’ve actually read the text. 🙂

    References
    “meta- combining form” The Oxford Dictionary of English (revised edition). Ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. Oxford University Press, 2005. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Murdoch University. 6 September 2009 <http://0-www.oxfordreference.com.prospero.murdoch.edu.au/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t140.e47936>

    “metalanguage noun” The Oxford Dictionary of English (revised edition). Ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. Oxford University Press, 2005. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Murdoch University. 6 September 2009 <http://0-www.oxfordreference.com.prospero.murdoch.edu.au/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t140.e47953>

    “metacognition noun” The Oxford Dictionary of English (revised edition). Ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. Oxford University Press, 2005. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Murdoch University. 6 September 2009 <http://0-www.oxfordreference.com.prospero.murdoch.edu.au/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t140.e47945>