Exam-Wrappers as a Tool to Enhance Students’ Metacognitive Skills in Machine Element Design Class

Abstract

Acquiring metacognitive skills, i.e. selfassessment of study behaviors through exam-wrappers, would potentially have concrete positive effects on students learning. The purpose of this study was to assess the link between students’ performance and study behaviors, to analyze their metacognitive skills. Exam-wrappers consisted of 4 fundamental questions and were utilized in an undergraduate engineering class, Machine Element Design, at McGill University. Data were later collected and analyzed using statistical analyses. Results showed an overall increasing trend between the quality of reflection and students grades’ improvement, with the highest being a 47.5 increase in grade for a student who scored a 10/10 reflection. Analyzed cases led to the conclusion that students were able to use their metacognitive skills to self-assess, and accordingly adjust their study behaviors and goals, to thrive at a better performance.

All “wrapped” up in reflection: supporting metacognitive awareness to promote students’ self-regulated learning

“…Encouraging reflection through the use of purposefully designed instruments hones metacognitive skills, resulting in effective SRL and allowing students to succeed academically in numerous disciplines ( 3 , 27 – 32 ). In addition, analysis of student reflections can help educators develop a broader understanding of study strategies that might help students learn best ( 26 , 33 ).…”