This Week for Faculty: 🧠 Strengthening student metacognition

Strengthen student metacognition

Have your students taken an exam or submitted an assignment recently in your course? If so, consider asking your students to complete an exam or assignment wrapper. Wrappers help students strengthen their metacognitive skills. Build in opportunities for students to reflect on what and how they are learning, their performance, and the effectiveness of their own approach. For example, after returning the exam or assignment, ask students to reflect on their preparation strategies, correct their mistakes or respond to the feedback provided, and plan their approach for upcoming course assessments. This helps students focus on the learning process and empowers them to take more ownership for their learning

You may ask students to complete a short written reflection or discuss questions such as:

• What was your approach to prepare for this exam or complete this assignment?

• What resources did you access (e.g., office hours, study groups, tutoring, the Writing Center, librarian, a peer, AI) in preparation for the exam or as you worked on the assignment?

• What questions, concepts or parts of the assignment were challenging for you and why?

• What changes could you make to your approach for upcoming exams or assignments?

For sample wrappers, explore Appendix F: What are exam wrappers and how can we use them? In How Learning Works: 7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching (Ambrose et al., 2010: 251-254); and the Eberly Center’s Exam Wrappers page.

Keep students focused on their learning

Enhance student focus and engagement by integrating active learning strategies into your classroom. Incorporate techniques such as think-pair-share, polling, discussions, among many others to keep students actively involved in the learning process. Invite students to share their ideas for engagement, fostering a sense of ownership in the learning. Seek feedback from your students about the activities and adjust your approach accordingly. 

Looking for inspiration? Watch the short TeachingTalks by Columbia faculty videos below and reach out to us at CTLfaculty@columbia.edu to discuss implementing these and other active learning strategies in your classroom.

Create the environment needed for your students to engage with community agreements

In this video, Isper Crissey, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor of Nursing at the Columbia University Medical Center, shares how she uses the community agreement “make space, give grace” to create a respectful learning environment in her classroom where all students feel comfortable to speak up, and feel valued as a member of the class community.

Get your students collaborating with peers with Think-Group-Share

In this video, John Parkinson, Lecturer and Program Director in the Discipline of Construction Administration in the Columbia University School of Professional Studies, shares how he uses “think-group-share” to engage his students in collaborative learning. This strategy provides students with an opportunity to individually think, group up for peer-to-peer learning, and share group takeaways with the whole class.

Give your students a voice in the classroom by asking them for feedback

In this video, Christopher Ferraris, LMSW, Lecturer in the Columbia School of Social Work, shares how he uses a questionnaire to check-in with students mid-semester and give them a voice in their learning process.

The faculty featured in these TeachingTalks videos are all past participants of the CTL’s Active Learning Institute (ALI). Join the network of over 150 faculty who have participated in ALI and transformed their classrooms into dynamic, engaging learning environments where students take an active role in their learning.

Active Learning Institute Summer 2025
June 10 – 11, 2025, 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM, in-person

The CTL’s Active Learning Institute will help you transform a course. By the end of this hands-on in-person institute, you will leave with a detailed map of your redesigned course unit, and plan for a multimedia-based active learning experience. Learn more.

The Active Learning Institute application for Summer 2025 is now open. Columbia and affiliate faculty are invited to apply via the link below. Admission to the institute is rolling, and applications received by Monday, May 12, 2025, will be given priority.

Upcoming workshops

Navigating HOT Moments: Before, During, & After Class
March 26, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Related resource: Navigating Heated, Offensive, and Tense (HOT) Moments in the Classroom

Exploring AI in Teaching and Learning: AI and Reading
April 2, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Related resource: Learning Through Reading: Strategies to Support Students’ Reading Practices

Ways to Be More Inclusive in Your Course 
April 4, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Related resource: Guide for Inclusive Teaching at Columbia

The CTL is here to help!

Connect via Zoom or over the phone
Join us for office hours via Zoom (or phone) Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm to have your teaching with instructional technology questions answered.

Schedule a consultation
Schedule an in-person or virtual consultation to discuss any teaching and learning need by emailing ctlfaculty@columbia.edu or email the CTL Learning Designer assigned to your school or department.