Seeking to achieve teaching excellence and best practices in the classroom, an Academy for Meta-cognition was formulated to foster a community where faculty could share effective classroom engagement strategies and techniques and reflect on their teaching effectiveness utilizing a rubric.

1. Improving Faculty Metacognition
for 21st Century Learners
Dr. Elizabeth Faunce, CFP
Associate Professor
Immaculata University

2. Overview
• Introduction to Metacognition
• Discuss how self-reflection promotes teaching excellence and the
benefits of establishing faculty learning communities.
• Attendees will be divided into “learning communities,” provided
with a syllabus, and asked to reflect on: the learning outcomes,
activities, and assessment tools they would utilize in the
classroom.
• Groups will score themselves based on the IU Rubric for Faculty
Metacognition and identify ways to improve teaching excellence.
• Q&A and closing remarks.
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2015

3. Metacognition
is a higher-order of thinking that enables:
understanding,
analysis, &
control of one’s cognitive processes,
especially when engaged in learning.

4. Why is Metacognition Important
to Business Faculty?
• Business Faculty are Highly Educated
• Terminal Degrees
• Designations
• CFP
• CPA
• CFA
• Business Faculty have Extensive Work Experiences
• 10 years as a Federal Bank Regulator – FDIC
• Money and Banking Course
Unfortunately, business faculty often do not receive training/education
on effective teaching strategies.

5. Research Project Title:
Building an Academy for Metacognition
Research Question:
How can the formation of a peer learning community
foster faculty metacognition?
 Formed the IU Academy for Metacognition
 Faculty members from multiple disciplines
 Met bi-weekly for 1 hour
 Embraced specific engagement strategies
 Maintained journals of successes/failures
 Developed “Best Practices”

6. Findings
The Academy for Metacognition faculty members:
Embraced the learning communities and were very
receptive to the open dialog with their peers.
Appreciated the cross-disciplinary aspect of the group
because it allowed for varying thought processes.
Recognized that they were already using
metacognition/engagement strategies in the classroom
and welcomed new approaches.

7. Research Project Title:
Developing a Cross-disciplinary Rubric
for Faculty Metacognition
Research Question:
Can components of metacognitive thinking be
identified and ranked in a rubric?
 Developed a three part rubric
 All Academy members provided insight in the
development of the rubric.
 All members “tested” the validity and usefulness of
the rubric in the Fall 2014 semester.
 Copyright pending
 Will be posted on the university online platform for
faculty self reflection

8. Findings
Academy Members’ personal reflections:
• “Through the Academy and use of the rubric, metacognitive thinking
pervades all of my course preparations and professional activities.”
• “I focus on student engagement and interaction instead of relying on a pure
lecture format.”
• “I now actively seek feedback from students and go ‘off course’ when my
planned presentation is not working”

9. Metacognition Rubric
• Three Parts
• Reflective Planning
• Implementation of Lesson
• Reflection on Lesson
• Four Rankings
• Novice
• Apprentice
• Practitioner
• Master

10. Activity
• Break into “Learning Communities” – team up with the person(s)
sitting next to you.
• Review the syllabus provided.
• Reflect on the learning outcomes provided on the syllabus.
• What activities and assessment tools would you utilize in the
classroom? Share your thoughts/comments with your peers.
• Score yourself based on the IU Rubric for Faculty
Metacognition.
• Identify engagement activities that you might use in the
classroom to improve teaching effectiveness.

11. Thank You
If you would like more information on:
 Developing an Academy for Metacognition
 The IU Cross-Disciplinary Rubric for Faculty Metacognition
Elizabeth Faunce
Immaculata University
1145 King Road
Immaculata, PA 19345
efaunce@immaculata.edu

12. Sources
• Barkley, Elizabeth. (2010). Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. San Francisco, CA: John
Wiley and Sons. Text used by Academy of Metacognition members.
• Cashin, W. (1989). IDEA Paper No. 21: Defining and Evaluating College Teaching. Manhattan, KS: The IDEA Center.
Retrieved October 31, 2014 from http://www.the ideacenter.org/sites/default/files/IDEA_Paper_21.pdf.
• Hoyt, D. and Pallett, W. (1999). IDEA Paper No. 36: Appraising Teaching Effectiveness: Beyond Student Ratings.
Manhattan, KS: The IDEA Center. Retrieved October 31, 2014 from http://www.the
ideacenter.org/sites/default/files/IDEA_Paper_36.pdf.
• Jernstedt, C. (2012 - present). “Building Faculty Capacity for 21st Century Teaching.” A faculty-led, continuous
professional development model strengthening evidence-based teaching; funded by the Teagle Foundation; sponsored by
SEPCHE (Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education); and facilitated by Dr. Chris Jernstedt and Elizabeth
Moy.
• Millis, B. J. (2012). IDEA Paper No. 53: Active Learning Strategies in Face-to-Face Courses. Manhattan, KS: The IDEA
Center. Retrieved October 31, 2014 from http://www.the ideacenter.org/sites/default/files/IDEA_Paper_53.pdf.
• Moy, Elizabeth, O'Sullivan, Gerard, Terlecki, Melissa, and Jernstedt, Christian (2014) Building Faculty Capacity Through the
Learning Sciences, Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 46:2, 42-49, DOI: 10.1080/00091383.2014.896710 Retrieved
November 3, 2014.
• Stalheim-Smith, A. (1998). IDEA Paper No. 34: Focusing on Active, Meaningful Learning. Manhattan, KS: The IDEA Center.
Retrieved October 31, 2014 from http://www.the ideacenter.org/sites/default/files/IDEA_Paper_34.pdf.