Learning How to Learn has a long history. It formally began with the work of John Flavell, a developmental psychologist and student of Piaget. Flavell used the word “metacognition” to describe what learners did when they “tuned into” their own learning. Since then a variety of terms have been used to describe the ways in which learners take charge of their own learning: self-directed, independent, autonomous, self-regulated…
Over this nearly 35 year period, interest in Learning How to Learn has drawn the attention of teachers at every level–preschool through adult life long learning, in every discipline, across a number of teaching philosophies, and in a variety of media.
See, for example,
Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology?
V34(2) Spring /printemps, 2008 Elizabeth Murphy
A framework for identifying and promoting
metacognitive knowledge and control in online discussants
“According to the learner-centered approach, therole of the teacher is optimally as a facilitator, advisor, tutor or coach. The role of learners is as self-regulating, independent, active and engaged constructors of knowledge. Self-regulation requires that learners proactively engage in metacognitive (Mc) processes (Zimmerman & Schunk, 1989) that involve reflecting on and analyzing one’s own thinking (Flavell, 1976).”