Learning to learn and monitoring one’s studies


The acquisition of metacognitive skills (i.e. learning to learn) involves the processing of information about our individual intellectual resources, ways of thinking and strategies, including details of various problem-solving situations and tasks.

  1. •The kinaesthetic chart, or how to teach piano players to understand their own bodies

  2. •The pianist’s movement patterns

  3. •The free ”plunge” of the hand and tying two notes together

  4. •Balance at the piano

  5. •On perception

  6. •Learning to play the piano is a process

  7. •Learning a new piece – the different stages

  8. •Motivation

  9. •Learning to learn and monitoring

  10. •Reading music

  11. •Learning with your friends

  12. •From intervals and chords to improvisation

  13. •Instructions for practising

  14. •Kosketuslajit

  15. •Practising intervals

  16. •Practising octaves

  17. •Peukalon toiminnasta

  18. •Asteikkojen harjoitteleminen

  19. •Learning is emotional

  20. •Multipurpose practising

  21. •Liszt’s Studies

Metacognition encompasses analysing, in the learning process, the relation between our own studies and the paradigms and emotions affecting them, consciously examining and selecting learning strategies, being aware of learning styles, monitoring comprehension, setting targets and assessing their realisation, evaluating and perceiving learning, being attentive, and identifying cognitive and mnemonic strategies. It plays a significant part in the development of all skilled activity. According to research, it is an important factor in the assimilation of new concepts, in the adjustment of one’s perceptual, mnemonic and linguistic processes, in specialist problem-solving and in learning to learn.


Piano players would benefit from practising metacognitive skills from childhood. Teachers would then not invariably provide pupils with ready solutions and practising instructions, but gradually guide them towards analysing their own achievements and actively participating in providing feedback and in practice planning. Pupils should learn to be aware of and to analyse both music and performances, and to show active participation. When they find out how to perceive and scrutinise their own activities, they gradually become experts on their own playing, exploiting their individual strengths as players and learners. They discover how to observe and interpret their own bodily sensations, which may help to boost their playing skills. They manage to identify their own individuality, to appreciate it and to realise the personal nature of learning. At this point, comparisons with others are no longer relevant: the focus is on individual abilities.



Does this subject interest you?

Read more (research results with source references). Junttu 2010 pp. 95-96

(http://www.junttu.net/ / /raportti.html)

 

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