How Self-Knowledge Shapes Learning

Inmy previous article, I introduced the science of metacognition — the scientific label for our ability to reflect on, evaluate, and control mental functions in a variety of useful ways, which we may otherwise call ‘self-knowledge’. The article closely followed the first half of neuroscientist Prof. Steve Fleming’s book ‘Know Thyself’.

In this article, I will continue exploring what the book has to offer, specifically by looking at what the book has to say about the connection between metacognition and learning (chapter 6).

As a reminder, there are two main building blocks of metacognition. First, our brains keep track of our confidence in our judgments about what is there in the world. If we are sure that there is a bridge in front of us, we are going to cross it — if we doubt it, we will think twice. Second, we also constantly track our own actions and monitor for errors. Even after our actions are completed, we can still learn whether the action was good or bad and then update our ideas about how to act in particular scenarios.

Our brains, then, are pretty good at monitoring themselves, which has some obvious advantages. If we are aware of our perceptual limitations, we will know when to seek more…