Introduction to Online Learning:
Tools and Processes

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Metacognition

Finding and mapping related concepts is a bit more challenging than merely matching occurences with a specific term. Unless you can locate a WWW search mechanism that allows you to truncate terms using wildcards you may have difficulty in finding other "meta" terms. There is, of course, the option of using an on-line dictionary. You may have even tripped across a useful list in performing a search for "metacognition". You may have even forced a connection by conducting a Boolean search for ("metacognition" and ("list" or "terms")) or some such combination.

Online learning does not preclude the use of off-line tools. Don't forget that users and machines are embedded in environments. There may be a set of reference tools at hand. Here are two sources for other "meta" terms:

Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought
In the second edition (1988) you will not find "metacognition". You will find "metagrammar", "metahistory", "metalanguage" and "metalinguistics".Having found those you can conduct further WWW searches. *smile*
Encyclopedia of Contemporary Literary Theory: Approaches, Scholars, Terms
An entry on "metalanguage" will lead you to one on "communication theory". This entry provides a succinct description supplement by reference to the work of Roman Jakobson and John L. Austin. You can find a quick review of Jakobson's six elements of a communicative situation. You can find a set of brief examples of Austin's speech act categories .

As you can begin to determine, cognition has much to do with communication. Thinking about communication can helps us think about thinking if only because the act of thinking is like a constant dialogue, a perpetual round of questions and answers.


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