Self-Monitoring: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Tutor
A checklist can help the student monitor learning and mistakes.
Introduction: The Key to Becoming an Independent Learner
Have you noticed that students perform well under supervision but struggle when working alone? Or perhaps you’ve made careless mistakes despite feeling confident in your answers?
This highlights a crucial skill gap: self-monitoring.
Self-monitoring is a key component of executive functioning—it’s not about intelligence, but about the ability to check your own work, detect errors, and self-correct.
📌 The Good News?
Self-monitoring is a trainable skill! Students who learn to think like a tutor improve their:
✔ Accuracy
✔ Confidence
✔ Independence
In this post, we’ll explore:
✅ Why self-monitoring is essential for academic success
✅ The psychology behind it
✅ Practical strategies to train your brain to self-check and self-correct
Understanding Self-Monitoring in Learning
1️⃣The Role of Metacognition & Executive Functioning
Self-monitoring is a vital aspect of metacognition—our ability to think about our thinking processes. It’s also closely linked to executive functions like:
✔ Task initiation
✔ Planning
✔ Goal-setting (Diamond, 2013).
📌 Scientific Insight:
Metacognition helps students identify when they don’t fully understand something and adjust their approach (Zimmerman & Schunk, 2011).
Students who self-monitor perform significantly better than those who rely on external correction (Chi et al., 1989).
🔹 What This Means for Students:
✔ Self-monitoring improves academic performance and problem-solving.
✔ The best learners train their brains to ask questions like a tutor before finalizing an answer.
2️⃣Why Some Students Struggle with Self-Monitoring
Many students don’t self-check because they:
❌ Focus on getting the right answer quickly instead of analyzing the process.
❌ Lack confidence and assume if they have an answer, it must be correct.
❌ Have never been taught proper self-checking strategies.
📌 Scientific Insight:
Students who verbalize their thought process while solving problems improve their accuracy (Chi et al., 1989).
The brain has two thinking modes (Kahneman, 2011):
System 1 (Fast Thinking): Intuitive and automatic but prone to errors.
System 2 (Slow Thinking): More effortful but allows deeper reflection and error detection.
🔹 What This Means for Students:
✔ They must balance fast and slow thinking to catch errors.
✔ Asking critical questions can significantly reduce mistakes.
How to Train Your Brain to Self-Monitor Like a Tutor
✅Step 1: Use the "Pause & Check" Method
✔ Before finalizing an answer, pause for 10-15 seconds to review it.
✔ This forces a shift from fast to slow thinking, reducing careless mistakes (Kahneman, 2011).
📌 Try This:
🔹 Before submitting an answer, ask yourself:
✔ Did I read the question carefully?
✔ Did I check my calculations?
✔ Does my answer make sense in the context of the problem?
✅Step 2: Self-Explain the Solution
✔ Explaining the problem-solving process out loud helps identify gaps in understanding (Chi et al., 1989).
📌 Try This:
🔹 After solving a question, say out loud:
✔ Why did I choose this method?
✔ What mistake might someone else make here?
✔ How can I verify my answer?
✅Step 3: Use a Self-Checking Checklist
✔ A structured checklist reduces human error—it’s used in medicine, aviation, and engineering (Gawande, 2009).
📌 Try This:
🔹 Before submitting work, go through this Self-Monitoring Checklist:
✔ Did I answer all parts of the question?
✔ Did I double-check numbers, units, and formulas?
✔ Is my final answer clearly stated and in the correct format?
✔ Could I confidently explain this solution to a classmate?
✅Step 4: Identify Patterns in Mistakes (Error Log)
✔ Keeping an "Error Log" helps identify recurring mistakes and develop improvement strategies.
📌 Scientific Insight:
Students who reflect on their errors improve their self-regulation and academic performance (Panadero et al., 2017).
📌 Try This:
🔹 After each test, complete an Error Log:
| Mistake Type | Example | Why Did I Make This Mistake? | How Will I Avoid It Next Time? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculation Error | Wrong decimal place | Rushed without checking | Use estimation to verify |
| Misreading question | Missed a key term | Didn't highlight important info | Underline keywords before solving |
✅Step 5: Practice “Blinded Review”
✔ Taking short breaks before reviewing work helps overcome cognitive biases that prevent us from spotting mistakes.
📌 Scientific Insight:
Breaks improve focus and error detection (Zimmerman & Moylan, 2009).
📌 Try This:
🔹 After finishing an assignment:
✔ Step away for at least 10-15 minutes before reviewing.
✔ Read your solution out loud or backward to detect errors.
✔ If possible, have a peer review your work for a fresh perspective.
Final Thoughts: Building Independent Learning Skills
Developing strong self-monitoring skills is crucial for academic success and lifelong learning.
Students who train their brains to self-monitor like a tutor will:
✅ Reduce careless mistakes
✅ Catch misunderstandings early
✅ Build true independence in their studies
💡 Remember: Self-monitoring works best when combined with other executive functioning skills like:
✔ Planning
✔ Time management
✔ Goal-setting
🔜 Coming Up Next: The Role of Anxiety & Confidence in Independent Learning
Would you like free self-monitoring tools to improve accuracy and learning?
🔹 Download Our Self-Checking & Error Log Templates!
🔹 Join Our Email List for Weekly Study Tips!
🔹Want to dive deeper into the key terms and concepts from this series? 📖 Check out our Comprehensive Glossary for Independent Learning for clear definitions and explanations of terms like retrieval practice, cognitive load, scaffolded independence, and more. It’s a great resource to help students and parents better understand the science behind independent learning!
References
Chi, M. T., Bassok, M., Lewis, M. W., Reimann, P., & Glaser, R. (1989). Self-explanations: How students study and use examples in learning to solve problems. Cognitive Science, 13(2), 145-182.
Flavell, J. H. (1979). Metacognition and cognitive monitoring: A new area of cognitive-developmental inquiry. American Psychologist, 34(10), 906-911.
Gawande, A. (2009). The checklist manifesto: How to get things right. Metropolitan Books.
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Kornell, N., & Bjork, R. A. (2008). Learning concepts and categories: Is spacing the "enemy of induction"? Psychological Science, 19(6), 585-592.
Zimmerman, B. J., & Schunk, D. H. (2011). Self-regulated learning and academic achievement: Theoretical perspectives. Routledge.
