BUS 5211: Managing in the Global Economy, University of the People
Unit 2 Portfolio Activity
Grade: 10/10 (652 words)
When we have to learn a new skill for a job, we will experience various unfamiliar things in unfamiliar situations. If we don’t know how to overcome it, we may fail to learn a new skill. For these situations, metacognitive knowledge will help us adapt to unfamiliar environments, and obtain a new skill.
Case description
Before starting the discussion, I will define “new skill” because the needed skills depend on jobs, positions, and the workplace. Based on my experience, I define a new skill as “operating a host computer” in my workplace. I assume I just transferred from the international office to an academic affairs office in a private university in Japan, and I have to learn a new skill, how to operate a host computer. Before the transfer, I had never known or used it.
Following the instructions, I use the metacognitive knowledge concept and describe how I will learn a new skill for my job in 6 months. In Particular, I will describe the details of the learning process, the tasks of learning, and the strategies for my goal.
Metacognition and Metacognitive knowledge
Metacognition comprises three core components, metacognitive knowledge, metacognitive regulation, and metacognitive experience. (Global Metacognition, 2020) According to the Cambridge International Education Teaching and Learning Team (n.d.), metacognitive knowledge refers to what learners know about learning. This includes three factors:
- learning processes and beliefs about how to learn and how to think others learn
- the task of learning and how to process information
- strategies develop and when use them (Cultural intelligence for leaders, 2012)
Based on the above three factors, I will demonstrate how to learn a new skill, operating a host computer in 6 months.
Learning process
The host computer has various functions, and I must learn multiple functions depending on the work types. I am good at operating computers, so I am confident I will remember it within 6 months. However, there is one problem. The manual of the host computer isn’t updated for a long time, so some information is incorrect. I have to learn the part of the operation from my colleagues, but in my workplace, colleagues are not used to explaining the operating methods, and their explanation is not enough for me. I feel frustrated when I can’t do my work efficiently due to a lack of description.
Tasks of learning
To complete this task, I need to think about as follows:
- Identify when I have to operate the host computer for my work?
- For the first use of a host computer, which kind of operation do I have to use?
- Does the manual include all functions for the first use?
- If the manual is incomplete, who is the right person should I ask about it?
- When should I start learning it to complete the first work by the due date?
- How long should I take to modify the manual?
- How long do I have to set aside enough time to complete all the tasks mentioned above?
Strategies for my goal
During the 6 months, I will operate a host computer to complete various jobs, so I have plenty of opportunities to get familiar with the operations and functions. I assume that it takes more time than usual when I use a host computer for the first time. Therefore, reviewing the tasks stated above and making a schedule is essential before starting learning. Based on my experience, taking extra time is vital for scheduling because we usually experience dealing with unexpected tasks during work.
Most people feel uneasy when encountering new environments and are required to learn new skills. However, understanding the concept of metacognition helps us deal with the situation. In this discussion, I concentrated on demonstrating how I can learn new skills and overcome my weak points with metacognitive knowledge. Metacognitive knowledge helps us obtain an objective view and allows us to perform well.
References
Cambridge International Education Teaching and Learning Team. (n.d.). Getting started with Metacognition. Retrieved from https://cambridge-community.org.uk/professional-development/gswmeta/index.html#:~:text=Metacognitive%20knowledge%20refers%20to%20what,going%20to%20read%20are%20complex')
Cultural intelligence for leaders (v. 1.0). (2012, December 29). Lardbucket. Retrieved from https://2012books.lardbucket.org/pdfs/cultural-intelligence-for-leaders.pdf
Global Metacognition. (2020, March 16). What is Metacognitive Knowledge? Retrieved from https://www.globalmetacognition.com/post/what-is-metacognitive-knowledge
