Addizionario: in between Cognition and Metacognition

Metacognitive theory considers learning as the result of the activation of several conscious processes. Our project aimed to support reading comprehension and meaningful learning by the use of conceptual maps and to investigate the processes involved in motivated learning when the pupil's attention is turned to learning objectives and suitable strategies are made explicit and shared. The project saw a group of children attending year four in an Italian primary school tackle a scientific subject matter from a multidisciplinary perspective. Each pupil created an initial conceptual map in pen-and-paper format and then a final one with Addizionario. Qualitative and quantitative comparison between the two outputs showed development in the learning processes, awareness of the logical reasoning used in creating the map, and ability to self-monitor the progressive mastering of knowledge. Active re-elaboration of the material helped the children understand the learning objectives, and find suitable strategies.