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Teach Students How to Learn

Teaching for Metacognitive Equity

Saundra McGuire’s has developed methods to teaching students how to learn over the past twenty years. In this course, you will learn how to teach your students these skills and strategies, in a way that’s engaging and will enable them to experience transformative success in your course.

“Metacognitive equity describes our need to close the gap between students who have acquired effective thinking and learning strategies and those who have not. Often, whether or not a student possesses those strategies—rather than any lack of innate ability or talent—makes the difference between academic success and discouraging failure.” – Saundra McGuire

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Participant Outcomes Asset 10

Upon successful completion of the course, you will:
  • Analyze the beneficial concepts of Bloom’s taxonomy, metacognitive learning strategies, the Study Cycle, and the connection of mindset, emotion and learning, within the context of your student group.
  • Design a face-to-face lesson or online module targeted for your specific student group.
  • Identify specific learning activities for your courses/student groups that encourage and support higher levels of student achievement.
  • Identify personal strategies and tools for collecting, analyzing and sharing individual and group improvement data.

    Testimonials

    "When Saundra McGuire talks about how her students should have learned in HS some of the concepts they didn't know in her course, I've felt that way in both writing courses and in literature courses. But I also came to realize that we can't keep passing that buck along. I really appreciated the opportunity to take this course and I came away feeling empowered to incorporate the lessons and strategies we worked on into my own courses."

    – Francis Zauhar, Associate Professor of English, Marywood College

    "Reflecting on the content of the course, one belief that has been challenged is that teaching students how to learn was not my responsibility – that I was just responsible for the content in my subject. But I can see now the impact that helping students to build a set of strategies they can use themselves can improve their learning way beyond my subject."

    – Samantha Byrne, Melbourne Dental School

    “A sincere thanks for the practical resources and ideas in this workshop and for providing lots of valuable feedback. I really got a lot out of it and feel inspired to try some new things next semester!”

    – Matt Ogburn, Assistant Professor of Biology, Southern Utah University

    “I really enjoyed this course. I did a number of online trainings this summer and this one really stood out based on the course organization and facilitation skills. So, thank you!”

    – Elizabeth Leininger, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology, New College of Florida

    “At Texas Southmost College, groups of our faculty go through the Teach Students How to Learn course because it is aligned well to support our current Quality Enhancement Plan… I appreciate that our faculty are encouraged to create a strong product to then emulate for students. I myself am now ready to work more metacognitive strategies into my courses so that the learning experience is more seamless for students. I truly enjoyed the course and look forward to more in the future.”

    – Dr. Daniel González, Quality Enhancement Plan Director and Full-time English Instructor, Texas Southmost College

    "What didn’t I learn? I now understand the difference between study mode and learn mode. I had never made that distinction. I get it. It makes sense, but to me those to terms were used in conjunction. Studying was what helped me learn. Now I know that’s not really how it works. I also understand why it’s so important to know and make students aware of fixed and growth mindsets. I feel like I have a whole tool chest of strategies I can teach them and strategies I can use to help build self-esteem and motivate them to learn. "

    – Jessica Carolos, Adjuct Instructor of English, Texas Southmost College

    Course Formats Asset 10

    Teachers and students who have used the teaching and learning strategies in this course report “dramatic individual student improvement.” You will likely experience a newfound joy in your ability to more strategically and effectively help your students learn how to learn.
    Have questions? FAQs answered here.

    SELF-PACED

    In the self-paced format, you gain lifetime access to the course including all the videos, content, and resources and can complete the activities at your own pace. Participants have the option to add a 30-minute live feedback session with a facilitator and obtain a certificate of completion.

    • Mini-lessons with videos, resources, tips, and advice created by the book authors
    • Current resources and new ideas that build on the content in the book
    • Examples from past faculty participants from a variety of disciplines and institutions
    • Flexible so that you complete the course at your own pace
    • Equity-minded practices underlying every course
    • Immediate application of strategies and methods to your own course and context
    • Book required
    • *Includes certificate of completion with 30-min facilitator feedback session

      $99 / $199*

      REGISTER Today

      FACILITATED

      Next Cohort: Sept 8 – Sept 26, 2025

      In our facilitated courses, participants receive expert guidance through an established, step-by-step process. Join a future cohort or gather 5 colleagues, and arrange a dedicated session with customized dates!

      • All the same benefits of the self-paced course (mini lessons, advice from the authors, current resources, examples across disciplines, immediate application of strategies to your own courses and contexts)
      • Expert guidance through an established, step-by-step process
      • Personalized feedback at every step from an experienced facilitator
      • Collegial discussion with like-minded college educators
      • Flexible asynchronous format with targeted due dates to keep the group working together
      • Book required

        $495/person

        REGISTER FOR THE NEXT COHORT

        Meet the Author Asset 10

        Dr. Saundra McGuire

        Dr. Saundra McGuire is the Director Emerita of the Center for Academic Success and retired Assistant Vice Chancellor and Professor of Chemistry at Louisiana State University. She has delivered keynote addresses or presented workshops on metacognitive learning strategies to help students succeed at over 300 institutions in 48 states and eight countries. Prior to joining LSU, she spent eleven years at Cornell University, where she received the coveted Clark Distinguished Teaching Award. Her best-selling book, Teach Students How to Learn, was published by Stylus in 2015.  The student version of this book, Teach Yourself How to Learn, became available in January 2018.

        WATCH THE COURSE INTRO

        Frequently Asked Questions

        How much time will it take to complete a course?

        Our facilitated courses are designed to be completed in 15-20 hours over a roughly 3-week period of time. Every situation is different, and you may choose to take more or less time, depending upon multiple factors. We recommend setting aside at least one hour per weekday to successfully complete the course. Our courses walk you through manageable steps every few days and over 90% of participants are able to complete the course within the allotted timeframe. There are no assignments on weekends, but you may use weekend time to catch up if you choose.

        Our self-paced courses are also designed to be completed in 15-20 hours, but you can complete them on your own time frame and schedule.

        What’s the difference between a facilitated or self-paced course?

        If you sign up for a course with specific calendar dates, this is a facilitated course. Our facilitated courses are offered completely online and are monitored daily by a live expert facilitator. In these courses there are specific due dates for assignments every few days and everyone is encouraged to work at a similar pace for the benefits of collegial discussion. You will want to be sure to select a session in which you are able to actively participate on most days during the allotted timeframe.

        A self-paced course contains the same content and activities as the facilitated course, but does not include discussions or facilitator feedback. You can still walk through the step-by-step activities on your own timeline, and if you have purchased certificate of completion option, once you complete the complete the application activities, you can schedule a live 30-min phone/web meeting to brainstorm and receive feedback from an experienced facilitator, addressing your individual context and concerns. With this option, upon completion of the activities and individual facilitator session, participants receive a certificate of completion. Registration for the self-paced course includes unlimited access for the lifetime of this course, including future updates and additional resources. (At minimum, you will have guaranteed access at least one year from your registration date).

        Are there any real-time meetings?

        Our facilitated courses are offered in a fully-online asynchronous format through the Canvas software. There are NO real-time/synchronous meetings. Rather, active participation and specific due dates keep the group working together and sharing constructive feedback and ideas at each step of the process.

        For example, there is typically a syllabus assignment and welcome introduction due on the first day, the second day may entail watching a short video, reading through a lesson, and responding to a teaching issue in a discussion. As the course progresses and you develop your own materials, there are often a few days between assignment submission due dates.

        We understand that everyone has their own commitments outside of this course. The due dates are suggested and targeted to keep the group working together as much as possible in the facilitated courses.

        Our self-paced courses are also designed to be completed in 15-20 hours, but you can complete them on your own time frame and schedule.

        What do I need to complete the course?

        Each course is delivered in the Canvas Learning Management System. A basic familiarity with course management systems (such as Canvas) is helpful but not required to successfully complete the course. Application activities can be completed using Microsoft Word. Standard skills such as the ability to send and receive email, use word processing software, navigate the Internet, download and attach documents and locate downloaded documents on your computer should be sufficient.

        Because the course is delivered completely online it is important that you have daily access to a computer and consistent, reliable broadband/high speed Internet access.

        The related book is required for successful completion of most of our courses. These books are widely available at an affordable cost via the publisher website, Amazon, or your institutional or local library. A book is NOT required for either of the Significant Learning by Design courses.

        How do I access the course?

        Our courses are offered through canvas.instructure.com. If you use Canvas at your institution, please note that this is a separate Canvas website that is not connected to the Canvas site you may use at your own institution.

        If you registered for a self-paced course, you will receive an email invitation to access the course upon receipt of payment. Please be patient as this is a manual process, but you should receive the email invite within 24 hours, often much sooner. The email invitation will be titled “Course Invitation” and will come from “Canvas Free for Teachers” at notifications@instructure.com. Please check your junk mail or spam folders if you do not see this email within 24 hours.

        If you have registered for a facilitated course, please put the course dates on your calendar and block off at least one hour per weekday during those dates to participate. The week before your course begins, you will receive a welcome email with further details and an invitation to join the online course. You will need to create or activate your account with https://canvas.instructure.com once the course opens.

        Once you receive the email invitation from notifications@instructure.com, click on the Get Started link in the email to access the course.  If you have not used this Canvas site before, you will need to create a new account using the same email address that you used to register for the course. If you have previously used the Canvas Free-for-Teacher website, you can log in with your existing credentials. A help guide for creating a new account can be found here.

         

        What if the course dates don't work for me?

        Our courses are facilitated by expert faculty and are scheduled to be offered throughout the year. If the dates listed do not fit your schedule, you can try to find like-minded colleagues and contact us to schedule your own dates (available for groups of 6 or more). Be sure to sign up for our occasional newsletter to stay informed of upcoming dates.

        Can I arrange a course just for my institution?

        Absolutely! We can create a dedicated course session with customized dates (pending availability) for groups of 6 or more participants. Please contact us and we will be happy to work with you.

        What is the cancellation/withdrawal policy?

        CANCELLATION OR WITHDRAWAL FOR FACILITATED COURSES

        Cancellation by Individual Participant:  Cancellations received prior to the “Register By” date are eligible for a full refund. Cancellations received after the “Register By” date but before the start date of the course are eligible for a 50% refund. Refunds can only be credited by check back to the original payee. Cancellations received after the course commences (the start date of the course or event) are not eligible for a refund.

        Individual Withdrawal from the Course: If you believe that you will not be able to complete the course and must withdraw after the course begins (which includes the first day of the course), please be aware that refunds are NOT applied except in the case of extreme emergency. If you must withdraw from the course, you are welcome to enroll in another session at another time, but you will be required to pay the full course fee again. We recognize that everyone is juggling multiple personal and professional responsibilities, so please carefully ensure prior to the first day that you have the necessary time available to complete the course. We are also juggling the scheduling of courses, enrollments, and hiring expert faculty facilitators.

        If you find that you must cancel your registration or withdraw from the course, please contact your facilitator and email us at info@intentionalcollegeteaching.org immediately.

        Cancellation or Withdrawal for Institutional Groups: Registrations that are part of an Institutional Group (participants are part of a dedicated section and/or paid for as a group by their institution) are not eligible for a refund. For facilitated courses, Institutional groups have the option of substituting a registration for a different participant up until three days after the course commences. Institutional group payments are due 2 weeks before the course start date. After that time, unpaid balances are subject to a late payment fee of 3.75% every 30 days.

        Cancellation by Intentional College Teaching: Intentional College Teaching reserves the right to cancel a facilitated course or event due to low enrollment or other circumstances which would make the course or event non-viable. Should circumstances arise that result in the postponement of an event or course, you will have the option to either receive a full refund or transfer registration to the same or a different course of the same type at a future date.

        CANCELLATION OR WITHDRAWAL FOR SELF-PACED COURSES

        Cancellation for Self-Paced Courses: For self-paced courses, cancellations or withdrawal situations do not apply. Once a participant has been given access to the Canvas course, no refunds are possible. You will have access to self-paced course for the lifetime of the course (at minimum one year from your registration date), including all future updates.

        REGISTER Today