Too often students are given the assignment to ‘study’ or ‘practice’ something on their own without the under-standing of how to organize, plan, monitor and evaluate their progress while working alone.
       When teachers offer students the opportunity to foster metacognitive skills and assist students when they are uncertain what to do next, learning improves.
       Metacognitive operations that can assist a learner may include predicting, checking, monitoring, reality testing, and coordinating and controlling. 
       Each metacognitive operation requires awareness of current knowledge, and expected outcomes.

(Fry and Lupart 1987)