Computer-based Metacognitive Training: Improving the Diagnostic Expertise of Novice Graduates

The diagnosis problem-solving task can be complex in many professions for which it is central, for example medical diagnosis, farm-management consultancy, etc. This is because often the expert must solve problems and make decisions in complex situations and while under time pressures. The complex nature of the problem situations and the novices’ lack of advanced metacognitive skills also make it difficult for novices to gain expertise and successfully solve problems in their fields. From the literature it can be concluded that strong metacognitive skills lead to an improved performance and greater ability to solve problems in complex and time critical settings. We propose metacognitive training using a computer-based teaching system for novice university graduates who will work in complex diagnosis domains.