Metacognition & Technology: Helping Students Build Essential Skills for an Uncertain Future

As AI reshapes the workforce and uncertainty grows, how can we ensure students develop the skills they need to thrive? Beyond subject knowledge, success in the future will require self-awareness, adaptability, and the ability to transfer learning across new challenges. These skills are rooted in metacognition—the ability to understand and direct one’s own thinking.

Despite its importance, metacognition has traditionally been difficult to track and measure, making it challenging to prioritize in education. To address this, Nord Anglia Education, in collaboration with Boston College, has conducted a two-year research study across 27 schools worldwide, exploring how technology can support students in developing and evidencing metacognitive skills.A key outcome of this research is the Learner Portfolio, a digital platform where students build a personalized, multimedia portfolio and engage in structured reflection on their learning experiences. Using a unique tagging and visualization system co-developed with University College London, the platform transforms reflections into dynamic progress maps, making skill development more tangible and actionable.

Join us for an insightful discussion on how education must evolve to prioritize human-centered skills—ensuring students are not only prepared for change but empowered to shape the future.