“I am not alone in this”: Experiences of Common Humanity and Social Connection from a Computer Science Course on the Metacognition of Learning

Using an autoethnographic approach, the authors reflect upon their experiences as students and teachers in an undergraduate course on metacognition and independent learning. Self-reflections point to the importance of fostering emotional bonds and common humanity in the classroom to facilitate learning. We discuss implications of this work on pedagogy, hiring, curriculum, and future research.