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1.8 Course Policies & Activities (Required to earn certificate)
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Posted by CUNY Mindset Initiative on March 11, 2024 at 11:01 am💬 Reflection/Discussion:
- Which specific policies and activities do you intend to try in order to create a growth mindset-supportive learning environment? Why?
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I would love to explore helping students set SMART goals with their educators at the beginning of the semsester (or without). This seems like a very concrete tool that can give them ownership over their learning.
I have found it quite helpful to create experiential learning opportunities for my students and allow them to revise their assignments to boost their grades. They usually respond positively when I create assignments that challenge them to connect what we are learning in class to developing strategies for addressing specific issues in their communities (i.e., identifying problems, mapping resources, and developing advocacy plans). Doing so gives them a sense of purpose in their learning.
I find that growth mindset fits very well with the concepts of standards-based or mastery grading, and I’ve begun offering frequent quizzes in my college algebra classes that assess specific content standards. Students receive a grade of “Check-Minus”, “Check”, or “Check-Plus” and can retake a different version of each quiz at any point in order to show me that they have improved their understanding of any given standard. I tweak this process a little bit each semester, but at this point, I still convert the mastery grades into a numerical grade at the end of the semester based largely on how many of the standards students have mastered.
This is an exciting idea, but I imagine it would take significant discussion and investment on the part of the educator to help ensure that each students’ chosen goals are within the scope of the course. Can anyone chime in who has done this with their students? What does that goal-setting process look like?
In the past, I have experimented with ungrading in some of my classes. I have explained to students that ungrading encourages students to focus on the process of learning, rather than on the grade itself. I can improve upon my implementation of ungrading by relating it directly to growth mindset. When discussing ungrading at the beginning of the semester, I can tell students that the goal is to see mistakes as learning opportunities. Students are not penalized for making mistakes or facing challenges in their learning process, but are instead encouraged to take the necessary steps to overcome challenges.
I think that goal setting is so important. In this context, it could be helpful to have students learn not only about how to develop and follow through on achievable goals, but also to have students understand the science of setting goals – basically the research that supports the use of goal setting to increase motivation and more.
I also wonder if it might be helpful to ask students to set goals for the course specifically (which can evolve as they learn) as well as a larger student and/or personal goal?
This really resonates with me as I am always looking for ways that students can engage in experiential opportunities that allow them to apply course learning in real-life contexts. If you have any examples of any of the work your students have done on the Open Lab (or other places) and are willing to share, it would be interesting to see!
Ungrading is a complex process, and I appreciate how you are exploring it with your students. For me, I continue to try to shift the focus from a letter or number back to the objectives, process, and personal reflection on learning. There are some interesting resources on the Open Lab that you might find helpful, too.
On the first day of my college algebra class, I let students out of class 10 minutes early with the assignment to form groups and take a selfie of their group in front of the Math Lab, an academic tutoring center on campus, and my office door. I tell them the next day, “These are the places to get help this semester, and now you know where to find them!” The purpose of this activity is largely to help students begin to develop effective strategies for learning by giving them a point of connection with the resources that exist on campus.
I also like the idea of exam wrappers and often give one that includes asking students to reflect on their performance, describe how they prepared for the exam (and how much time they spent preparing), and make study commitments/goals as they look ahead to the next exam.
Seth – I love this idea! It is so helpful to students to give them in-class time to make groups and form a plan/schedule to work. That is often the hardest part – especially for students who might not know many people in the class. I have done resource photo scavenger hunts with students on the first day of class, but I like how connected this is to the current task at hand. I am going to add this idea to my toolbox. Thanks for sharing!
Hello everyone,
The diversity of strategies discussed here for fostering a growth mindset through course policies and activities is truly insightful and reflects a deep commitment to enhancing student learning and engagement.
Carrie, the introduction of SMART goals at the beginning of the semester is a potent tool for giving students ownership over their learning. This approach not only motivates students but also helps them develop practical planning and goal-setting skills that are crucial in both academic and personal contexts.
Jean-Yves, your use of experiential learning opportunities and allowing revisions for better grades are excellent strategies to encourage students to engage deeply with course content. This approach not only emphasizes the learning process but also motivates students to persist through challenges, knowing they have the opportunity to improve.
Seth, your implementation of standards-based grading in your algebra classes is a practical example of how growth mindset principles can be integrated into assessment practices. By allowing retakes and focusing on mastery, you provide students with concrete evidence that their efforts can lead to improvement, which is central to fostering a growth mindset.
Danesh, the concept of ungrading you’ve explored focuses on learning as a continuous process rather than a final evaluation. This method helps reduce anxiety around grades and encourages students to view challenges as opportunities for growth, aligning perfectly with the principles of a growth mindset.
Tim, integrating goal setting for both course-specific and personal objectives can significantly enhance the relevance of learning activities for students. Your approach helps students see the connection between their academic efforts and broader life goals, making their learning experience more meaningful and integrated.
Deborah, the idea of using resource photo scavenger hunts and creating a supportive community within the classroom through group activities is fantastic. It not only makes learning resources more familiar and accessible but also helps build essential collaborative skills among students.
Each of these practices serves to create a supportive learning environment where students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning, see value in their efforts, and understand that their intellectual growth is a continual process. Thank you all for sharing such innovative and effective strategies.
I do an activity related to this at the beginning of the semester. I call it “class expectations” and here’s the template. It’s not quite about goals but more about what students most hope and expect from me, from each other and from themselves. For the last part, they don’t write it in the collaborative document but in their own notebook, and I invite students to share strategies for success. I’m thinking now this could also be combined with SMART goal-setting.
This is a really interesting activity, Casandra! For the last part, do you determine the top three expectations in each category together as a class, or does each student individually choose their own top three? What kinds of responses from students have you seen when carrying out this activity? Maybe one way this could be combined with goal-setting is once you have determined the expectations, ask the students to outline some specific goals/habits/practices that will contribute to their expectations being met throughout the semester.
A concept that could also be emphasized along with goal-setting is the habits/practices that students develop as part of their routine throughout the semester. In academics and many other areas of life, we may have lofty goals and high expectations, but it is the daily and weekly habits and routines that we practice that often make the difference in whether or not we reach those goals. For more on this, I recommend the book Atomic Habits by James Clear.
For the last part, students choose their own goal/s. Common themes I’ve noticed are time management and putting in all the effort needed to succeed in the course. I like th idea of outlining specific goals/habits/practices. I’m thinking now this could be a good place to emphasize the aspect of Growth that has to do with seeking/getting help from others – e.g. office hours, resources on campus, peer support.
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