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1.7 Supportive Messaging (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 messaging strategies and techniques do you intend to try in order to create a growth mindset-supportive learning environment?
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Thank you so much! AI is the perfect topic for this thread.
You may also want to do warm-ups, homework, or test preparation by having students find errors in incorrect work from previous years. They can explain errors (in thinking or computation) and correct them. They can also clarify if it was a logical error or a silly error and “give advice” to the student as to how (or what) they could study better for the future.
I can see several things to do and/or aspire to. First, I plan to revise the intro videos for my courses so that they highlight growth mindset more explicitly, particularly how important it is for their success in this class and beyond. Second, I plan to add more opportunities for student to reflect their learning process. This can be done as part of the SMART Goal process or in any assignment. I’ll have to think about where these moments fit best–or have students make choices about when they might want to reflect on their learning. Lastly, I plan to continue to explore giving feedback that deemphasizes grading in favor of encouraging feedback that focuses on what they have done, what the next steps are, and what they need to do to get there.
I will show a video or some other module to my students introducing the growth mindset concept, maybe the Pearson one we viewed. I will also incorporate more growth mindset messaging into my intro video, first class, and throughout the semester. I will continue to tell students that we learn together and from one another, and that we all have something to contribute.
I employ a few strategies to help emphasize and cultivate growth mindset in my students. First, I explicitly state in my syllabus that I firmly believe that every one of my students is able to meet the challenges of the course (statistics). Second, I employ a flipped-classroom format emphasizing deliberate practice in class that allows students to engage in problem solving and receive immediate feedback in low stakes environment. Third, I scaffold major assignments to allow for revision, emphasizing process and development over time. Fourth, I allow revision with metacognitive reflection on some assignments to help students recognize and correct their mistakes.
I plan to create a growth mindset-supportive learning environment using various strategies and techniques. One method will be to create an introduction video like Dr. Kevin Kolack’s, where I can outline my expectations for the students. Additionally, I will provide timely, constructive feedback to help students self-reflect and develop action plans to improve their academic performance. Using growth mindset language, such as “not yet” during office hour discussions with students who have failing grades is another approach I intend to take. I will also make a conscious effort to highlight students’ efforts and progress. Lastly, I aim to normalize seeking help when needed and make students aware of available resources within the department and college to address their specific needs.
I am thinking about showing the growth mindset video by Pearson Higher Education on orientation day. I find this framework motivating as it emphasizes the importance of putting effort into learning. It highlights that as students dedicate effort to learning, they will be able to make progress, which is individualized. Students often tend to compare themselves with others, which can be counterproductive since culture and lived experiences may influence a growth or fixed mindset. Using growth mindset language and fostering an environment of individualized growth at the beginning of the course can positively enhance the learning experience.
I loved this module and the explicit examples of how we can foster a growth mindset in our courses. I found Dr. Kolack’s introductory video inspiring and liked how it set a really positive tone for students. I plan to revise my introductory video to my students, as it is what will set students’ first impression with my courses. There was also a lot to consider regarding how to give the most effective feedback to students. There is something very impersonal about the Blackboard and Brightspace grade centers, and I have tended to often be concise and direct with my feedback. I plan to make a lot more effort to think about how I can give constructive feedback while also commending students for the progress that they have already made and emphasizing the confidence I have that a student can meet my expectations. I also plan to continue to revisit this discussion board to learn from the strategies other instructors are taking.
I really like the idea of giving a short lesson on neuroplasticity (with visuals of course) to make the idea of growth mindset more tangible to students. I think this can do a lot to enhance buy in. Another thing I plan to do is incorporate growth mindset philosophy, e.g. encouragement of question-asking and risk-tasking, into my syllabus and initial discussion of the syllabus. It feels like messaging that sets the tone at the start of the semester will be very impactful.
I constantly stress the strange nature of the material we are coI constantly stress the strange nature of the material we are covering so that the students don’t think it is them when something sounds counterintuitive, uninteresting, or just a way of thinking that is foreign to their experience.
That sounds good. I wish there was some straightforward way of grading based on how well students are learning to learn, rather than just on how much they learned.
In Blackboard, I have a module with optional links for students to view, and one of them is on growth mindset. In the welcome message, I tell them to take a look at it before the semester starts, but I also mention it to them on the first day of class and show them the three-minute video Developing and Embracing a Growth Mindset for them to reflect on.
I loved Prof. Kolack’s video. He comes across as friendly and approachable, and he promises that his class will serve them well in life in general.
I agree, Elizabeth, with your comment on Dr. Kolack’s video.
Setting the tone, the first impression makes a difference.To be honest, I believe I’ve already been like this for a long time. I regularly tell stories of students who became much stronger over the course of the semester. One is of a student who was doing pretty well, getting B+’s on his essays. He said he wanted to be a police officer. Then, another professor asked him if he’d ever thought of being a lawyer. After that, he came to see me as soon as an essay was assigned, and he would work much harder on them. By the end of the course, he was getting A’s. He interned with a state senator eventually and plans a career in politics. I think students are often embarrassed to look at their little grammatical errors. Many students avoid looking at and processing the errors. So, I have them do corrections lists and their errors tend to go down by about 75% during the semester. Students have told me they improve more than they thought they could. On the first day, I tell my more anxious students to let go of the idea that they’re not good at English; they just haven’t practiced that much yet.
This seems like a helpful strategy, I’ll look for the video.
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