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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 really have enjoyed the shares on this forum. I usually do a self-assessment for the mid and end term with specific prompts that include performance, process and also what resonated with them the most. I also look for patterns in the responses (especially at. mid-year) and build from there. For example, last term students really liked to running notes that I distribute prior to the class. I create the notes and agenda on the Google Doc, which helps them to focus on particular aspects to discuss in class. They also can post their entrance tickets right on the running notes. In several of the responses in the mid-year self-assessment, students said it was helpful. A majority of students admitted that they were having trouble keeping up with readings and wanted to do better. I am able to use the mid and end year assessments to help me know how best to teach them (I will have some of the same students again)>
Sounds like a great way for your students to reflect on the course and what is working for them, and also for you to practice growth mindset as you implement changes based on their comments! I take the pulse of my class in a similar way with a mid-semester survey and often ask variations of these three questions: 1) What should I (the instructor) stop doing in the class? (What is getting in the way of your learning?) 2) What should I keep doing in the class? (What are you finding helpful right now?) 3) What should I start doing in the class? (How could I better support you?). I’ve often made changes or emphasized/de-emphasized certain teaching practices based on my students’ responses to these questions.
Has anyone ever used the Stamford videos by Dr. Stephen Chew as a resource for their students? Someone recently mentioned them to me, and I am considering how I could incorporate them into a class discussion or assignment on growth mindset.
I’m not a big believer in grading. How can we quantify learning? But I do know that grades are a commodity in education and students care about them. In all of the classes I teach, I only give grades on major assignments after several steps or stages that include peer and instructor feedback and opportunities for them to reflect on their learning and ask questions about the process. As I go forward, I’m always trying to make this process more meaningful and more transparent to students so they see learning for what it is–a process (of trial and error … and success).
I incorporate several of those mentioned here in some of my classes, including ungrading, scaffolding and allowing multiple submissions of the same assignment.
I was advised by a mentor to use metacognition and self-assessment activities as a way to promote self-reflection and I think these contribute to a growth mindset. I ask a series of metacognitive questions for students to answer as they are reading an article, and then, give them another series of questions to answer as they are completing the assignment for a different article. Then, I give them a series of questions to reflect on to assess their own assignment (not for a grade).
I also assign students to develop SMART goals for a personal health improvement project in a personal and community health class I teach. Moving forward, I will incorporate the SMART component into the goal setting process for the Writing Across the Curriculum course.
There are a lot of other ideas in the reflections in this section that I will be digging into also.
In the upcoming semester, I intend to implement the SMART goal strategy as well as activities aimed as helping students evaluate, use, and prune resources available to them as they move through the course. Additionally, to encourage deliberate practice, I intend to design a grading system that rewards practice alongside outcome.
I want to implement a retake exam policy to create a growth mindset-supportive learning environment. Many students tend to perform poorly on the first exam but show improvement in the remaining exams. However, due to the initial low grade, the student is at risk of failing the course. A retake exam policy will allow students to successfully demonstrate growth and perseverance and complete the program.
In addition, I would like to introduce formative and summative student self-assessment activities. These activities will allow students to self-reflect on their performances and efforts, analyze strengths, and use mistakes as opportunities to master a task. Self-assessment is important because it creates a sense of accountability and ownership for actions and results while teaching students how to be empathetic and compassionate to themselves despite setbacks.I support the idea of providing students with the opportunity to connect concepts with issues that are important to them, as it will also promote civic engagement. Yesterday’s workshop mentioned that when learners see purpose and relevance in what they are learning, they are more likely to engage and put effort into mastering the content.
That’s a great idea Seth! We have terrific campus resources, such as the tutoring center, and I am always trying to think of ways to get students going to them as early as possible in the semester. I was planning on finishing my first class of the semester a few minutes early and walking students to the tutoring center and introducing them to some of the tutors. I think showing students the actual location will reduce that barrier.
I am also thinking about allowing students to make revisions on certain assignments so that they can incorporate my feedback and see its impact on their work.
I think allowing for revisions, test corrections, and the like has been great for fostering growth mindset. This is not something I have done yet myself as an adviser/instructor, but I know from my experience as a student how the process of addressing a professor’s feedback contributed to my desire to learn and belief in my ability to improve as a learner. It also sends an implicit message from the instructor that “I believe you can do better.”
An activity that I would like to try is peer review of assignments in progress. I have experienced this as a student in writing classes, and I think it can empower students and offer a different perspective on the impact of thoughtful feedback.
One other activity related to goals could involve students reflecting on how course content and skills developed in the course relate to their short- and long-term goals. I think this would be particularly helpful when the course content is no so obviously connected to a students degree program or career path.
I allow students to redo their assignments because it helps them learn and improve their grades. I check who has not done it and email or speak with the students.
Students appreciate this opportunity and do better in general.I’m doing a FYE section this semester, and the ideas of that cohort align with these a lot. I agree that SMART goals are useful. I have always talked quiet a bit about growth mindsets, both to the class and individually with students. I will continue to write notes that say things like, “In order to reach the next level…” and “Just some concentration on…” or “You’re onto something good her, but you need to adjust…” I am learning about encouraging more meta-cognition about learning for students. We’ll discuss the kind of negative thinking they can get into sometimes, and learn what to replace those ideas with. I’ll also talk about how to break through the resistance when they feel like procrastinating. I don’t believe procrastination is laziness; I believe it’s anxiety related, and students who procrastinate more are usually more uncomfortable with imperfection. This is related to a fixed mindset because they believe not knowing things means there is something wrong.
Leading class discussion: I ask each student to lead at least one class discussion on the assigned readings. To accommodate everyone usually two students are assigned to lead the discussions on each week’s readings. This allows them to collaborate to divide responsibilities.
The growth mindset would be difficult in a library instruction environment. However, I believe that the more you ask questions and keep seeking answers to your research questions, the more you will grow.
I teach first-year writing, and I don’t put grades on drafts, just written feedback. My department’s composition program is now putting more emphasis on reflection as we’ve moved to a portfolio model, and that’s been empowering for students too (and for me as their instructor) in terms of seeing how gradual, incremental progress and development happens over time, and is not necessarily linear. I think students often get discouraged when a piece of writing isn’t “perfect” right away (and that idea of perfection is something to analyze in class too). With the rise of ChatGPT, I think some students think that rapid production that AI does is what real writing and thinking looks like–quick and “perfect.” (I don’t think AI writing is perfect or desirable!) In response to this question, I’m also thinking about a study that a colleague shared; a professor told students “I’m expecting a lot of you with this assignment, but I know that you are capable of completing it thoughtfully and well, and I’m here to help you as you need.” Students who received this message had higher success rates in the course! This seems like a simple yet really impactful step to take with students.
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