Learning to fail for success: tutor language
to promote resilience, tenacity and effective
learning
Dr Udaramati Pope
Centre for Professional Learning and Development
28 April 2023 2
Workshop outcomes
By the end of this session you should be able to:
a) explain the principles of Dweck’s Mindset theory
b) identify ways you can use language to support growth mindsets in
your learners
What are ‘Mindsets’?
• Beliefs we all hold about our ability to learn and develop our skills
– What stories do we tell ourselves about our abilities when we are in learning
situations?
• Carol Dweck characterises two Mindsets:
– Fixed Mindset
– Growth Mindset
• They operate as ends of a continuum, rather than either/or
28 April 2023 3
Personalisation and Mindsets
• Helping students to develop Growth Mindsets helps them to have
agency of their learning, and their responses to failure
• To encourage Growth Mindsets, students need
– to know their tutors believe in them
– to know their tutors expect them to get things wrong
– their tutors to express these beliefs and expectations regularly
– their tutors to model the language of Growth Mindsets, so they can develop this
language, and way of thinking, about their own learning
28 April 2023 4
Dweck on the benefits of a Growth Mindset
28 April 2023 5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arCdzdBhCcc
Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset
Personal traits are fixed –
intelligence, talent, aptitude
Nothing can change these
Worry about their traits and how
adequate they are
Have something to prove to
selves and others
Believe that effort means you are
a failure
Afraid to fail and get things wrong
Personal qualities can be
developed through dedication and
effort
Brains and talent seen as the
starting point
Understand that accomplishment
at anything requires years of
passionate practice and learning
Embrace failure as the only way
to learn
28 April 2023 6
Activity: How do Mindsets appear in your
learners’ behaviours?
Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset
28 April 2023 7
Mindset misconceptions
• Not saying everyone can be a genius – but everyone can be better
than they are currently. And you don’t know you are a genius until
you become one!
• Not saying that everyone has skills and talents at everything – but
you can develop and improve any of them.
• It is not saying work harder work harder work harder and you will
get there – but is it saying you will get better.
• Not a panacea for success at anything. But for improvement, yes.
28 April 2023 8
Student responsibility, or tutor?
• Both!
28 April 2023 9
The importance of the tutor in developing
growth mindsets
• The onus for developing a Growth Mindset is often placed on the
learner
• The tutor’s role is just as important
• Learners need to know
– That you believe they can improve
– That you know they will fail, and expect them to, if they are to learn effectively
– That you will help them to know, completely honestly, what they can do, and
what they can’t do yet
– That you will help them to find strategies to develop more of a growth mindset
as they undertake their studies
28 April 2023 10
One strategy: the language of growth
mindsets
• The power of ‘yet’
• What you expect – mistakes, and often!
• That work is set to help them to develop, not to show what they can
or can’t do
• That you believe they can improve; that you are going to push
them, challenge them
• Feedback on work submitted focuses on the process and effort, not
ability
• Support learners when they are disappointed by showing the
opportunities for learning
• Feedback when you feel they were not challenged, and that you will
raise the level of challenge
28 April 2023 11
Activity: What can you change about the
language you use with your learners?
• When can you use language to support Growth Mindsets?
• What kind of language will you use to support this?
28 April 2023 12
Activity: What can you change about the
language you use with your learners?
• When can you use language to support Growth Mindsets?
– Beginning of the academic year
– At the start of each teaching session – and again within it
– When you give feedback
– When students succeed
– When students fail
• What kind of language will you use to support this?
– Expect to fail in order to learn – no-one learns by doing what they can already
do!
– I’m going to give honest, critical feedback so that you are very clear about what
you need to develop further/haven’t understood yet…
– This is challenging, keep working on it, and identify where you are unclear,
because that is the learning point we need to get to
– You are going to take a test which will enable you to know what you need to
work on further.
– I understand this mark is disappointing. So what are the learning points from
this piece? What do you need to work on next in order to improve?
28 April 2023 13
Current applications of Mindset theory at
NTU
28 April 2023 14
• Students taking Maths on computing degrees offered optional rather
than compulsory tests – more took them!
• Students in Business explicitly developed growth mindsets and
impact on their work placements has been immense; they also now
mentor newer students
• Impact on staff – less afraid of formative assessment, more aware
of their own mindsets when teaching
• Used with students in secondary schools in our Widening
Participation programmes
• Used with colleagues taking the Postgraduate Certificate in
Academic Practice course so that they are aware of their own
Mindsets when creating learning and teaching sessions and
materials
Please share how you support your learners
to develop growth mindsets!
• Email Udaramati.pope@NTU.ac.uk
• NTU Mindset Symposium: 12th December 2016 1-4pm
28 April 2023 15
Resources
• Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: how you can fulfil your potential. New
York: Ballantyne Books
• Dweck, C. (2000). Self Theories: their role in motivation,
personality, and development. Psychology Press,
• The Power of Yet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyAde4nIIm8
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-swZaKN2Ic
28 April 2023 16

189223.ppt

  • 1.
    Learning to failfor success: tutor language to promote resilience, tenacity and effective learning Dr Udaramati Pope Centre for Professional Learning and Development
  • 2.
    28 April 20232 Workshop outcomes By the end of this session you should be able to: a) explain the principles of Dweck’s Mindset theory b) identify ways you can use language to support growth mindsets in your learners
  • 3.
    What are ‘Mindsets’? •Beliefs we all hold about our ability to learn and develop our skills – What stories do we tell ourselves about our abilities when we are in learning situations? • Carol Dweck characterises two Mindsets: – Fixed Mindset – Growth Mindset • They operate as ends of a continuum, rather than either/or 28 April 2023 3
  • 4.
    Personalisation and Mindsets •Helping students to develop Growth Mindsets helps them to have agency of their learning, and their responses to failure • To encourage Growth Mindsets, students need – to know their tutors believe in them – to know their tutors expect them to get things wrong – their tutors to express these beliefs and expectations regularly – their tutors to model the language of Growth Mindsets, so they can develop this language, and way of thinking, about their own learning 28 April 2023 4
  • 5.
    Dweck on thebenefits of a Growth Mindset 28 April 2023 5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arCdzdBhCcc
  • 6.
    Fixed Mindset GrowthMindset Personal traits are fixed – intelligence, talent, aptitude Nothing can change these Worry about their traits and how adequate they are Have something to prove to selves and others Believe that effort means you are a failure Afraid to fail and get things wrong Personal qualities can be developed through dedication and effort Brains and talent seen as the starting point Understand that accomplishment at anything requires years of passionate practice and learning Embrace failure as the only way to learn 28 April 2023 6
  • 7.
    Activity: How doMindsets appear in your learners’ behaviours? Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset 28 April 2023 7
  • 8.
    Mindset misconceptions • Notsaying everyone can be a genius – but everyone can be better than they are currently. And you don’t know you are a genius until you become one! • Not saying that everyone has skills and talents at everything – but you can develop and improve any of them. • It is not saying work harder work harder work harder and you will get there – but is it saying you will get better. • Not a panacea for success at anything. But for improvement, yes. 28 April 2023 8
  • 9.
    Student responsibility, ortutor? • Both! 28 April 2023 9
  • 10.
    The importance ofthe tutor in developing growth mindsets • The onus for developing a Growth Mindset is often placed on the learner • The tutor’s role is just as important • Learners need to know – That you believe they can improve – That you know they will fail, and expect them to, if they are to learn effectively – That you will help them to know, completely honestly, what they can do, and what they can’t do yet – That you will help them to find strategies to develop more of a growth mindset as they undertake their studies 28 April 2023 10
  • 11.
    One strategy: thelanguage of growth mindsets • The power of ‘yet’ • What you expect – mistakes, and often! • That work is set to help them to develop, not to show what they can or can’t do • That you believe they can improve; that you are going to push them, challenge them • Feedback on work submitted focuses on the process and effort, not ability • Support learners when they are disappointed by showing the opportunities for learning • Feedback when you feel they were not challenged, and that you will raise the level of challenge 28 April 2023 11
  • 12.
    Activity: What canyou change about the language you use with your learners? • When can you use language to support Growth Mindsets? • What kind of language will you use to support this? 28 April 2023 12
  • 13.
    Activity: What canyou change about the language you use with your learners? • When can you use language to support Growth Mindsets? – Beginning of the academic year – At the start of each teaching session – and again within it – When you give feedback – When students succeed – When students fail • What kind of language will you use to support this? – Expect to fail in order to learn – no-one learns by doing what they can already do! – I’m going to give honest, critical feedback so that you are very clear about what you need to develop further/haven’t understood yet… – This is challenging, keep working on it, and identify where you are unclear, because that is the learning point we need to get to – You are going to take a test which will enable you to know what you need to work on further. – I understand this mark is disappointing. So what are the learning points from this piece? What do you need to work on next in order to improve? 28 April 2023 13
  • 14.
    Current applications ofMindset theory at NTU 28 April 2023 14 • Students taking Maths on computing degrees offered optional rather than compulsory tests – more took them! • Students in Business explicitly developed growth mindsets and impact on their work placements has been immense; they also now mentor newer students • Impact on staff – less afraid of formative assessment, more aware of their own mindsets when teaching • Used with students in secondary schools in our Widening Participation programmes • Used with colleagues taking the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice course so that they are aware of their own Mindsets when creating learning and teaching sessions and materials
  • 15.
    Please share howyou support your learners to develop growth mindsets! • Email [email protected] • NTU Mindset Symposium: 12th December 2016 1-4pm 28 April 2023 15
  • 16.
    Resources • Dweck, C.(2006). Mindset: how you can fulfil your potential. New York: Ballantyne Books • Dweck, C. (2000). Self Theories: their role in motivation, personality, and development. Psychology Press, • The Power of Yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyAde4nIIm8 • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-swZaKN2Ic 28 April 2023 16