STEM Higher Education Council National Leaders Summit Creating and Educating a Growth Mindset Richard K. Miller, Ph.D. First President and Professor Needham, Massachusetts Keynote Address STEM Higher Education Council National Leaders Summit STEMconnector Washington, DC September 28, 2017
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Today’s Presentation Why change now? What we’ve learned The growth mindset imperative
The Future of Higher Education Yeats: Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire! TIME KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY MAKER ECONOMY INNOVATION ECONOMY imitate content ideas perfect Google Sage on Stage Guide on Side Peers and Mentors? Rows of seats with Blackboard Small groups with Maker Projects Intrinsic motivation, Design Thinking? What you Know What you can Do What you Conceive
Why education must change An existential threat! An existential threat!
Why education must change NAE Grand Challenges for 21st Century Global, Complex, Multidisciplinary Challenges Security, Sustainability, Health, Enhancing Life Unintended Consequences, systems thinking Coupled Scientific-Social-Economic-Political-Religious Need New Kind of Education for Innovators
Our traditional approach to higher education may be actually preventing us from producing innovators!
Broader View of Innovation Feasibility Viability Engineering and Science Business and Economics INNOVATION Desirability Psychology, Arts, Humanities, etc. No amount of doubling down on hard science courses will produce the innovators we need!
21st century Innovators require more than technical knowledge! Attitude: More often than not, your attitude determines your altitude in life * *not your aptitude
Capacity, Capability, Competitiveness Importance of Mindset! Attitudes, Behaviors, and Motivations: Entrepreneurial Mindset Ethical Behavior Teamwork, Leadership Global perspective Interdisciplinary thinking Creativity and design Empathy, social responsibility Employability skills Educate to Innovate Capacity, Capability, Competitiveness Employability Skills Innovation Excellence
Capacity, Capability, Competitiveness Importance of Mindset! Attitudes, Behaviors, and Motivations: Collaborative Mindset Entrepreneurial Mindset Interdisciplinary Mindset Global Mindset Ethical Mindset Educate to Innovate Capacity, Capability, Competitiveness Employability Skills Innovation Excellence
Mindset – can be defined, measured, and taught! Angela Duckworth, U. Penn 2013 MacArthur Prize
Mindset: Impact in Adults James Heckman U Chicago (Ctr for Economics of Human Dev) Nobel Prize in Economics (with Daniel McFadden) 2000 Grit is often better predictor of success than knowledge or intelligence “Hopeful faculty members spread hope among their students, while cynical faculty members spread cynicism” Mel Ramey – UC Davis
How Education Must Change In the 21st Century 20th Century: Education = Knowledge + Skills 21st Century: Education = Job Preparation. 21st Century: Education = Knowledge + Skills + Beliefs, Attitudes, Behaviors
What Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behaviors? Collaborative Mindset Interdisciplinary Mindset Ethical/Empathetic Mindset Entrepreneurial Mindset Global Mindset Growth Mindset (Dweck, Stanford) Grit (Duckworth, U Penn)
How Is Mindset Shaped? Identity - who do you think you are? Agency - what can you do with your K + S? Sense of Purpose - how will your life matter?
How do you form Identity? What do you believe about yourself? (intelligence, what you care about, who you admire) What do you believe about others? (collaboration, cross cultural immersion, leadership skills) Finding your “voice” (Oral presentation, cold calls, negotiation, confrontation) Are you creative? (envisioning, develop creative confidence, original insights)
How do you build Agency? Apply what you learned in a real world context (Start with a real problem that matters to someone) Learn to complete whatever you start (Finish what you start and then iteratively improve) Perform in front of a professional audience (Perfect your work until you are proud to show it to others) Consistently exceed your own expectations (Build a “Can Do” attitude through experience )
How Do You Develop a Sense of Purpose? Do something to help those less fortunate (Engage in service learning, EPICS, EWB, etc.) How do you feel about justice and fairness? (Take a course in ethics, spend time in introspection) How will you make the world a better place? (What does it mean to live a “good life”?) What does it mean to live a life of “character”? (Who do you admire? How will become like them?)