1. Associative learning exercises
Execution and Assessment of a Mindset Intervention in an Introductory Biochemistry Class David J. Hall Department of Chemistry, Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin,  
587.11/7048/B11
Abstract
Methods
Results
Innovation Inventory
Post-intervention
The interventions were carried on a class of 38 students taking first semester Biochemistry. Students’ self-evaluations were never graded; full credit was given for turning something in, even if it was off topic. Instead of assigning a letter grade or other score, I provided students with qualitative feedback on their self-evaluations. Sometimes this meant pointing students to additional resources (like Hamlet’s Black Berry Chp 12 “Practical Philosophies for Every Day”), while other times it meant congratulating them on their growth. Most often, though, my feedback took the form of a series of follow-up questions aimed at encouraging students’ self-awareness and helping guide them towards monitoring (and working on) a few specific traits or skills.
Steps of the Intervention
A pretest of mindset using the Berkeley Innovation Index online before class starts.
2) A 10 minute description of creativity and the malleability of the brain on the first day of class.
3) Student self assessment of barriers to growth mindset and a plan to overcome one of those barriers each week for 5 weeks (feedback given)
4) Mid-semester self-assessment of progress on overcoming the barriers identified by the student in the first 5 weeks (feedback given)
5) Every other week thereafter a 5 minute in class (or laboratory) associative or creative thinking1 exercise relevant to class material.
6) A post-test of innovative ability using the Berkeley Innovation Index online.
7) A student assessment of learning gains (SALG) at the end of the class.
Pre-intervention
Academic achievement results from a growth mindset that includes learning to fail, complex thinking and hard work. Achievement does not spring simply from intelligence, spontaneity, special skills, offbeat or extremely unusual ideas and behavior, although all of these may, in particular aspects, be involved. Mindset can be cultivated through the targeted use of several interventions that are not disciplinary specific. For this study, the mindset intervention was executed in a first term biochemistry class. The intervention was based on work of Dounas-Frazer et al and the use of associative learning exercises. Each week students did an associative learning exercise and used a self-evaluation rubric to reflect on a series of skills important to academic success. The assessment of this intervention was done using the Berkeley Innovation Index. There was an improvement both in student mindset.
The Berkeley Innovation Index consists of 15 questions. It was not expected that the mindset intervention would impact all 15 questions. The responses to the questions below did not have a notable change in response.
How comfortable are you with making decisions under uncertainty in professional life?
2) When you say you will do something, how often do you actually do it?
3) What do you do when you disagree with others?
4) How long does it typically take you to generate a basic level of trust from a person you just met?
5) There are times when I would be open to share resources with a competitor.
6) I have been able to successfully overcome many challenges.
7) I feel comfortable in people that are different from me.
8) I frequently come in contact with people that are different from me.
9) Those devoted to unselfish causes are often exploited by others.
Student Assessment
Hypothesis
Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG, salgsite.org) was given to the students the following semester to assess how they perceived the intervention worked.
The effectiveness of growth mindset interventions
can be assessed by using the Berkeley Innovation Index
and Student Assessment of Learning Gains
Class impact on your attitudes
As a result of your work in this class, what GAINS DID YOU MAKE in the following?
Enthusiasm for the subject
4.4
Interest in taking or planning to take additional classes in this subject
Confidence that you understand the material
4.2
Your comfort level in working with complex ideas
Your willingness to seek help from others (teacher, peers, TA) when working on academic problems
4.1
Integration of your learning
As a result of your work in this class, what GAINS DID YOU MAKE in INTEGRATING the following?
Connecting key class ideas with other knowledge
4.6
Applying what I learned in this class in other situations
4.3
Using a critical approach to information and arguments I encounter in daily life
Class Activities
HOW MUCH did each of the following aspects of the class HELP YOUR LEARNING?
Attending lectures
4.7
Writing about mindset skills
3.3
Doing associative learning exercises like stringing sentences together or squeezing a ball as examples
3.2
Background
• In a fixed mindset, student believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents are just fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that’s that, and then their goal becomes to look smart all the time and never look dumb. In a growth mindset, students understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence. They don’t necessarily think everyone’s the same or anyone can be Einstein, but they believe everyone can get smarter if they work at it. (Dweck)
• The Berkeley Method emphasizes mindset & behaviors based on fundamental testing methods of social psychology. The following factors are components of the innovation mindset: Trust (ability to trust others), Resilience (ability to overcome failure), Diversity (ability to overcome social barriers), Mental Strength (confidence and belief you can succeed), Collaboration (ability to work with everyone including competitors when needed), Resource Awareness (ability to balance your resources across multiple objectives), and Innovation Zone (ability to work in areas of uncertainty).
• Bender and Dounas-Frazer wondered how to teach students to learn from “failure”. By the same token a defining characteristic of the Innovation mindset is the ability to “fail forward” or learn from Failure. The hypothesis is that student self-reflection will improve (1) their score on the innovation Index and (2) improve their assessment of learning gains (SALG).
•These rubrics, developed, by Jon Bender and Dimitri Dounas-Frazer, include a series of qualitative behaviors and skills, e.g., persistence, communication, skepticism, and self-compassion. They can be used in two ways: (1) by teachers to provide feedback to students, and (2) by students to evaluate themselves.
•. In order for students to gain a rough understanding of the skills, each skill is accompanied by a list of defining questions. For example, one of the questions that accompanies persistence is: what do you do when you’re frustrated? A particular student’s proficiency can be ranked as either beginning, developing, or succeeding according to the rubric. The stages of proficiency are described through qualitative statements.
Interventions
STEM skills rubric
Students are asked to rate themselves in each of these areas as either Beginning,
Developing or Succeeding and asked to give specific examples. The complete rubric can be found in the references.
Skill
Questions to ask yourself
Persistence
What do you do when you are frustrated?
Organization
Do you keep accurate, thorough, consistent record of your work?
Connections
Do you make new connections and/or use them when you need help?
Self-Compassion
When you’re having difficulty, how do you feel about yourself
Courage
What do you do when your feel overwhelmed?
Mental Resourcefulness
Where do your turn for new ideas?
Communication
Can you clearly convey an idea to someone?
Diligent Skepticism
Do you scrutinize sources of information and test ideas?
Collaboration
Do you share ideas with others?
Reflection
Do you consider past experiences when making choices?
Discussion
• Some of the questions on the Berkeley Innovation Index show 15%-20% gains after the mindset interventions making the index a novel way to assess mindset growth.
• Students clearly report, both anecdotally and through the SALG survey, a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment after the mindset intervention although they do not rate the intervention itself highly.
• The responses I received from the students as they reflected on their skills were heartwarming and terrifying. I panicked initially because I felt I had to help them but did not know how. Ultimately I did find ways to help but also accepted the fact sometimes the best course of action was simply to be supportive of their journey.
Associative learning exercises
In addition to giving feedback, I helped the students build STEM skills by having them do associative learning exercises such as creating sentences as a team one word at a time, or drawing the face of a stranger in the class without looking.
References
• Dweck, C. Growth Mindset
• Dounas-Frazer,
• Dounas-Frazer, • •
• Hamlet’s Blackberry by William Powers
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