Ability

Students are more likely to think they can learn when: They have a high level of ability and/or skill to do the learning task.

• Use this Equity Lens Tool to navigate inequitable access to technology (Hansen & Reich, 2015) and determine whether all your students have the ability to access the online platform, resources, and tools needed for the course (e.g., computer, reliable internet).
• Ensure that all students have training on how to use the technology for the course. Comfort and ability with e-learning increases student performance (Kim & Williams, 2015).
• Establish guidelines to ensure that students are trained on how to interact and communicate online in a professional and collegial manner.

Growth Mindset

Students are more likely to think they can learn when: They believe that their effort and strategy use will lead to learning.

• Use Everyday Growth Mindset Phrases to reinforce that students' effort (vs. innate ability) matters, that mistakes are a natural part of the learning process, and that challenge is essential for growth and development. These short phrases have been shown to help online learners master concepts more quickly (Paunesku, 2013).
• Emphasize the importance of seeking out help and adopting new learning strategies when students are struggling, encouraging them to view their intelligence and technology skills as abilities that can grow (Yeager et. al., 2019).
• Have students complete this free 30-minute, evidence-based program to improve their growth mindset and use these 4 steps to integrate growth mindset supportive practices into your online course.

Success Experiences

Students are more likely to think they can learn when: They are successful at an activity or watch similar others succeed.

• Consider beginning your online course with easier, smaller assignments to allow students early experiences of success, reinforcing that they can learn in this modality.
• Model student success in online learning by sharing the growing number of studies that show no differences in student motivation, course satisfaction, and performance when comparing online and face-to-face learning (Wyatt, 2005).
• Use the following teaching and learning protocol (or a version you adapt) to monitor students’ success in your online course and maximize success opportunities for all students.

Improvement Experiences

Students are more likely to think they can learn when: They experience growth in an activity.

• Support students’ growth mindset by allowing them to retake a test or revise submitted coursework (have students fill out this request form). This encourages students to take ownership over course material and promotes the use of more effective learning strategies as they adapt to the virtual classroom environment.
• Use a scaffolding approach to divide large projects into smaller assignments over an extended period of time, allowing for instructor feedback and an opportunity for students to see their improvement over time (Cole & Kritzer, 2009).
• Frame online learning and the reduction in face-to-face interaction as an opportunity for students to improve self-regulation skills (Reisetter et al., 2007).

Authentic Encouragement

Students are more likely to think they can learn when: Others communicate that students can succeed (rather than doubt or suggest they can't succeed).

• Offer regular encouragement that you believe students can succeed in this new modality. When you verbalize your beliefs that students can succeed, they will be more likely to believe that they can succeed too.
• Use discussion boards, emails, video-messages, and feedback on assignments to offer consistent and authentic encouragement (Cole & Kritzer, 2017). Discussion posts that portray instructional encouragement (e.g., providing support, affirming a student’s position or actions, praising a student for their contribution or actions) have been found to increase positive student perceptions of their learning (Hoey, 2017).
• Explore the Asset vs. Deficit framework and be mindful of asset vs. deficit framing when offering encouragement to students.

Goal Setting

Students are more likely to think they can learn when: An activity is broken down into smaller, short-term goals that will help accomplish a bigger, long-term goal.

• Use the acronym S.M.A.R.T. to help students set goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound⁠—a method that has been shown to improve student learning outcomes (Lawler, 2012). The S.M.A.R.T. acronymn will help students stay on track and support them in advocating for their own education in this new virtual structure.
• Work with students to develop goals and deadlines that are specific and appropriate for the task at hand. Without guidance, some students may set goals that are too modest or stop progressing after achieving those goals (Kizilcec et. al., 2015).
• Use this resource to support students’ executive functioning skills (involved in goal setting, planning, organization, and applying strategies to achieve goals) in an online environment.

Clear Expectations

Students are more likely to think they can learn when: They know what is expected of them on an activity.

• Carefully consider how clear your instructions are for completing each assignment and how clear your criteria are for evaluating each assignment. With fewer opportunities for face-to-face communication, clarity is essential in an online learning environment.
• Consider providing rubrics for each of your assignments, examples of successful work from past students, and opportunities to clarify and ask questions about assignments. For example, use this rubric to help students understand, and better meet, course expectations for thoughtful participation in online discussions.
• Utilize the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) rubric to help evaluate the extent to which each of your assignments sets clear and transparent expectations (Palmer et al., 2018).

Appropriate Challenge

Students are more likely to think they can learn when: The difficulty of the activity matches the students' skill level.

• Evaluate your students’ skill level to ensure that you do not set course difficulty so high that your students become overly stressed and disengaged (Locke & Latham, 2002).
• Evaluate if your online course creates additional difficulty through the amount of cognitive load required, and consider these tips to reduce unneeded load on your students.
• Help your students set realistic expectations for online learning. Students frequently underestimate the time commitment required, especially if they view online learning offering greater flexibility and convenience than in-person learning (Bawa, 2016).

Feedback

Students are more likely to think they can learn when: They receive feedback that is specific (rather than general) and task-focused (rather than ability-focused).

• To further reinforce growth mindset messaging in your online course, offer praise that reinforces students’ effort and strategy use rather than inherent ability or social comparisons (Henderlong & Lepper, 2002).
• Use Wise Feedback to communicate to your students that you have high standards, you have confidence in students being able to meet those standards, and you will provide support to help them be successful. This can be delivered verbally over a video call, as commentary in a discussion board, or as a personal note in an email or attached to a homework assignment.
• Use feedback as a method of increasing trust between you and your students. Wise framing for feedback has shown to increase engagement and positive academic outcomes for all students, but particularly for those from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds (Yeager et al., 2013).

Support

Students are more likely to think they can learn when: They are appropriately supported in completing an activity and know where they can seek help.

• Provide support for students through written communication, an organized course structure, and additional resources, as students have referenced these as sources of support that are most helpful in their online learning (Reisetter et al., 2007). Review these tips on how to create syllabi that take universal course design in mind.
• Establish clear and predictable ways for students to access additional support (e.g., email, text, virtual office hours) and provide guidelines for when technological issues arise.
• Support resiliency and be mindful of students’ social and psychological needs during emergency remote learning by using socioemotional learning and psychosocial support mechanisms.

References:

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