Learning Mindset Starter Kit

We know you’re eager to learn more about motivation and to start prototyping and testing practices at your institution. To help you begin, we’ve put together several evidence-based, researcher-designed activities to support student motivation that can be adapted and customized for your campus. 

As with any practice, these activities are meant to serve as a starting point. We encourage you to think carefully about what will work in your context and what may need to be altered.

Build connections

Targeted learning mindset: Purpose and Relevance

An activity for students to make connections between what they are learning in school and their interests outside of the classroom. In this activity, students generate a list of personal interests and topics they have learned, then identify potential connections between their interests and course topics. By prompting students to reflect on the relation between coursework and personal interests, this activity highlights the relevance of school for students.

Everyday growth mindset phrases

Targeted learning mindset: Growth Mindset

Infusing growth mindset practices into your classroom takes more than just saying the right words. However, using well-crafted growth mindset phrases on a regular basis is the first step to communicate to students that they have unknown and unlimited potential. This activity provides guidelines to make sure your language emphasizes: learning takes sustained effort, effective use of learning strategies is important, challenge and failure are opportunities to grow, and students should seek help when needed.

wise framing for feedback

Targeted learning mindsets: Growth Mindset, Sense of Belonging

A framework for instructors to provide feedback on student work. In this activity, instructors (or anyone who works directly with students) learn best practices around how to construct motivationally- supportive written or verbal feedback on student work. Framing comments using wise feedback communicates not only that the instructor has a high standard for student work, but also that the instructor believes all students are capable of succeeding.

Want more? Visit the Supporting Online Learners page.