MODULE 8 CAP 4

Running head: CAPSTONE COMPONENT PART 4

Capstone Component Part 4

[Student Name]

National Louis University

Course: HED 632, Student Development Theory

Instructor: Dustin Heuerman, Ed.D.

SAMPLE COURSE CAPSTONE PART 4 This document is not meant to serve as a perfect assignment submission, but

as a good example of how your paper should look when submitted.

CAPSTONE COMPONENT PART 4 2

University of Texas at Austin and Growth Mindset Interventions

According to Farrington, Roderick, Allensworth, Nagaoka, Keyes, Johnson & Beechum,

(2012), academic mindsets are beliefs, attitudes, or ways of perceiving oneself in relation to

learning and intellectual work that support academic performance. Having the proper academic

mindsets can drive the other factors, such as academic perseverance, social skills, learning

strategies, academic behaviors and impact academic performance. As illustrated below, social-

psychological or mindset interventions may hold the promise to influence and construe the

proper positive academic mindsets.

Applying an experimental research design by randomly assigning 1,594 students in 13

geographical diverse high schools to control and intervention groups, Paunesku, Walton,

Romero, Smith, Yeager, and Dweck (2015) demonstrated how growth mindset and sense-of-

purpose mindset interventions may lead to higher grade point averages and student performance

in core courses. Their findings also suggest that these psychological interventions may yield the

greatest impacts among at risk, poorly performing students. These findings are significant in the

sense that these interventions are brief, cost effective, and could be implemented on a large scale.

These psychological interventions are intended to maximize students’ persistence in the face of

setbacks and challenges, and to encourage student reflections that foster the belief that the brain

is plastic and that intelligence can grow given enough practice, and that their hard work and

learning in school can help them accomplish learning goals beyond one’s self, such as

contributing to others (Paunesku, et. al, 2015). One major weakness of the study points to its

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convenience sample. Future studies should utilize larger datasets and random sampling in order

to improve the research validity and the finding generalizability. Finally, future research studies

should include college students to test whether these observations and findings continue to hold

true for them. If so, these psychological interventions may be able to move the needle regarding

developmental education outcomes in a substantial way.

Extending the previous research regarding lay theory intervention, Yeager, Walton,

Brady, Akcinar, Paunesku, Keane, Kamentz, Ritter, Duckworth, Urstein, Gomez, Markus,

Cohen, and Dweck, (2016) tested the hypothesis whether psychological interventions that foster

the understanding of challenges in the transition to college are common and improvable, can

narrow achievement gaps for students from socially and economically disadvantaged

backgrounds. The authors conducted three randomized, double-blind experiments, and concluded

that interventions improved disadvantaged students’ overall college experiences, promoting the

use of support services, and the development of networks and friendships. These psychological

interventions aim to reinforce the idea that challenges during college transition are common and

should not cause one to doubt his or her sense of belonging or prospects of success (Yeager, et.

al, 2016). Thus, preparatory lay theories interventions may help college students to make sense

of setbacks they later face and take actions to overcome them.

At University of Texas (UT) at Austin, incoming freshmen are required to watch a series

of pre-orientation videos and complete a survey about the UT Mindset prior to attending

orientation. All incoming freshmen are required to complete a web-based 30-minute “University

mindset” activity at orientation. Students randomly receive a growth mindset version of the

activity or a placebo version. The growth mindset interventions seek to instill the beliefs that 1)

students’ goal in the classroom is to learn; 2) having to exert effort makes students feel like they

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are learning, and 3) if students encounter a setback, they see it as an opportunity to learn from it.

Entering freshmen at UT Austin who received a growth mindset intervention in the summer

before college were more likely to complete a full load of courses, and the effect was stronger

among at-risk students (Passarelli, 2014). The results show students with the mindset

intervention have a higher chance of completing at least twelve credit hours in their first

semester. This effect was even greater for African-American students. African-American

students tend to obtain lower grades than their white counterparts, even when entering college

with equivalent test scores. Research suggests a stereotype threat undermines their cognitive

ability. Thus, this intervention has significant applications in countering stereotypes and closing

achievement gaps (Lee, 2016).

It is unclear what other support services UT Austin offers to enhance the academic

mindsets of its students. Although UT Austin has seen great success in its growth mindset

experiments, David Yeager, one of the researchers, warned that a major concern is its overuse,

misuse and over-diagnosis. If it is not applied correctly, interventions might actually further

inequality, according to Yeager. Advantaged people could then use growth mindset as a tool for

making the argument that disadvantaged or people are getting what they deserve. It can become

a new excuse to blame people for their failure (Lee, 2016).

Triton College and Non-cognitive Skills

Often known as non-cognitive skills, or psychosocial skills, learning strategies such as

time-management skills, study skills, social connection, test anxiety, stress management,

academic goals, and institutional commitment have shown to correlate and predict college

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students’ retention, persistence and completion (Robbins, Lauver, Le, Davis, Langley and

Carlstrom, 2004; Robbins, Allen, Casillas, Peterson, and Le, 2006; Robbins, Oh, Le and Button,

2009). Testing companies, such as ACT and ETS, recently examined the relationships among

noncognitive skills, post-secondary degree completion, and course placement system and success

in developmental education and gateway math courses (Moore, Casillas and Way, 2015; Rikoon,

et al., 2014). Moore, Casillas and Way (2015) found that the students with higher ACT Engage

College scores (a noncognitive assessment tool developed by ACT), attained a timely

postsecondary degree at twice the rates as those with low ACT Engage College scores (46%

versus 25%). At the Educational Testing Service (ETS), Rikoon, Liebtag, Olivera-Aguilar,

Robbins and Jackson (2014) measured student psychosocial skills relevant to success in

postsecondary education and gauge the likelihood of student retention and academic success, and

provided course acceleration recommendations relevant to placement in both mathematics and

English in an urban community college district. Using a noncognitive assessment tool

(developed by ETS), SuccessNavigator, the authors found that the students who received a

recommended acceleration (based on the assessment) passed their mathematics courses at higher

rates than those receiving a cautionary recommendation. This finding was true in particular in

college level and credit-bearing courses. Their results supported the use of SuccessNavigator

acceleration recommendations to inform mathematics course placement in the community

college setting. They also found the SuccessNavigator academic success index to be predictive of

overall college grade point average (GPA).

Starting in Fall 2017, Triton College will begin using a diagnostic assessment,

SuccessNavigator, to place the proper students into its College Success Course. Triton College’s

college success course is COL 102. The curriculum was initially revamped in 2015, updated and

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improved upon again in 2017 to strengthen the financial literacy module. The subsequent

program evaluation data illustrated the promises of this course. The revised COL102 Pilot

Program participants showed improvements in fall-to-spring retention and students completing

their semester courses: 86% fall-to-spring retention rate, and 82% course success completion

rate, compared to another group of students who did not take COL 102 at 70.8% (fall-to-spring

retention) and 54.90% (course completion) respectively.

Given the growing momentum in data analytics in higher education and the early success

of COL 102, the college is adopting an evidence-based, data-driven, diagnostic, proactive,

approach to scale up the offerings of this promising course. Education research has long

demonstrated the correlation between academic markers (i.e. HS GPA, SAT, ACT scores) and

college GPA. In contrast, non-cognitive abilities, such as academic goal setting, time

management and study skills, tend to correlate with college retention (Robbins, Lauver, Le,

Davis, Langley and Carlstrom, 2004). Since most topics and curriculum covered in COL 102 aim

to enhance students’ non-cognitive skills, the course can greatly benefit students with low non-

cognitive skills and to improve their retention and persistence. This assessment-driven COL 102

scale up effort also is in alignment with the growing belief and culture here at the college that

successful student success strategies require steering away from the one-size-fits-all approach

and tailoring the proper curriculum, interventions, and support services based on individual

student’s unique needs.

The college is in the process of implementing a new multiple measures course placement

system. One of the components of its multiple measures consists of a new non-cognitive

assessment tool (SuccessNavigator). The SuccessNavigator Advisor Report also includes a

retention predictive index. Driven by the research findings regarding the relationship between

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non-cognitive skills and college retention (Robbins, Lauver, Le, Davis, Langley and Carlstrom,

2004), and the promising results of COL 102, a board policy is being considered to require

students with low non-cognitive skills (flagged by the red retention index) to take this course as

an articulated elective course in the Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in

General Studies degrees. This plan represents a data-driven institutional retention effort and

student success strategy. The college typically offered 12 sections of COL 102 each semester.

The Fall 2017 scale up plan will increase the number of COL 102 sections to at least 25.

Triton College also offers workshops to support the development of non-cognitive skills

for its students, such as study skills workshop, and time management workshops. However, the

number of students who attended these workshops is not being reported. Students often do not

seek out these workshops on their own. It is also assumed that students with high non-cognitive

skills are often the ones who take ownership of their learning and seek out additional support

services. Without tracking of the workshop attendees and vigorous assessment and evaluations of

these workshops, the impacts and effectiveness of these workshops remain unknown.

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References

Farrington, C.A., Roderick, M., Allensworth, E., Nagaoka, J., Keyes, T.S., Johnson, D.W., &

Beechum, N.O. (2012). Teaching adolescents to become learners. The role of noncognitive

factors in shaping school performance: A critical literature review. Chicago: University of

Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research.

Lee, K.W. (2016, February 19). Science Scene: Growth mindset correlates with success. The

Daily Texan. Retrieved from http://www.dailytexanonline.com/2016/02/17/science-scene-

growth-mindset-correlates-with-success

Moore, J., Casillas, A., and Way, J. (2015). Academic Achievement, Behaviors, and College

Completion. ACT Research and Policy Data Byte 2015-6. Iowa City, IA: ACT. Retrieved

from: http://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/2015-6.pdf

Passarelli, J. (2014). “Growth Mindset” Interventions. Stanford Teaching Commons. Stanford

University, Center for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from

https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/teaching-talk/%E2%80%9Cgrowth-

mindset%E2%80%9D-interventions

Paunesku, D., Walton, G.M., Romero, C., Smith, E.N., Yeager, D.S., and Dweck, C.S. (2015).

Mind-set interventions are a scalable treatment for academic underachievement.

Psychological Science, 1-10.

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Rikoon, S., Liebtag, T., Olivera-Aguilar, M., Robbins, S., and Jackson, T. (2014). A Pilot Study

of Holistic Assessment and Course Placement in Community College: Findings and

Recommendations. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. Retrieved from:

http://www.ets.org/research/policy_research_reports/publications/report/2014/jtra

Robbins, S., Lauver, K., Le, H., Davis, D., Langley, R., and Carlstrom, A. (2004). Do

psychosocial and study skill factors predict college outcomes? A meta-analysis.

Psychological Bulletin, 130(2), 261-288.

Robbins, S.B., Allen, J., Casillas, A., Peterson, C., and Le, H. (2006). Unraveling the differential

effects of motivational and skills, social, and self-management measures from traditional

predictors of college outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(3), 598-616.

Robbins, S., Oh, I.-S., Le, H., and Button, C. (2009). Intervention effects on college performance

and retention as mediated by motivational, emotional, and social control factors: Integrated

meta-analytic path analyses. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(5), 1163-1184.

Yeager, D.S., Walton, G.M., Brady, S.T., Akcinar, E.N., Paunesku, D., Keane, L., Kamentz, D.,

Ritter, G., Duckworth, A.L., Urstein, R., Gomez, E.M., Markus, H.R., Cohen, G.L., and

Dweck, C.S. (2016). Teaching a lay theory before college narrows achievement gaps at

scale, Psychological and Cognitive Science, 1-8.