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An Overview of Promoting Grit, Tenacity, and Perseverance Dr. Mac Adkins, SmarterServices Dr. Yi Guan-Raczkowski, Middlesex Community CollegeWendy Wibbens, Colorado State University – Global Campus

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Get Connected• Twitter - @smarterservices – webinar #noncognitive• Facebook – SmarterServices• Slideshare - http://www.slideshare.net/socialsmarterservices• Smarterservices.com/blog

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Sorry, we are not promoting grits.

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Draft released Feb 14, 2013 Emphasizes theimportance of noncognitive attributes in student success.

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Call to ActionThe test score accountability movement and conventionaleducational approaches tend to focus on intellectual aspectsof success, such as content knowledge. However, this is notsufficient. If students are to achieve their full potential, theymust have opportunities to engage and develop a muchricher set of skills. There is a growing movement to explorethe potential of the ―noncognitive‖ factors—attributes,dispositions, social skills, attitudes, and intrapersonalresources, independent of intellectual ability—that high-achieving individuals draw upon to accomplish success.

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Singing Our Song Over the past ten years the noncognitive attributes of more than 2,000,000 students have been measured with the SmarterMeasure Learning Readiness Indicator

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POLLHow strong of an indicatorof student persistence doyou consider noncognitiveindicators to be?Very StrongStrongModerateWeakVery Weak

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WEBINAR AGENDA• Introduction to Noncognitive Attributes• What is Grit?• How is it Measured?• How Can Educators Foster It?• Examples • Colorado State University - Global Campus • Middlesex Community College

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Four Research Questions1. What are grit, tenacity and perseverance?2. How are these factors measured currently?3. How can formal and informal learning environments be designed to promote these factors for a wide variety of students?

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Noncognitive Attributes

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Noncognitive AttributesIn 2011 the NationalResearch Councilreleased ―Assessing21st Century Skills.‖

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21st Century Skills―The routine jobs of yesterday are being replaced bytechnology and/or shipped off-shore. In their place, jobcategories that require knowledge management, abstractreasoning, and personal services seem to be growing. Themodern workplace requires workers to have broad cognitiveand affective skills. Often referred to as "21st century skills,"these skills include being able to solve complex problems, tothink critically about tasks, to effectively communicate withpeople from a variety of different cultures and using a varietyof different techniques, to work in collaboration with others, toadapt to rapidly changing environments and conditions forperforming tasks, to effectively manage ones work, and toacquire new skills and information on ones own.‖

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21st Century Skills COGNITIVE INTERPERSONAL INTRAPERSONALProblem solving Communication Self-management Critical thinking Social skills Time managementSystems thinking Team-work Self-development Cultural sensitivity Self-regulation Dealing with diversity Adaptability

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Noncognitive Attributes―Years of schooling predicts labor marketoutcomes—cognitive skills account for only20%; therefore 80% of the ―years ofschooling‖ benefit is due to noncognitiveskills.‖ (Bowles, Gintis, & Osborne, 2001)

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Percentage Employers Rating Skill as ―Very Important‖ Conference Board (2008)

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Collegiate Uses of Noncognitive Data • The typical measures of academic achievement (GPA, standardized test scores) and demographic factors (i.e. first generation college student) can be augmented with ENROLLMENT noncognitve data for a more holistic/predictive model. • Learners can be directed toward resources and experiences which can foster improvement in PERSONAL noncognitive skills. DEVELOPMENT • The affective domains of course/degree program objectives and student services programs can be PROGRAMMATIC assessed regarding improvement in noncognitive ASSESSMENT outcomes

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POLLIndicate each way that yourschool is currently usingnoncognitive data.Enrollment ProcessPersonal DevelopmentProgrammatic AssessmentOther

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What are grit, tenacity and perseverance? ―Grit - Perseverance to accomplish long-term or higher-order goals in the face of challenges and setbacks, engaging the student’s psychological resources, such as their academic mindsets, effortful control, and strategies and tactics.‖

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Sociocultural Context―It is well documented thatstudents from high-povertybackgrounds are particularlylikely to face great stress andlimited social support foracademic achievement.These are factors which canundermine perseverancetoward a wide range ofgoals.‖

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Learning Environments1. Students need opportunities to take on ―optimally challenging‖ goals that, to the student, are worthy of pursuit.2. Students need a rigorous and supportive environment to accomplish these goals and/or develop critical psychological resources.

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Psychological Resources1. Academic mindsets – Beliefs, attitudes, dispositions, values, and ways of perceiving oneself. ―My ability and competence grow with my effort.‖2. Effortful control - Students must be diligent when faced with tasks that are important for long-term goals but that in the short-term do not feel desirable or intrinsically motivating.3. Strategies and tactics – Actionable skills for taking responsibility and initiative. Planning, monitoring, change course, overcoming obstacles.

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Potential Risks of GritPersevering to accomplish goals that areextrinsically motivated, unimportant to thestudent, or in some way inappropriate for thestudent can potentially induce stress, anxiety,and distraction, and have detrimental impactson a student’s long-term retention, conceptuallearning, or psychological well-being.

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Benefits of Measuring Grit 1. Feedback to educators 2. Inform program design 3. Research in perseverance 4. Diagnostic indicators about vulnerable students

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Disposition or ProcessDisposition measures indicate ageneral or enduring tendency topersevere.Process measures includesequences of behaviors, emotions,physiological reactions, and/orthoughts that unfold over timeduring learning.

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Methods for Measuring Grit1. Self Report – Learners respond to questions about their perceptions, attitudes, goals, etc.2. Informant Report –Teachers, parents, and others3. School Records – Attendance, discipline records.4. Behavioral Task Performance – Engagement metrics from LMS

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Learning Environments They reviewed 50 programs for promoting grit and articulated five conceptual models for creating environments that foster persistence.

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College Readiness ProgramsStudents best developattention regulation andself-control when theycan practice skills in asupportive environmentthat addressescognitive, social, andphysical developmenttogether.

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POLLMy school offers some formof college readinessprogram.YesNo

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Brief InterventionsBrief interventions (e.g., 2to 10 hours) cansignificantly impactstudents’ mindsets andlearning strategies, and, inturn, academicperformance.

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Alternative School Models• Character Education - Explicit articulation of learning goals for targeted dispositions• Project Based - Engagement in long-term, challenging, real-world problems that require planning, monitoring, feedback, and iteration.• Targeted support – First in family to go to college, STEM professions, etc.

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Online Resources• Digital learning environments that provide optimal challenge through adaptivity;• Digital tools to help educators promote a rigorous and supportive classroom climate• Resources, information, materials, and tools to accomplish difficult goals

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Report from two schools which use the SmarterMeasure LearningReadiness Indicator as a measure of noncognitive readiness.

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Using SmarterMeasure at Colorado State University-Global Campus – Pre-admission • for applicants who do not meet admissions criteria • One of the evaluation criteria for admit decision – Students not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress • Help students self-assess • Provide insight into non-cognitive factors • Better informed strategic planning and goal setting for success

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Non-cognitive Skills at CSU-GC• Academic Predictors – No consistent predictive value• Non-cognitive factors – Motivation and commitment – Life factors – Locus of control – Help seeking

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Student Stories• Professional motivators• Linking professional and academic cross-over skills• Parenthood – setting an example• Overcoming health & family tragedy

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A Case Study in SmarterMeasure• Middlesex Community College used SmarterMeasure for advising and helping online/hybrid students since Spring 2009.• A case study has been done on 3228 students in six online semesters. – Correlations between SmarterMeasure scores and final grades. – For overall 3228 students and each of six semesters, the score of personal attributes shows a significant correlation with student grades. – The score of personal attributes in SmarterMeasure is a strong predictor to student success in online learning.

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Implementation of SmarterMeasure• Based on the finding, strategies are implemented – Academic advising • Advise potential online students take SmarterMeasure to find out their strengths and weaknesses in online learning. • Explain to students that the aspects of personal attributes, motivation, disciplines, time management, etc. contribute highly to their success. • Seminars – Better Prepared for Online Learning – Orientation (online and on-campus) • Taking SmarterMeasure • Learning course navigation and various tools in Blackboard • Success Tips – During a semester • Student success seminars

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Thank you for joining us• Complete survey at close of webinar• Contact info – Dr. Mac Adkins – mac@smarterservices.com – Wendy Wibbens – wendy.wibbens@csuglobal.edu – Dr. Yi Guan-Raczkowski – Yguan-raczkowski@mxcc.commnet.edu