Carol Dweck, a Social and Developmental Psychologist from Stanford, has developed a framework to aid our understanding of why some students (and, in fact, people in general,) fail to reach their potential while others go on to achieve amazing things.
Metacognition refers to thinking about one’s own thinking or being mindful of one’s thinking processes. Research studies have shown that metacognition is one of the most effective ways to improve students’ academic performance and to help students achieve their academic potential (Wilson and Conyers 110).
Class discussions provide a framework for students to think critically—out loud—about topics being covered in class. They also provide an opportunity to gauge how well your students are comprehending course concepts, assignments, and outside readings.
Properly facilitated, classroom discussions foster a sense of academic community, one in which students may openly share their thoughts and ideas as well as express, defend and explore differing opinions.
For all of the tangible ways that faculty work to help students succeed at CSU, it might be the intangible sense of belonging that most underscores a student’s pathway to success.
