Growth Mindset

I learned about Carol Dweck and the growth mindset last semester when taking Epics of India. I cannot speak for all majors, however, I do find that as an engineering student at the University of Oklahoma the grading of process versus final grades is in the works of trying the growth mindset. Many professors nowadays grade highly on the process at which you attack a very difficult problem, with only a few points considered for the exact answer. This encourages students to truly study the material instead of memorizing a certain solution to a problem. To focus on what went on in their brain and thought processes allow for students to feel worthy of the task at hand and not get discouraged when failing. I have personally always thought that process is the most important aspect of learning, therefore, I will continue researching the growth mindset this semester and in future. I feel that every teacher/professor needs to look into the growth mindset project and utilize the ideas of Ms. Dweck in their own curriculum. Overall, this idea, along with Ms. Dweck’s growth mindset, are what we need to focus on in the future.

My own goals will continue with what I have thought of in the past. With going through difficult courses, I of course want to get the final grade of an A. However, I value the actual content and processes I have learned versus the letter grade I receive. I would much rather get a “B” in a course and learn a great deal of knowledge versus and easy course that I receive an “A” in. Furthermore, I found the following meme to fall directly in line with how I feel. Working with groups the past few semesters, I have realized that being honest with yourself is the best way to learn. For example, if I did not understand a certain aspect of a lab, I would not try and be prideful but instead ask for help. This allowed me to actually learn the information and grow myself. When someone is able to accept their weaknesses, they will be able to focus on that and grow themselves more and more.

Growth Mindset