Resources to Increase Student Engagement and Improve Mindset

Laurie Starkey, Cal Poly Pomona
lsstarkey@cpp.edu

Teaching with Technology (PowerPoint, handout)

• Video Creation Resources (handout)
  • Explain Everything lecture capture app: cyclohexane tutorials
  • Doceri lecture capture app: Reagent Table
  • Camtasia screen capture: TLC simulator walk-through and Extraction walk-through (Camtasia tutorials: http://tiny.cc/CreatingPedagogicalVideos)
  • Lightboard technology (Learning Glass): hybridization lecture (explanation of how a lightboard works)
  • Adobe Spark free online tool for creation of slides + audio: column chromatography (Spark website)
  • Adobe Presenter (PowerPoint plug-in): distillation tutorial
  • Finding existing videos and animations: search YouTube, Educator.com, EdX, MERLOT, PhET, CPP animations
    
    
• Organic Chemistry Resources
  • Clicker Questions (LOCAL website - Library for Organic Chemistry Active Learning)
  • Laboratory Tutorials & Resources (TLC simulator and worksheet) (Extraction animation and worksheet)
    

Mind-tricks for Mastery: Redesigning an Organic Chemistry Course by
Focusing on Productive Persistence (poster pdf)

Abstract:

The goal of this course redesign was to reduce the D/F/W rate by improving students' attitudes about Organic Chemistry and exploring learning theory to improve their persistence.  Lessons on having a growth mindset have been incorporated, and utilizing a learning-focused syllabus helped to build a supportive environment.  Metacognitive reflection was encouraged with exam wrappers and weekly journal prompts.  Incentives were given for students to form groups (Organic Learning Communities, OLC) outside of class, and structured activities were provided for the OLCs on a weekly basis.

References:

• Learning-Focused Syllabus
  • Organic Chemistry CHM 201 Syllabi - Original (Content-Focused) and Redesigned (Learning-Focused) (another redesigned syllabus example)
  • Michael S. Palmer, Lindsay B. Wheeler & Itiya Aneece (2016) Does the Document Matter? The Evolving Role of Syllabi in Higher Education
    Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 48:4, 36-47, DOI: 10.1080/00091383.2016.1198186 (link)
    
    
• Growth Mindset Resources
  • Mindset book/resources (Carol Dweck)
  • Mindset Kit (PERTS)
  • Growth Mindset Survey (Starkey)
  • Growing Your Mind (Khan Academy)
  • Neuroplasticity (Sentis)
  • Grow Your Brain Article (Carnegie)
  • Why You Need to Fail (TEDx talk Derek Sivers)
  • The Power of belief (TEDx talk Eduardo Briceno)
  • Success through effort (John Legend)
  • Famous failures "If you've never failed, you've never tried anything new"
    
    
• Exam Wrapper Example and Grade-Predicting Clicker Question
  Metacognition:  By taking a step back and thinking about the way you learn, you can improve your learning!  An "exam wrapper" survey will guide you through an exercise in self-reflection, with the goal of improving your performance on the next exam. 
  

• Course Redesign with Technology (CSU-CRT) ePortfolios

• 2015-16 CHM 315 (online homework, exam wrappers)
• 2016-17 CHM 201 (mindset, OLC)
• 2017-18 CHM 314 (repository of problem-based learning activities)