Overview

The goal of this activity is to help students realize that their skills and abilities can be improved over time by adopting the right learning strategies. This writing exercise remind students that they might need to try different strategies to be successful in the course, particularly in the moments when they don’t feel confident in their abilities or are feeling less motivated to learn.

Students are asked to read about past students’ experience in the course and reflect on their own study strategies and responses to challenge that they can deploy to be successful in the course.

What does this look like?

Below is an example activity that can be assigned as homework (Hecht et al. 2023). Although it uses a quote from a college Math student, it could be used as is for any course.

Instructions

Every student has a different experience in their courses. At the same time, students can have a lot in common. For instance, most students say they feel really confused or struggle with the material sometimes, but eventually learn a lot and understand course material better than they did before.

For example, below is a story from a math student reflecting on taking on a challenging course:

I have what I consider to be extreme math anxiety. It's held me back in my educational and life goals for far too long. This class started out being what I thought of as my last ditch effort to hopefully scrape through math. While still difficult, this class has become a satisfying and empowering experience, and I am happy to be going through this process.

It was hard and frustrating for me at times, I realized I need to rely on people when I’m stuck. I had to talk out the solutions with people in the same boat. There is also something very satisfying about working things out together. It's a supportive atmosphere, and while it is a lot of work, you aren't alone in this fight!

Since taking this course, I think more clearly in general, and find I have more understanding and curiosity about all types of things. I'm amazed at this change, and very grateful for it. The material is challenging, but the reward for getting through it is huge. It is entirely possible to do this, even if it’s harder than I ever thought. Keep an open mind and keep up with your homework, participate in your group, and push through your frustration. It's so worth it!

Now It’s Your Turn

I’d like to now hear about your experiences in our course. Not all students know that it’s common to be confused from time to time and that it usually gets better as they keep trying and asking questions. Although you have not yet completed the course, you have invaluable insights that could be helpful to future students as they are starting this class.

Please write a brief note to future students that explains:

Why it’s normal to get confused sometimes when you are learning concepts in our course.
Why it’s normal to eventually understand something better if you ask for help from people, use good strategies, and keep trying.

Please illustrate your answer using examples from your own experiences in our class. For instance, explain how it might have been confusing when you moved from one topic to another that you didn't understand as well. Also remind students that people learn the most from challenges and that it’s worthwhile to keep trying different strategies until you’re successful.

Implementation Tips and Resources

Timing. This activity can take 15-20 minutes and provided as a homework assignment. It may be most effective between the first and second major exam or assignment, or a week before a topic that is generally viewed as complex or difficult.

Adaptations. After the first term of implementing this activity, you can use your students’ stories in place of the Math story given above to provide a course-specific quote that may more closely correspond to students’ experiences in your course. You can also reach out to former students in the course to use their stories, particularly those who may have struggled at first but who were eventually successful.

If you do present a different story, ensure that it does most or all of the following. You can also have multiple quotes to cover these ideas.

Emphasizes learning with others in addition to independent studying (e.g., forming study groups or going to office hours)
Emphasizes strategies in addition to effort. It is fine if students say they put in more time or effort in the course, but it should be paired with trying new strategies as well.
Some negative wording is fine (“I was really struggling”), but should include a turning point or resolution of that negative feeling (“But then I…”)
Focuses on deeply understanding the material rather than just performance in the course
Clarifies how the instructor or course structures contributed to their eventual success

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