{"id":10036,"date":"2023-12-13T15:31:09","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T20:31:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/design-center\/?page_id=10036"},"modified":"2024-07-19T12:54:19","modified_gmt":"2024-07-19T16:54:19","slug":"belonging-and-mindset","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/design-center\/belonging-and-mindset\/","title":{"rendered":"Belonging and Mindset"},"content":{"rendered":"

Promoting Belonging and Mindset to Foster Resilience<\/h2>\n

When students adopt a growth mindset – recognizing that intelligence is not fixed but malleable – they are more resilient in the face of challenges and setbacks, leading to improved academic performance (Burnette et al., 2013; Dweck, 2006). Furthermore, it is crucial that students perceive their instructors’ confidence in their capacity for improvement, as this instills a greater sense of belonging (Canning et al., 2019; Muenks et al., 2020). And belonging increases engagement, ultimately resulting in better performance, self-perception, and retention.<\/p>\n

In short, Mindset = Belonging = Resilience = Retention.<\/p>\n

Research at Marshall<\/h2>\n

The\u00a0Belongingness Video Intervention & Survey<\/a>\u00a0is a comprehensive research study designed to understand and enhance the transition of students to online learning. The methodology (1) presents video testimonials from current students, faculty, and staff to the participants and then (2) gathers participant reflections of their own transitions to college. The study aims to provide future students with better insights into college life and to research the impact of such interventions (particularly regarding the video medium) on student attitudes, perceptions, retention, and success. This aligns with Marshall Online\u2019s commitment to student well-being and retention, as it seeks to provide a supportive and inclusive online learning environment that fosters a strong sense of belonging and community among students.<\/p>\n

Cultivating Belonging in Your Online Classroom<\/h2>\n \n \n \n \n
\n Belonging Writing Exercise: In-Class Intervention\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\n <\/span>\n <\/button>\n\n \n
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What is the concept of belonging, and how does it influence my classroom environment?<\/h3>\n

In a four-year study, Kevin Binning and collaborators addressed students’ uncertainties about whether they truly belonged by instilling the belief that facing challenges is a shared and temporary experience. The 30-minute activity outlined below incorporates narrative writing, peer testimonials, and small group discussions, not only closing performance disparities among underrepresented and majority groups, as well as between genders, but also strengthening attendance, retention, and long-term performance for all students.<\/p>\n

Introduction to the Exercise: The instructor introduces the notion that everyone encounters difficulties, and it is common to sometimes question one’s sense of belonging.<\/p>\n

Writing Prompt (<\/strong>10 mins): “Transitioning to college is a significant change. Write about your experiences and challenges since coming to IUB. Reflect on making friends, attending classes, adapting to dorm life, and difficulties that have improved over time in college.” Essays are collected, and a few are briefly shared: “As I review some examples of your writing, I notice many common concerns. I share some of the same worries when I started my first year of physics.”<\/p>\n

Peer Testimonials<\/strong>: Display quotes from graduating seniors, carefully chosen to highlight overcoming challenges and initial feelings of loneliness, ensuring representation from various genders and groups. Examples include: “Sometimes I struggled to grasp concepts my classmates understood. The key is not to give up and support each other.” OR “I felt unprepared for the workload and grading differences in college, causing stress. With help from the instructor and peers, I found a study group and turned things around. Looking back, my struggles seemed normal, though overwhelming at the time.”<\/p>\n

Discussion Prompts<\/strong> (7-8 mins in teams):<\/p>\n

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  1. Why do you think people often believe they are the only ones worrying about fitting in at college?<\/li>\n
  2. How do you anticipate your life will change as a junior or senior?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Debrief<\/strong>: “Could someone share what your group discussed? This will help summarize the discussion for everyone and provide feedback for the physics department.” The debrief is crucial for synthesizing and summarizing this exercise. This activity effectively challenges the misconception of “I don’t belong” and can be implemented on the first day of class or when approaching a known challenging concept or task.<\/p>\n

    References:<\/h4>\n

    Binning, K. R., Kaufmann, N., McGreevy, E. M., Fotuhi, O., Chen, S., Marshman, E., Kalender, Z. Y., Limeri, L., Betancur, L., & Singh, C. (2020). Changing Social Contexts to Foster Equity in College Science Courses: An Ecological-Belonging Intervention.\u00a0<\/span>Psychological Science<\/i>,\u00a0<\/span>31<\/i>(9), 1059\u20131070<\/p>\n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n

    \n Practical Guide to the Social-Psychological Dimensions\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\n <\/span>\n <\/button>\n\n \n
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    The Classroom Practices Library<\/h3>\n

    Check out the Classroom Practices Library<\/a>, maintained by Equity Accelerator<\/a> and developed in collaboration with university partners for the Student Experience Project<\/a>.<\/h4>\n

    The Classroom Practices Library comprises a set of field-tested resources rooted in evidence, offering practical suggestions for educators to address six social-psychological dimensions of students’ experiences. These recommendations are based on research findings that highlight their significant influence on both student well-being and academic outcomes.<\/h4>\n

    The six social-psychological dimensions<\/a> of student experience include:<\/h4>\n

    Social Belonging<\/strong>: Interpersonal and situational cues convey to students whether they fit into a specific environment. These cues vary for students based on their group affiliations, such as gender, race, first-generation status, or socioeconomic background. While belonging uncertainty is common among college students, those from underrepresented or negatively stereotyped groups often encounter higher levels of uncertainty. This section provides practical recommendations to foster a sense of social belonging<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Social Connectedness<\/strong>: Social connectedness involves the establishment of meaningful relationships. The experience of connectedness plays a pivotal role in fostering students’ sense of social belonging and is a fundamental aspect influencing student satisfaction, academic achievement, and retention. Students who perceive a sense of social connectedness are predisposed to having more positive social and academic experiences throughout their college journey, including improved emotional well-being and overall health. This section provides practical recommendations to promote students’ connectedness with both instructors and peers.<\/p>\n

    Institutional Growth Mindset<\/strong>: When educators instill a growth mindset regarding intelligence in students, it is observed that students encounter reduced identity threats and demonstrate improved academic performance. Research indicates a noteworthy alignment with instructors’ self-disclosed beliefs. This section provides practical suggestions aimed at conveying an instructor’s growth mindset<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Trust and Fairness<\/strong>: Students belonging to negatively stereotyped or underserved groups may harbor doubts about whether faculty and staff will treat them equitably in various interactions, grading processes, and other evaluative contexts. Faculty members who effectively communicate and exhibit behaviors that foster trust and a sense of genuine concern can alleviate social identity threats experienced by students from these groups. This section contains practical recommendations aimed at cultivating student trust<\/a> in the instructional team by reinforcing the adoption of fair instructional and evaluation practices<\/p>\n

    Identity Safety: <\/strong>Cues within a given situation can indicate whether a social identity is esteemed or devalued in that specific context. When these cues suggest that one’s social identities are valued, a sense of identity safety emerges. Conversely, if the cues indicate that one’s social identities are devalued, it leads to identity threat, with one’s identity becoming prominently felt and psychologically significant. Learning in environments that foster identity safety has been linked to increased social belonging and enhanced academic performance among college students. This section presents practical recommendations aimed at fostering identity safety<\/a>, particularly for students belonging to social groups that are underrepresented or marginalized in higher education.<\/p>\n

    Self-Efficacy<\/strong>: Self-efficacy, characterized by confidence in and an accurate estimation of one’s abilities, plays a crucial role in sustaining effort and achieving success in academic pursuits. Studies suggest that students from various backgrounds may exhibit varying levels of self-efficacy concerning their abilities, and encountering identity threat can be a factor contributing to diminished self-efficacy among students. Within this section, you will discover practical recommendations aimed at enhancing students’ self-efficacy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n

    \n Faculty Spotlight\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\n <\/span>\n <\/button>\n\n \n
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    Dr. Wendi L. Benson<\/strong> has been at Marshall University since January 2023 as an Assistant Professor of Psychology. She teaches Industrial\/Organizational Psychology, Experimental Psychology, and Statistics. She is the Principal Investigator in the TIPS (Technological & Interpersonal Predictors of Success) Lab focused on providing consulting for local non-profits and Marshall University. Her most recent publications and conference presentations are focused on the impact of collaborative assessment and faculty mentorship on college student success and sense of belonging. She recently earned a Credly badge for completing the Design Center\u2019s first cohort of Blackboard Ultra Academy. Dr. Benson has been teaching online courses for over a decade and published an online interactive textbook on Top Hat (The Statistics Survival Guide) with an emphasis on Excel and practical applications of statistics.<\/p>\n

    The Role of an Introductory Video in Fostering Belonging<\/strong><\/p>\n

    In this short video, Dr. Benson models how an introductory video can serve to foster belonging in online courses. Instructor presence is doubly important in establishing belonging in an online setting, where students lack the opportunity to form social bonds organically. Note some of the key components that make up the arc of her own belonging narrative: (1) her early experiences in academia, (2) diminishing uncertainty\/empowerment through community building, (3) paying it forward.<\/p>\n