Helen Burn hburn@highline

1. Fostering Student Attributes in the Mathematics Classroom: Promising Practices Helen Burn, Ph.D.Instructor, Department of Mathematics Director, Curriculum Research GroupHighline Community College Helen Burnhburn@highline.edu

2. Share the attributes • Focus session on your interests • IDEAS • General discussion of what the attributes “are.” • Share predominant approaches to fostering the • attributes developed as part of 2010 College Spark • SAMS grant • Specific results of Highline’s project Goals of this Session

3. Demonstrates intellectual engagement • Takes responsibility for own learning • Perseveres when faced with time-consuming or complex tasks • Pays attention to detail • Attributes were created by a team of faculty as part of the College Readiness Standards work in 2006-2008. • http://www.transitionmathproject.org/standards/index.asp Student Attributes

4. Grant Wikihttp://studentattributes.wetpaint.com/ Highline Community College Renton School District Olympic College w/ Olympic School District Yakima Valley Community College w/ Toppenish School District Seattle School District 5 grants of $10,000 each SAMS: Student Attributes for Math Success

5. Learning Outcomes Examples • Math 81: Introduction to AlgebraDescribe her/his reasoning on a task, including sources of confusion or errors [Pays attention to detail, Takes responsibility for own learning] • Math 91: Essentials of Intermediate AlgebraDescribe her/his level of understanding before a formal assessment as well as steps she/he will take to improve [Demonstrates intellectual engagement, Takes responsibility for own learning]

6. Learning Outcomes Examples • Math& 146: Introduction to StatisticsExamine and evaluate a statistical process and its results including recognizing when arguments are valid and invalid based on how data was collected and statistical processes used. [Persevere through time-consuming tasks]

7. Intellectual Engagement (n=9) Perceives mathematics as a way of understanding… (n=6) Actively explores new ideas, posing questions, .. . . (n=4) Recognizes patterns . . . (n=7) Appreciates abstraction and generalization. . . (n=3) Is willing to take risks and be challenged . . . (n=6) Contributes and benefits from group problem solving (n=7) TASKS mentioned: A natural part of their teaching (n=7)Gives harder problems, typically in groups (n=5) Group work (n=7)

8. “Harder Problem” Examples • Factor by grouping • Graph the triangle with vertices (-2, 1), (-6, -8), (-11, 5). Show that this is a right triangle.

9. “Taking Risks” Examples • Assign students numbers and choose them at random to show homework on the board. Or have students volunteer. • Make student work public using ELMO technology • Use open-ended tasks that ask students to engage in a concept without prior instruction.

10. Takes Responsibility for Learning (n=7) Attends nearly every class session . . . (n=5) Conscientiously prepares work assigned for class (n=3) Examines and learns from errors, seeks help . . . (n=5) Takes advantage of resources. . . (n=6) Sets aside necessary time . . . (n=4) TASKS mentioned (n=8): Speaks to it (n=5) Encourages attendance (n=3): Board presentations, attendance in grade, quiz at beginning of class

11. Takes Responsibility for Learning TASKS mentioned (n=8): Encourage preparation (n=5): Prereading assignment, reading guides, provide daily schedule, group quizzes, boardwork Creates online resources and expects engagement (n=4): Post notes online, web-based videos, homework, Angel postings Examines and learns from errors (n=5): Collect HW and expect students to review; provide key to exams, board presentations, error analysis/partial credit request, retesting scheme, students grading each others’ quizzes

12. Example Tasks • Frequent quizzes at the beginning of the class. Tardy students do not have additional time. . . [Encourages attendance] • Provide detailed answers for each test. If class does poorly on test, an announced make-up quiz will be given within a week that consists of two or more randomly selected questions similar to the test. If student obtains full points on the make-up, half the difference is added to the original score [Takes responsibility, learns from errors] • Partial credit requests on exams

13. Perseveres Through Time Consuming Tasks (n=8) Willing to work on challenging problems (n=7) Successfully completes complex, multi-step tasks (n=5) Recognizes unproductive approach (n=3) Is convinced that efforts is important to success (n=4) TASKS mentioned (n=8) Projects (n=3), only in stats and Math 95More advanced problems, critical thinking problems (n=5) Speak to importance of effort. Stressed in class or through Dweck video (n=2)

14. Pays Attention to Detail (n=4) Correctly follows all parts of oral and written directions without needing additional reminders (n=3) Makes few notational errors . . . (n=3) TASKS mentioned (n=3) Points out common errors; uses metacognitive language (n=2) Expects details in answers or points deducted (n=1) Just expects it

15. Example Tasks I require calculus students to “write the answer (to a word problem) in a complete sentence, including units. “Be precise in the inclusion or exclusion of the descriptor ‘limit as x approaches a.” . . . Points will be deducted if the details are omitted.

16. The Future of Student Attributes? As written, they are murky. The “categories” are not clear, nor is their theoretical rationale. • Metacognition • Study Skills • Habits of Mind • College Knowledge At Highline, we recognize that effective teaching requires that we build SA systematically, rather than haphazardly, into our teaching.

17. Weekly Checklist (Diana Lee a la Atul Gawande) WEEK ONE • First Day - Review Syllabus, show logging into MML, introduction to a notebook organization system • Midweek – Taking Personal Responsibility (before, during, after class) • Midweek – Have students bring notebooks and tabs and set them up • End of Week – Review again Personal Responsibility (before, during, after class) and review logging into MML . . . WEEK THREE • Monday (during exam) do a notebook check (organization, inclusion, forms filled out) • Day after exam – Student fill out self-reflection (concepts understood and study effectiveness) • End of week – Time management (what does it mean to study effectively?)

18. Adding it Up, NRC (2001) • Conceptual understanding • Procedural Fluency • Strategic Competence • Adaptive Reasoning: (Capacity for logical thought, reflection, explanation, and justification) • Productive Disposition (Habitual inclination to see mathematics as sensible, useful, and worthwhile, coupled with a belief in diligence and one's own efficacy

19. How Students Learn: Mathematics in the Classroom, NRC (2005). Principle 1: Teachers Must Engage Students’ Preconceptions Principle 2: Understanding Requires Factual Knowledge and Conceptual Frameworks Principle 3: A Metacognitive Approach Enables Student Self-Monitoring. • Emphasis on debugging problems • Internal and External Dialogue as Support for Metacognition • Seeking and Giving Help

20. Carnegie Foundation (2009) Psychosocial Theories to Inform a New Generation of Student Support Structures for Learning Mathematics, Fong & Asera (2010)http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/sites/default/files/elibrary/psychosocial_theories.pdf “The goal of this paper is to explore theories from psychology that could inform a new generation of student support committed to increasing student motivation and academic success” (p. 2) • Bandura’s Theory of Self-Efficacy • Motivational Processes (Goal Orientation, Self-Regulation) • The Social Environment (Stereotype Threat) • Grit, Resilience, and Self-Discipline • Theory to Practice: AYD

21. The Students and Professors Misunderstand One Another College Fear Factor: How Students and Faculty Misundersatnd One Another. Cox (2009) • Imposter Syndrome • Advising Needs • College Cultural Capital (Bourdieu) • College Expectations

22. Redefining College Readiness (Conley, 2007) http://www.aypf.org/documents/RedefiningCollegeReadiness.pdf • Key Cognitive Strategies (open mindedness, analysis, reasoning, etc) • Academic Knowledge and Skills (writing, research, core academics) • Academic Behaviors (study skills, self monitoring) • Contextual Skills and Awareness (advising, resources, etc.)

23. My Framing of Student Attributes • Understands college norms and values (intellectual engagement, taking responsibility for learning, actively exploring questions, taking risks, complexity) • Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills (writing, research, core academics) • Metacognitive Skills (self monitoring, self regulation, attn to detail) • Campus navigation skills (registration/advising, how to approach faculty, netiquette skills, available resources, etc.)

24. Helen Burn Highline Community College Curriculum Research Group hburn@highline.edu www.CurriculumResearchGroup.org