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Growth Mindset - Carol Dweck

One of the biggest names remembered when we talk about performance and motivation, Professor Carol Dweck (01) has been studying for years two fundamental ways to seek the human mindset, which would be the Fixed Mindset and the Growth Mindset (02). When we born, we’re willing to learn to walk and talk, but as we grow up, we start to be afraid of making mistakes, we start to judge ourselves because we don't want to look stupid in front of our family or friends, so for Professor Dweck it’s at this stage that we start to create a fixed mindset.

In short, a fixed mindset can be described as a person who always wants to be recognized for their talent or a person who thinks it shouldn't take too much effort because they were born smart enough. On the other hand, a person with a growth mindset is always looking for something new to learn and improve their skills; they also think that putting effort is a good strategy to get smarter; and for me the most interesting is that making mistakes is a good opportunity to learn and grow. When a fixed mindset makes a mistake, it gets very emotional and can't properly process what's going on, but a growth mindset process and correct it in the best way.

In Professor Carol's research (03), she also talks to us on the side of parents and teachers. For her, it is extremely important that they learn how to have a growth mindset so everyone can help their children succeed in life and at school. Dweck teaches us (04) that we shouldn't tell a child things like "you're so smart" or "very good, you're the best at math" because that kind of comment can put a fixed mindset in their minds, so what? you should do is ask questions like "this is interesting, how did you get that answer?" or “What did you think about learning this topic?”.

Another different point of view that Carol brings us is “the power of yet”. For her, especially in an educational environment, it is important that when a student goes bad on an exam, parents and teachers should use the term “yet”, in this way they are not saying that the child has failed, but that they are learning.

For me personally, this research helped me to understand myself better. I have always believed that words have power and Professor Carol proved to me that, in fact, what we say has a lot of power in the lives of others, especially when we are still human beings in formation. I would like to highlight three phrases from Dweck that stood out to me:

• It's never too late to learn and develop your skills;

• Why waste your time trying to look smart when you could be getting smarter;

• Mistakes are a rich source of learning, it depends on your mindset.

An extra point is, if you're worried because you think you have a fixed mindset, remember that our brain is capable of learning anything, if you're willing. Don't let a fixed mindset hold you back, it's always time to grow.

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References:

01- https://profiles.stanford.edu/carol-dweck

02- https://www.bridgingthegaps.ie/2015/01/growth-mindset-a-must-have-tool-for-success/

03- https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0345472322/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=gs2&linkId=ZYKJHPHELN46AOWM&creativeASIN=0345472322&tag=farstrblo-21&creative=9325&camp=1789

04- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-71zdXCMU6A&t=92s&ab_channel=TalksatGoogle

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Today we are discussing the topic: “Learning to Learn”: Techniques to Help You Learn with Dr Barbara Oakley. In this Podcast, presented by Dr Waseem Akhtar, Dr Oakley talks about her research on the learning process and how the brain works.

For starters Dr Oakley tells us, in an easy to understand way, that the learning process happens in the brain creating connections between neurons, so the more you study and practice on a subject, the more connections are created and the more fixed it will be in your long-term memory, your permanent memory.

Another interesting point that Dr Barbara brought up was that it is very common for people to adopt some views about their own abilities to learn some specific subjects like science or math (in fact I always thought I was the worst in math), but she teaches that the human brain is capable of changing and learning different things if we study hard enough, practice and be persistent. A good technique is the recall mode, which involves talking to or teaching someone else about something you have learned. So, if you want to learn something you never felt capable of, dig deep, study hard, share it with a friend and yes, you can do it!

Dr Oakley's #1 tip for anyone trying to learn something is to use the Pomodoro Technique, which consists of maintaining full focus for 25 minutes on study or work and then taking a 5-minute break. On this little mental break, you can listen to music, check your social media, grab a bite to eat or a cup of coffee.

Continuing the interview, Dr Waseem Akhtar asked Dr Oakley what she thinks about Online Learning and she was sincere in saying that this method will continue to grow, especially high quality courses with good and renowned teachers. The two main points for her is that it is more convenient and it costs less for students and also for colleges to have an online course running. She ended her answer by saying that in online classes the students get to work with different people from different countries and on this specific point I will respectfully disagree with her and I tell you why: in my class, on a face-to-face basis in Dublin, we are a large group with people from over 7 different countries. She would probably say that we are a really privileged group.

Her last but not least advice was for everyone to stay open to learn and keep improving. Some of the best highlights of his interview were:

• A break can be extremely valuable. Use the Pomodoro Technique.

• Don't just do the easy things, strive to do the hardest things.

• Build your muscles, build your brain.

• If you're in a big flow, don't get distracted by anything.

I’d like to end this post with the current numbers of Dr Barbara Oakley, who are really impressive. As of October 2022, its online course on Coursera has over 3.3 million students rated 4.8. In addition, one of her most famous videos on YouTube is a Ted Talks and has over 2 million views and over 900 grateful comments.