Reimagining Learning Support

By Lauren Walton, Learning Specialist

As scientific advances help us better understand the brain and cognitive processes, those insights can help educators develop more effective practices in the classroom and explicitly teach students how to learn. The interdisciplinary field of MBE (Mind, Brain, Education) science blends neuroscience, psychology, and educational pedagogy in ways that encourage innovative, research-based teaching and learning practices that empower students to develop self-efficacy (confidence in their ability to learn and do challenging things). Self-efficacy is not false confidence; it is based on experiences of authentic accomplishment that are rooted in the ability to seek feedback and grow through mistakes (“fail forward” as the modern terminology goes) to cultivate metacognitive awareness (the ability to describe and evaluate one’s mental processes and knowledge gaps). Archmere is working to harness the power of these insights. In the interests of serving our students and preparing them for lives of principle and purpose outside of the classroom, Archmere is reimagining learning support in subtle ways that we hope will have a significant impact.

In the interests of serving our students and preparing them for lives of principle and purpose outside of the classroom, Archmere is reimagining learning support in subtle ways that we hope will have a significant impact.

Learning support is for everybody.

There’s been a longstanding misperception that the only students who have learning differences or struggle academically can benefit from learning support. We want to challenge this assumption. Neuroscience findings indicate intelligence is not a fixed trait; we can grow our intelligence through deliberate practice in stimulating, structured environments. Since learning is essentially based on the formation of new neural connections (neuroplasticity) and new neurons (neurogenesis), it’s important for schools - and students/families - to create conditions where those two processes are maximized. All people can benefit from a better understanding of how brains learn (in a general sense and on an individual basis) and how to mindfully structure institutions and habits to facilitate that process. By framing intelligence this way and addressing skill deficits that have nothing to do with intelligence but often get in the way of demonstrating it (e.g., lack of executive functioning skills), we also better address equity issues in education.

The research of Carol S. Dweck and Angela Duckworth about growth mindset and the role of grit/perseverance has been applied in various ways to educational practice for over a decade. Growth mindset is essentially the understanding that many attributes we used to consider innate “traits” are malleable; However, understanding growth mindset on an intellectual level and putting it meaningfully into practice are two entirely different things. Schools play a pivotal role in helping students develop the tools to use growth mindset thinking to their advantage. Growth mindset can be misinterpreted to overemphasize effort; it’s not just about working hard—it’s also about working strategically, so you get more “bang for your buck,” as it were. Students can feel let down by the promises of a growth mindset if they are employing less effective study tools or their expectations for the speed of their growth/ learning are not realistic. On the other hand, a growth mindset has tremendous potential to empower students and make them more comfortable with imperfection, so explicit metacognition and growth mindset thinking is key.

A holistic approach to students best supports learning.

The intuition of master educators—that a student’s emotional, physical, and mental health are closely linked to academic performance and cognitive capacity—is increasingly validated by research. In addition, strong positive mentoring relationships and supporting students’ social-emotional growth are pivotal to maximizing their ability to reach their full potential in classrooms. Consequently, Archmere’s Learning Support program is closely aligned with the counseling program to ensure that each student’s wellbeing is fully supported.

It’s important to destigmatize neurodiversity.

Until relatively recently, learning differences resulting from divergent cognitive processes were historically not well understood and were often stigmatized. Research and neuroimaging have demystified many learning differences for experts. However, stigma often persists among the general population, especially since science is constantly evolving, and there are still many unanswered questions. Neurotypical people may have limited points of reference to empathize with students who have learning differences, and they can erroneously associate difference with deficiency. Even the terminology associated with learning differences (e.g., referring to them as “disabilities”) can reinforce biases. Changing the words we use is the first step in shifting away from the paradigm of neurodiversity as a reflection of limited potential and empowering neurodiverse students to understand themselves and advocate for inclusivity and understanding in all of the institutions they are a part of now and in the future. It’s important to note, however, that the ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) does protect the rights of individuals who fall into 13 different disability categories. In order for those people to be properly identified and protected, it’s necessary to use the verbiage in the ADA and in various diagnostic manuals, so the term “disability” is still in use. Ultimately, the goal is to shift our mindsets toward a more affirming connotation while still ensuring that the necessary supports are in place for neurodiverse students.

We want to prioritize self-advocacy and self-awareness.

Part of a well-rounded education is the development of metacognitive awareness and the language to self-advocate. As students move into higher education and the professional world, it’s important for them to understand what they need to succeed and be solution-oriented and initiate conversations with the right people to ensure their needs are met to the extent possible in each context. This involves a complex skill set that synthesizes self-awareness, tact, knowledge of systems/mechanisms for institutional change, and flexible thinking if all possible accommodations are not available (or not available immediately). These skills can be taught if they are properly scaffolded, and space is created for students to practice them.