Mindset Skill Acquisition Through Problem-based Learning

Mindset skill acquisition through problem-based learning.

An approach to being beyond ready.

James E. Johnson Department of Educational Psychology, Miami University EDP 648 Capstone Dr. Michele Dickey February 6, 2023

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1. Overview This learning experience aims to activate students' interest in developing creative, entrepreneurial mindsets and develop self-directed learning for future job needs. Students will utilize self-assessment tools to identify their aptitudes in various mindsets related to creative problem-solving. The mindsets include curiosity, empathy, courage, resilience, and taking action.

The Mindset Project is a problem-based learning experience where the problem to be solved is the learner's ability to use self-directed learning for specific mindset development. Students will identify goals and develop personalized learning plans related to these assessments throughout the course. Problem-based learning activities in the form of mindset challenges will enable students to experience and demonstrate mindset "self-development." The project sequence involves: 1. Analysis of future skill needs and goal articulation 2. Personal assessment of skills and mindsets 3. Development of growth strategies and action plans 4. Participation in mindset challenges with documentation of progress and reflection.

5. The development of a revised action plan to meet career goals 6. The presentation of a final project The project will occur over five weeks during a 15-week semester.

2. Problem and Needs Addressed Recent studies by the World Economic Forum (The Future of Jobs Report 2020), Accenture (Accenture) and McKinsey & Company (Dondi et al., Defining the skills citizens will need in the future world of work 2021) have emphasized the radical change in required workforce skills with the imminent integration of intelligent technologies. McKinsey indicates that self-leadership will play an essential role in future success. Accenture identifies the need to "design experiences into lifelong learning programs."

Our analysis reveals that a combination of Complex Reasoning, Creativity, Socio-emotional Intelligence, and Sensory Perception skills is increasingly relevant for almost every role. It's a finding that raises a daunting challenge: today's education and training systems are ill-equipped to build these skills. By their nature, these skills are acquired through practice and experience, often over long periods of time. They are not inculcated in the classroom, lecture hall, or library. (Accenture, 2018) This immense challenge of training and retraining will be shared by both employers and education.

2 A need for innovation and change within the educational system leads us to consider Smith and Ragan’s Innovation Model for needs assessment (Brown & Green 2020). The model involves three steps: (1) validate there is a problem; (2) determine whether learners’ educational achievements is the cause of the problem; (3) determine whether learning is the cause of the problem; (4) determine whether the learning goals are currently in use for instruction.

The mission of Miami University’s Farmer School of Business and their Entrepreneurship Department is to ensure students are “Beyond Ready” for whatever the future holds. In 2017, Farmer School of Business validated the needs of future employers through academic and practitioner literature, discussions with valued business partners, and research into the other top 50 business schools. Based on these findings, they established the innovative First Year Integrated Core to help all business majors develop foundational skills for success in college and careers through an integrated, highly interactive, and experiential first-year program.

Needs-based learning goals enable students to learn valuable skills in communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creative thinking, computational thinking and coding, and ethical thinking.

ESP103 - Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurial Thinking is a course within the FYIC designed to promote students' ability to develop creative solutions to business problems and professional communications that are effective for audience, purpose, context, and media. To accomplish the first goal, the course focuses on creative mindset development and a creative problem-solving process. Surveys of students entering their first year at FSB indicate apprehension about their creative abilities and some skepticism regarding a course on entrepreneurship and creativity in general. However, they accept the need for creativity within a business environment.

Ongoing need for innovation and improvement Students move through four classes in teams concurrently, working together from the beginning to the end of the semester. The ESP103 and the FYIC curriculum require collaboration and alignment of academic leadership, administrators, and over 24 faculty. With the rapid introduction of intelligent technologies and disruptive world events (Covid-19) there is an ongoing need to improve the pedagogy to reflect future job needs and inspire students to take ownership of their education and skill development.

The course has been proven successful with anecdotal evidence from professors and employers of students being better prepared for the demands of upper level courses and internships since the FYIC was implemented.

3 Student engagement needs The Fall 2022 semester appeared to be a return to normal with in-person classes after Covid-19 restrictions were dropped. However, the Spring 2023 semester introduced unprecedented challenges with severe drops in student engagement, attendance, and academic achievement. The Spring cohort of FYIC has approximately 550 students enrolled and by midterm, over 25% of the students were considered academically “at risk.” Efforts to better understand the sudden lack of engagement are in progress.

These challenges appear to be universal across higher education as reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education (McMurtrie, 2022). This was supported by research conducted by Wiley (REF) with a survey of more than 7,000 students and instructors in August of 2022. The survey identified five challenges students and universities face in the Post-Covid-19 era; (1) - engagement challenges, (2) - enrollment and retention issues, (3) - financial and emotional stress, (4) - uncertainty about the future, (5) - faculty-student perception gap. When asked what would contribute to better engagement, students responded: “So, what kind of content would students find more engaging in their courses? They told us they’re looking for current, relevant content that’s applicable to the real world and promotes interaction.

When asked unaided, one quarter of students reported that additional real-world material, including application and experiential learning, would improve their educational experience. This type of material allows students to approach real-life scenarios, including realistic case studies and examples with direct links to the sort of work they’ll encounter in their careers.” (Wiley, 2022)

When addressing the issue of students’ uncertainty about their future, providing learning experiences that are relevant to a students’ career choice comes to the forefront. Wiley reports: “Since many students want to pursue disciplines that allow them to have purposeful and meaningful careers after graduation, instructors can help lessen student uncertainty through more career-connected content.”

In conclusion, the needs being addressed with the proposed learning experience are related to anticipated or future needs (Morrison et al. 2019, p. 36). First is the anticipated needs of employers for mindset development from Farmer School of Business, and the second is anticipated needs for career development coming from students entering the FYIC program. (Morrison et al. 2019, p. 36)

4 3. Learner Analysis General Characteristics First-year students enrolled in ESP103 are academically motivated, with an average GPA of 3.78. As such, they highly value grades as a measure of achievement. A vast majority of the students enrolled at Farmer School of Business are between 18 to 19 years of age, with 65% male and 35% female. In addition, the student population is predominantly white, representing approximately 80% of the enrollment. In the Fall 2021 FSB admitted cohort, 35% were from outside of Ohio.

Model The Dick, Carey, and Carey model emphasizes the learners’ attitudes toward content and delivery when conducting analysis (Brown & Green 2020, p. 80). This model is appropriate for ESP103 due to first-year students’ concern about their creativity, their identity and the unorthodox method ESP103 uses to teach creativity . Surveys of students entering ESP 103 indicate some ambivalence about their creative abilities and some skepticism regarding the course in general. They view themselves as future business professionals and see no need for freeform thinking and metacognitive skills that appear to have no practical application.

Freshman profile A majority of first-year students face the challenge of adjusting to independent living and a new environment.

Without their family support group for the first time they are likely to be more challenged with time management, adjusting to irregular class schedules, homesickness, making new friends, and transitioning to adult responsibilities in general. As a result, instructors of first-year students need to be sensitive to personal factors, which may be expressed by mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. The instructor has to be aware of when to provide support, when to notify university support systems, and when a student is actually avoiding academic responsibilities.

The fall semester cohort of first-year students tends to exhibit more enthusiasm for their academics due to their excitement about experiencing college life. They also have the advantage of having a summer to prepare themselves for classes. In addition, they enter the semester with more agreeable weather and are looking forward to the opportunity to socialize during seasonal events.

The spring semester cohort of first year students have a more realistic view of what to expect and how they can manage their academics in a more efficient manner. As a result, they may be more judicious about the amount of effort they apply to projects and how it impacts their GPA. In addition, the spring semester is when fraternities and sororities have rush events, which can occupy time normally set aside for studies. Scholastic

5 ability may also play a factor in the academic qualifications of the student. In some cases, honors students and those with higher academic standings are given first preference in class selection and opt to take FYIC courses in the fall semester. The spring semester students are often more difficult to motivate.

HBDI Assessment and diversity of majors At the beginning of each semester, students participate in a Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument analysis.

The HBDI analysis assesses thinking preferences and categorizes the results into four quadrants (Table 1).

QUADRANT

THINKING PREFERENCE

A - BLUE

Quantitative, fact based, analytical, logical

B - GREEN

Organized sequential, planned, detailed

C - YELLOW

Synthesizing, integrating, intuitive, holistic

D - RED

Interpersonal, feeling based, kinesthetic, emotional Table 1: HBDI Quadrants

Each quadrant is given an indicator code for preference (1,2,3) and a code for profile score (1-130).

Instructors use the HBDI profiles to form diverse teams of students and to provide opportunities for learning how to collaborate through the use of personalized strengths (Figure 1). The HBDI profile has traditionally been used in BUS101 - Business Fundamentals which provides a focus on teamwork, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

While there is not a collective database for all HBDI student profiles, there are indications that FSB students favor specific majors according to their HBDI profile.

Students within the FYIC and ESP103 represent all eight academic majors and two co-majors; Accountancy, Business Analytics, Economics, Finance, Human Capital Management and Leadership, Information And Cyber Cybersecurity, Marketing, Real Estate, Supply Chain and Operations Management, Analytics Co-Major, and Entrepreneurship Co-major. When preparing students for future careers, students are given the opportunity to personalize their assignments based on their major or an interest where they want to apply their business skills.

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Figure 1: HBDI Dashboard

Cohort dynamics The FYIC program is highly unusual in that students attend all four FYIC courses with the same cohort of students. Student sections are identified by alphabetic indicators (AA, AB, BA, BC, etc.) and remain together throughout the semester. This provides a unique bonding experience as they get to know each other extremely well while working on all of their assignments. Early in the semester, the class sections are divided ever further into teams of four or five to compete in the client challenge. This dynamic allows for the formation of student teams that become well aware of each other's strengths, weaknesses, and personal background over fourteen weeks. It is not uncommon for students to continue to socialize with their FYIC teammates throughout their time at Miami University.

7 Attitude ESP103 faces the challenge of being a mandatory class for business majors and instructors must convince students the course is important to their declared major. Many business students, especially those in accounting, economics, and information systems, have no desire to be entrepreneurs and see no need for developing creative mindsets.

In addition, ESP103 lesson material is often self-directed and relies on intrinsic motivation to achieve personal excellence. Assessment does not focus on “right” or “wrong” answers but on the ability to find the most creative way to solve problems through creative mindsets. Conversations with students and course evaluations confirm frustrations with the open-ended nature of the assignments and their perception of subjectivity when grading.

Another attitudinal challenge is the student’s hypersensitivity to grades and their grade point average. Many students still view a high GPA as their primary goal due to the fact most of their academic life has been focused on getting into college. Average work that gets an average grade, such as a C, comes as a shock and major disappointment. All of these factors play important roles in the task analysis.

4. Task Analysis The mission, or task, of Farmer School of Business and the Entrepreneurship Department is to enable students to be "Beyond Ready" for whatever the future holds. Being beyond ready can be accomplished by inspiring students to take ownership of their ongoing education and skill development.

The objective of this PBL experience is to activate students' interest in developing mindsets leading to future career success and self-directed learning. The PBL will be integrated into the ESP103 Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurial Thinking lesson plan over five weeks. The task analysis identifies the type of content making up the instruction and the sequence in which it should be performed. ((Brown & Green 2020,p. 60).

Smith and Ragan state that when instructional designers conduct an information-processing analysis, they are attempting to identify the mental and/or physical steps an individual needs to go through to complete the learning task (Brown & Green, 2020, p. 64). The Smith and Ragan approach to task analysis begins by identifying the learning goal and the type of learning required. Goal: Students must demonstrate affective and metacognitive self-efficacy through experiences related to their zone for proximal development.

8 In their book Instrument Development in the Affective Domain, McCoach, Gable, and Madura (McCoach et al. 2013, p. 11) define self-efficacy as one’s perception of his/her ability (i.e, confidence) to successfully perform a task or behavior. They go on to reference Bandura (1986) and identify self-efficacy as one of the most important attitudinal constructs.

“it connects human motivation, thought processes, and behavior. Social cognitive theory recognizes the social origins of our thoughts and actions and the important role that cognition and thought play in human motivation, affect, and action.”

They observed that extensive research on self-efficacy indicates that those who believe they can do something are more likely to persevere and succeed than those with lower self-efficacy beliefs. The task of developing self-efficacy is facilitated by self directed practice and application. Self-regulated feedback becomes crucial in changing behaviors to enhance effectiveness. These principles of developing self-efficacy are incorporated into the task analysis.

The task analysis of the Mindset project involves the following sequence of steps to be completed and include a prerequisite analysis and information-processing analysis for reaching the goal. To develop the selected mindsets, students must: ●

First acknowledge the existence of their formulaic behavior and the value of divergent behavioral activities outside of their comfort zone.

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Identify the divergent behavioral activities that may result in achieving a personal goal.

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Identify the reason for their resistance to the activity and assess its consequences.

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Evaluate the risk as an acceptable tradeoff for potential benefits

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Initiate the behavior creating the experience in a way that is authentic to its purpose

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Assess the positive and negative aspects of the behavior

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Reflect on its merits

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Feel a sense of accomplishment and admiration

The metacognitive and attitudinal nature of mindset development does not always lead to observable behavior.

5. Learning Objectives The Mindset Project is a problem-based learning experience where the problem to be solved is the learner's ability to use self-directed learning for specific mindset development. This project utilizes both executive cognitive and metacognitive abilities (McCoach et al. 2019, p. 112) and applies the cognitive domain for

9 problem solving (Table 2) and the affective domain for mindset development (Table 3). The interrelationship between the domains assists with evaluating and valuing.

COGNITIVE DOMAIN 1- Remembering

Recall information

2- Understanding

Interpret information in own words

3- Applying

Use knowledge or generalization in a new situation

4- Analyzing

Break down knowledge into parts and show relationships among parts

5- Evaluating

Make judgements on basis of given criteria

6- Creating

Putting the parts together to create a new whole Table 2: Cognitive Domain AFFECTIVE DOMAIN

1- Receiving

Willing to give attention to an event or activity

2- Responding

Willing to react to an event through some form of participation

3- Valuing

Willing to accept or reject an event through the expression of a positive or negative attitude

4- Organizing

Willing to organize values, determine relationships among values, and accept some values as dominant over others (according to the importance to the individual learner)

5- Characterized by a

Consistently acting in accordance with accepted values and incorporating this behavior

value complex

as part of one’s personality.

Table 3: Affective Domain

Learning Objectives Students will: ●

Evaluate the mindset skills needed for future employment and determine their relationships.

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Describe and evaluate personal barriers to creative mindset growth.

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Formulate personalized growth strategies.

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Pursue activities that lead to personal mindset development

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Study their progress and cooperate with others to challenge themselves

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Reframe their growth strategies to reflect how they might reach their goals

These objectives will be distributed over the timeline of the project and modified to meet the needs of each class.

6. Approach/Methodology/Models/Strategies Social learning theory will be applied to the lesson plan because it recognizes the role of internal mental processing and thought in influencing behaviors. Socialized learning will also leverage the cohort dynamics of the FYIC experience. Another aspect being utilized is modeling through the identification of a mentor who reflects the desired characteristics of the student. (McCoach et al. 2019, p. 374). Modeling will be used in the final project deliverable with elements borrowed from a Best Possible Self activity (Duan et al., 2021) and the Designing Your Life activity, which is utilized by Advancing Women in Entrepreneurship (AWE 2023 Miami University) .

Problem-based learning (PBL) will play a central role in the approach to the Mindset Project. This open-ended learning environment will enable students to work in teams to articulate their perspectives on how challenges are approached. Assessment resources and dashboard tools will enable self-reflection and assessment of progress. (Brown & Green 2020, p. 122).

The Mindset Project will also incorporate an instructional game to keep students engaged and motivated by competition. The gamification of the Mindset Project will allow students to compare their unique mindset experience with those of their classmates and evaluate their progress.

The sequencing of activities is influenced by the Kolb Learning Style (Manolis et al., 2013) and utilizes experiential learning based on six principles (Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A., 2006) .

1. Learning is best conceived as a process, not in terms of outcomes.

2. Learning is a continuous process grounded in experience.

3. Learning requires the resolution of conflicts between dialectically opposed modes of adaptation to the world.

4. Learning is a holistic process of adaptation.

5. Learning results from synergistic transactions between the person and the environment.

11 6. Learning is the process of creating knowledge (Kolb & Kolb 2006, p 47).

The Kolb learning experience consists of four stages: 1. Concrete Experience - doing or having an experience 2. Reflective Observation - reviewing or reflecting on the experience 3. Abstract Conceptualization - concluding or learning from the experience 4. Active experimentation - planning or trying out what was learned.

The sequence of the Mindset Project lessons and activities will reflect Affective Domain scaffolding and the Kolb stages beginning in Class 5 (Table 4).

Class C1- Introduction of job skill problem and

Activity Being creative exercises

formulation of research questions

Affective Domain Receiving and responding

C2- Research in to future job skills

Team formulation based on major and

Receiving and

A1 - Research

brainstorming of questions for

responding

team research C3- Self assessment

C4- Mindset Growth strategies

Use of Growth Worksheet to document

Receiving and

current state

responding

Team collaboration on strategies

Valuing and

A2 - Growth Strategies

organization

C5- Mindset Challenge game intro

Team formulation based on HBDI

Valuing and

Round 1 - Curiosity and Empathy

preference

organization

C6- Mindset Challenge Review

Individual “Live Like Another Color” for 48

Evaluating and

A3- Mindset Challenge R1

hours

organizing

C7- MIndset Challenge Round 2

Team preparation for Round 2. Introduction

Valuing and

Courage and Resilience

of Rejection Therapy

organization

C8- Mindset Challenge Round 3

Teams work with HBDI opposites to

Valuing and

Curiosity, Empathy, Courage,

complete more difficult challenges.

organization

12 Resilience, Action A4 - Mindset Challenge R2&3 C9- Hero’s Journey and Storytelling

Individuals apply mindsets to

Characterization

career-specific challenges C10- Mindset Review

Individual presentations of research,

A5 - Mindset Final Project

strategies, challenges, and reflection

Characterization

Table 4: Lesson Plan Outline

7. Technology / Media Technology providing communication, self-assessment data, and feedback will play an important role in the MIndset Project. The integration of intelligent technology into the learning experience would make sense since it is the topic being researched. In this case, these features would have to be integrated into the Canvas LMS using what Brown and Green ((Brown & Green 2020, p. 18) refer to as “an eclectic approach (that) allows the designer to choose specific elements from a variety of sources. This approach can be viewed both as taking the best there is to offer and taking things out of context.” While Canvas presents design and technology integration challenges, it is the LMS of choice for Miami University and will provide access and ease-of-use to all students and instructors.

The initial lesson material design will use rough tech simulations of the ideal experience using Google platforms and freeware. The intent is to create a “minimum viable product” that is functional enough to be used in the learning experience while gaining valuable feedback from a combination of experts and end users. Large tech firms use MVPs and continuously provide software updates as they discover features that improve the customer experience. Using an MVP requires an extra level of supervision during the initial roll out, therefore, the platform should be limited to one class. An alternative to an MVP would be to perform extensive field trials with your target learner. However, finding students willing to commit time and energy into the study would be difficult. Another alternative would be to conduct more extensive one-on-ones to test usability, which I would recommend if the Mindset Project is considered for use in the classroom. To fully develop this project would require an expert in Canvas LMS design and possibly the help of Miami’s Online Learning Department.

The main tech features (collaboration platforms, nudges, dashboards, video, and assessment) will be integrated into the Canvas LMS using H5P, Miro, Google products, and freeware.

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The MIndset Worksheet, which serves as a personalized dashboard and progress tracker, would require the use of pivot tables, add ons, macros, and app scripts to allow students to input their data and monitor their progress.

The one technology not integrated into Canvas is the GooseChase scavenger hunt platform. GooseChase was first used to gamify ESP103 assignments during the outbreak of Covid-19 and the transition to distance learning in the fall of 2019. The platform enables organizations to create a scavenger hunt experience consisting of customized challenges that are completed through the use of their mobile app. The challenges are allocated points based on difficulty and can be set for teams or individuals. The completion of tasks takes place over a specified period and are documented with short video clips posted to the platform for everyone to see. A leaderboard keeps track of point leaders. The platform has proven very successful in creating engagement and has been used for individual and team challenges. The most recent GooseChase challenge used in ESP 103 was ranked by students as the most effective assignments of the semester.

Consideration of any technology integrated into the LMS on a large scale must be vetted and approved by Miami University to satisfy standards of usability, accessibility, technical support, and expense.

8. Assessment Plan The Mindset Project uses problem-solving for mindset development and reflects both the cognitive and affective domains. Affective domain assessment is challenging because affective characteristics are not directly observable and it is difficult to make inferences about them based solely on observational data (McCoach et al. 2013, p. 34). In some cases, self-efficacy can be temporal, lasting a short period of time.

Assessment of self-efficacy and affective attitudes towards the mindsets of curiosity, empathy, courage, resilience, and action will be done using surveys and self-reported measures. These surveys will be incorporated into their Growth Worksheet (Figure 2) and will not be graded, but used for formative assessment by the instructor. The use of a Growth Zone will allow students to identify activities for personal growth and demonstrate progress towards reaching their goal. Team feedback and weekly reflections will reinforce the development of self-efficacy in mindset development.

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Figure 2: Examples of Self Assessment Instruments

Problem-solving will be demonstrated through the development of a Growth Strategy. Criteria for assessing problem-solving will include analyzing, synthesizing, and creating.

Two classes are held every week and one assignment will be submitted at the end of each of the five weeks.

Assignments 1 and 2 will cover classes one through four and focus on the problem-solving process.

Assignments 3 and 4 will cover classes five through eight and focus on mindset development and self-efficacy. Assignment 5 will complete the problem-solving process and be turned in after class ten.

In total, the Mindset Project will be worth 100 grade points. Assignments 1 through 4 will be considered formative evaluation and worth only 20 grade points (5 each). They are assessed using a complete / partial complete / incomplete rubric with the intent of keeping students on track with their project. The reason for complete/incomplete was due to concerns that weekly grading would not enable the instructor to offer meaningful feedback efficiently. Formative feedback from the instructor and classmates will be given during class. In addition, there is evidence that extrinsic rewards, such as grades, can lessen the development of self-efficacy. The rubrics for the assignments 1 through 4 are represented in Table 5. Assignment 5 is the final deliverable for the project and provides a summative assessment (Table6) .

The learning environment will involve ongoing formative assessment in the context of a learning community.

The feedback may come through a dashboard interface, peer reviews, professional mentors, and instructor

15 assessment. Technology will enhance communication and visualization of progress. Summative assessment will occur at the end of the project.

Table 5: Rubrics for A1 through A4

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Table 6: Rubric for A5 - Mindset Project

9. Formative Evaluation Plan: The formative evaluation plan for this project will be influenced by several factors:

17 1. I am a Subject Matter expert, having obtained my E.M.B.A in Creative Leadership and taught the ESP103 course material for nine semesters. The basis of many of my instructional design decisions are based on my academic research and practical experience with the learners and the materials.

2. The metacognitive nature of the material relating to the affective domain requires a humanistic approach to design research similar to the Design Thinking methodology. This approach puts customer research at the beginning of the process in order to derive behavioral insights that reframe the challenge and improve design solutions.

3. The lesson plan uses a problem-based learning approach which allows students to “develop and refine their understanding of the subject matter in a highly personal and meaningful way” ((Brown & Green 2020, p. 22).

As such, the formative evaluation of this project will consist of three stages in the following sequence: 1. Small group review 2. Expert review 3. One-to-one review Improvements will be made to the lesson material after each stage.

Putting the small group review first will allow for an overall evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the learning experience from the perspective of the end user, which is consistent with the approach described by Morrison, g., et al (Morrison et al. 2019, p. 345).

Small group review The small group will be composed of five to seven students who are enrolled in Farmer School of Business who have a familiarity of the ESP103 pedagogical approach and represent a range of majors. Based on response rates, I will enlist current students, Undergraduate Associates for the course, and previous students. Undergraduate Associates are former students who currently assist instructors with the course. They provide a unique perspective of having taken the course and also mentoring students who are currently taking the course.

The purpose of the prototype research is to evaluate the relevance of the problem-based learning approach, students’ willingness to participate in the activities, and overall weaknesses and strengths of the lesson plan.

The activity should take about 40 minutes to complete and would be scheduled for the late afternoon so it does note conflict with their other classes. Pizza and soft drinks will be offered to make sure students are

18 engaged and motivated. Each student will be provided with an outline of the lesson plan and shown a slide deck with representative visuals of the delivery method. They would be given an overview of the problem being solved and an overview of the lesson plan elements and sequence. I will use the following discussion questionnaire with follow up inquiries to discover the root cause or motivation.

1. Can you relate to the problem this material is addressing? Do you feel there is a need for students to be concerned about future job skills? Why? 2. How do you currently address this issue? Tell me more.

3. Do you think this is relevant to most students?

4. What do you think works well with this approach? Would it be effective? Why? 5. Is there anything you don’t understand?

6. What areas concern you? What problems do you see with this approach? Why? 7. What can be done to improve the Mindset project? Tell me more.

Data Capture As a followup to the small group review, participants will be sent the research stimulus and a questionnaire survey to document their responses and to rank activities according to their importance. Using a Likert 5scale rating of “1= Not important at all” to “5 = Extremely important.” the students would be asked to answer the following questions: 1. How important is it to have students understand the desired skills for future employment?

2. How aware are you of the desired skills for future employment?

3. From your perspective, what is the most effective part of the Mindset Development learning experience for a student? Why? 4. From your perspective, what is the most difficult or challenging part of the Mindset Development learning experience for a student? Why?

The survey would request ranking of the importance of lesson material elements. These include: ●

Researching the future skill requirements

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Collaborating with others on our progress

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Working with a progress dashboard

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Frequent self-assessment and reflection

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Challenges that help me develop skills

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Setting goals and creating an action plan

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Gamification of skill development challenges

19 Based on the small group review feedback, improvements to the learning experience will be made and artifacts will be developed for Canvas and other elements of the lesson material.

Expert Review I will enlist the help of two Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to assist with the evaluation of the project. They are both experienced instructors of ESP103 and have specific qualifications related to the project.

Beth Troy, Assistant Lecturer, FSB - Ms. Troy has taught ESP103 for six years and leads the Advancing Women in Entrepreneurship (AWE) initiatives for the Department of Entrepreneurship. She leads the Design Your Life winter term course which focuses on female entrepreneurship and invites students to use the opportunity to develop a life plan for after graduation.

David Eyman, Associate Lecturer, FSB Director of Innovation - Mr. Eyman has taught ESP103 for eight years and is one of the original developers of the course. He is also certified by the Hermann Institute for HBDI Assessment, which plays a central role in the learning experience. Questions asked of expert participants would include: ●

What are your overall impressions on a problem-based approach to mindset development? Do you think the students will be engaged?

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Is the lesson flow appropriate for the learning objectives?

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Do you see value in the Growth Worksheet? Any issues with its use?

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What are your thoughts on team formulation for research and activities? Should it be by major and/or HBDI strength?

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What are your thoughts on weekly assessment and grading?

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What are your thoughts on the final artifact for the project?

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What could go wrong?

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How could it be improved?

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Beth, what can we borrow from the Designing Your Life program?

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David, are the challenges relevant to the mindsets and HBDI profiles?

The lesson plan and artifacts will be modified for improvements based on the expert review.

One-on-one I will request the participation of an ESP103 UA for this research due to their previous experience with the class and their experience helping students navigate similar lesson material. This research will focus on

20 evaluating the value and usefulness of completed artifacts. Specifically: Miro Board, the Growth Worksheet, the Canvas Group feature, and selected Canvas pages. The functionality of the technology and clarity of instruction will be assessed to improve the user experience.

10. Formative Evaluation Report Background The Mindset Development Project was evaluated for use in ESP103 - Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurial Thinking, a course designed to promote skills in creative problem-solving. ESP103 is one of four courses within the First-Year Integrated Core (FYIC) and is mandatory for all students enrolled in Farmer School of Business. Instruction of the course relies on participatory activities and problem-based learning.

Purpose The Mindset Development Project aims to activate students' development of the mindsets desired by future employers. The project is a problem-based learning experience where the problem to be solved is personalized mindset development. Students will generate individual goals and learning plans based on their HBDI preference, self-assessed strengths, and areas for improvement. Gamified mindset challenges and self-assessment tools will provide students to experience the mindsets, reflect on their learning, and document progress. Students will work in teams to develop their individual approach to the project.

Method The formative evaluation plan for this project will be influenced by several factors: 1. My role as the instructional designer and a Subject Matter expert leading to design decisions based on academic research and practical experience with the learners and the materials.

2. The metacognitive nature mindset development requires a humanistic approach to design research as used in Design Thinking methodology.

3. A problem-based learning approach which allows students to “develop and refine their understanding of the subject matter in a highly personal and meaningful way”. (Brown & Green 2020, p. 22).

The formative evaluation of this project will consist of three stages in the following sequence: 1. Small group review conducted in person at Farmer School of Business.

2. Experts review conducted via Zoom video conferencing.

3. One-to-one review conducted via Zoom video conferencing.

21 Small group review The small group review took place in my office in Farmer School of business at 5:30 pm after classes. Seven students participated with a range of grade levels and majors (Table 7).

One student was currently taking ESP103 course and three are currently Undergraduate Associates (UAs), which gave them a unique perspective of having taken the course and currently mentoring students.

Name

Year

Major

Participant #1

Freshman

Marketing and Entrepreneurship

Current student

Participant #2

Freshman

Business Economics

UA

Emerging Technology in Business and Design, Participant #3

Freshman

Entrepreneurship

UA

Participant #4

Freshman

Marketing and Entrepreneurship

UA

Participant#5

Sophomore

Marketing

UA

Participant #6

Junior

Accounting

Former student

Participant #7

Senior

Engineering Management Major

Former student

Table 7: Small Group Participants

All of the participants are all academically motivated and are aware that they represent a segment of the ESP103 student population whose priorities do not include career planning. However, they all had valuable insight into how students respond to the class activities and what it might take to get them more engaged.

Instruments Students were provided with an outline of the lesson material and shown a slide deck with representations of the lesson material. As a followup to the small group review, participants were sent a questionnaire survey to document their feedback and to rank activities according to their importance. Here are the survey results.

Procedure Each student was provided with a document outlining the project goals and the sequence of weekly class topics and activities. I walked them through the document while sharing a slide deck that included visuals of the lesson materials and delivery method. I used the discussion questionnaire to inquire about the relevance of mindset development as a part of career preparation and the sequencing activities. We had an insightful discussion about the effectiveness of the lesson material and concerns students might have regarding the proposed learning experience. I also provided two options for gamification of the mindset challenges.

22 Recommendations All of the students reacted positively to the overall objectives and approach to the project. They appreciated how the problem-based project was both purposeful and personal. The self-assessment and personalized activities, and mentor research provided motivation and relevance. When asked whether some students would find the material irrelevant, they thought the gamification of the activities would attract students who normally would not engage in mindset development or career planning. Of the two options, the Amazing Mindset Race was preferred due to the design and badging components.

Five of the students participated in the followup survey. They have a positive reaction to the proposed mindset project and view the importance of having students understand the desired skills for future employment as extremely important.

When asked to rank the importance of lesson material elements, students favored setting goals, challenges, collaboration, and self-assessment.

Course Elements

Ranking

Setting Goals

28

Challenges that Help Me Develop Skills

26

Collaborating with others on our progress

26

Frequent Self Assessment

25

Researching the future skill requirements

20

Gamification of skill development challenges

8

Working with a progress dashboard

7

Table 8: Course Element Rankings

23 While gamification was lower on the rankings, it was incorporated into the lesson due to its appeal to students who are not motivated by career development.

Expert review Two Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) assisted with the evaluation of the project. They are both experienced instructors of ESP103 and have specific qualifications related to the project.

Beth Troy, Assistant Lecturer, FSB - Ms. Troy has taught ESP103 for six years and leads the Advancing Women in Entrepreneurship (AWE) initiatives for the Department of Entrepreneurship. She leads the Design Your Life winter term course which focuses on female entrepreneurship and invites students to use the opportunity to develop a life plan for after graduation.

David Eyman, Associate Lecturer, FSB Director of Innovation - Mr. Eyman has taught ESP103 for eight years and is one of the original developers of the course. He is also certified by the Hermann Institute in HBDI Assessment, which plays a central role in the learning experience.

Instruments The Expert reviews were conducted using Zoom video conferencing and each conversation took over an hour. Experts were provided with a link to: ●

Slide presentation outlining the course objectives, learning objectives, and weekly class material.

●

Compilation of Mindset Research identifying the skills and capabilities identified to be needed by employers in the near future.

●

Student Growth Worksheet which is an instrument students use throughout the project to document their assessments, reflections, and progress.

●

Canvas Pages showing the layout and content for the first three classes.

●

Miro Board setup for question ideation.

●

Mindset Challenges to be incorporated into the GooseChase scavenger hunt platform.

●

Expert Survey which was sent out after the review

●

Expert Survey Results

Procedure I described the course objectives, learning objectives, and weekly course sequence using the presentation deck. When relevant, I referred to the Mindset Research, Student Growth Worksheet, Canvas Pages, Miro

24 Board, and Mindset Challenges. I identified the most important features of the Mindset Project and how it was designed to be a problem-based learning experience with personalized and purposeful activities.

As we reviewed the projects, we discussed the merits of the lesson flow, the use of HBDI to individualize activity selection, the gamification of the challenges, the assessment and the final deliverable. Specific questions were asked regarding the composition of teams, the weekly assessment and reflection methodology. Additions to the proposed plan were recommended and discussed.

Recommendations / Beth Troy: ●

Adjust the team composition for each assignment so the students would encounter a variety of perspectives.

●

Have the teams organized by major for the first research project and the final deliverable.

●

Look for ways to incorporate progress maps so students could see a visual representation of the challenges they’ve faced and the progress they’ve made.

●

Keep the three assignments leading up to the final deliverable easy to assess by using Complete/Partially Complete/ and Incomplete rubric.

●

Avoid video submissions due to the lack of the students ability to effectively reflect using the medium and the time it takes to review submission.

Recommendations / David Eyman: ●

Encourage students to analyze the different descriptions of the mindsets we are proposing during research.

●

Be sure to identify the behaviors that are representations of the mindsets.

●

Incorporate the mentor in week eight activities.

●

Consider the time needed to create the weekly text prompts and lower the priority of implementation.

●

Consider having the Round 2 of the Mindset challenge involve partners so there is accountability.

●

Integrate a Best Possible Self component in the final deliverable for week 10.

One-on-one Review The one-on-one review was conducted via Zoom video conferencing and recorded for recordkeeping throughout the session. The reviewer is a student who has taken ESP103 and currently has the position of Undergraduate Associate for the course. The reviewer is also part of the FSB Honors program and can provide insight into the aptitudes of a wide range of students due to her mentoring duties.

25

Instruments The student was provided the following instruments: ●

Slide presentation outlining the course objectives, learning objectives, and weekly class material.

●

Student Growth Worksheet which is an instrument students use throughout the project to document their assessments, reflections, and progress.

●

Canvas Pages showing the layout and content for the first three classes.

●

Canvas Team collaboration site where groups can work together on projects.

●

Miro Board setup for question ideation

Procedure The focus of the review was on the evaluation of the value and usefulness of completed artifacts. ●

The student was provided Canvas links and was taken through the first three classes of the project.

●

The student was then asked to review the Canvas page for Class #1 and interact with the embedded Miro board for question ideation.

●

The Canvas Team site was explored and the usefulness of this feature was discussed.

●

Finally, the merits of the Growth Worksheet were reviewed and the student was given the opportunity to make a copy of the document and use the rating features.

Recommendations The design of the Canvas page was appreciated, however detailed descriptions of the embedded features need to be included. The Canvas Team site was a new feature to the student and they indicated that many students may not be familiar with its capabilities. When using the Miro board, entering text, moving items, and issues regarding the functionality were discovered. Since the activity will take place during class time, the student emphasized the importance of spending time demonstrating the best practices in using the interface.

In regards to the Growth Worksheet, the student appreciated the interactivity of the instrument and how it would provide an ongoing reference to self-assessment and progress with activities. The amount of information available on the worksheet was considered acceptable and not an issue.

11. Inclusive Design: Diversity, Equity. and Inclusion

26 Miami University and FSB places great emphasis on diversity, inequality and inclusion. FSB approaches it two ways. First they make sure that any student that chooses FSB from a diverse background feels welcome. Second, they ensure that the student population embraces diversity and develops what is called Cultural Intelligence. Cultural Intelligence is a program that has been developed by Farmer School of Business and includes four parts: (1) CQ Drive, (2) CQ Knowledge, (3) CQ Action, and (4) CQ.

Within each of these different aspects of CQ they have multiple programs to help build a student's cultural intelligence while they're attending Miami. They have case studies, HBDI testing, and assessments of their drive, knowledge, strategy, and action. They also have self-reflection and growth plans.

ESP103 creativity and diversity Creativity is about being novel and useful. In class, we make sure to emphasize that everybody is born uniquely useful and that diversity is actually a representation of creativity. With the Mindset Project, we want every student to discover what makes them unique and what makes them useful. All of the mindset skills to be developed with the MIndset Project not only contribute to creativity but also to diversity.

When it comes to international students we adjust their Growth Strategies and Zone of Proximal Development so that they know how to deal with living in another country. We encourage curiosity so that they explore what the culture has to offer. International students are often reserved so we encourage them to share their feelings. As they work in teams, we want them to experience new opportunities and to understand that all of these difficulties that they're going through lead to a positive skill development. We make sure we use case studies that feature Asian business leaders and make sure we can pronounce their name. We provide extra clarification during feedback and we look for opportunities to engage them within the class discussions.

Accessible design All educational lesson material will follow WCAG guidelines and be made accessible through purposeful design and assistive technology (AT). Assistive technology enables information to be accessed by individuals with impairments associated with visual, auditory, physical, cognitive, language, learning, or neurological impairments. For this reason, all information should accommodate assistive technology through specific design protocol and multiple forms of sensory representation.

Accessible Miro

27 Miro is a collaboration platform we will be using within Canvas. Miro has begun to make improvements to the accessibility of their platform.

These include: ●

Use a screen reader to change their profile.

●

Use keyboard and screen-reader navigation to manage teams.

●

The addition of alternative texts to key elements of Miro UI.

●

A prompt to activate screen reader mode when opening a board.

●

The color contrast of the UI elements on the board is WCAG2.1 AA compliant.

12. Personal Reflection It’s a meta, meta, meta, meta world While working on this project, I felt like I was experiencing a hall of mirrors. The goal of this capstone project and the act of creating it is similar to a project I would normally assign to my students. I was living their experience while creating a lesson plan that invites others to do the same. All of the mindsets came into play.

Curiosity in the form of going down the academic research rabbit hole of the affective domain in future job skills. Empathy for my students who are turning in their major project this week. Courage in the form of tackling a complex learning experience and with little regard for timelines. Resilience in the form of timelines being real and unbending. Action in the form of taking an academic assignment and working towards making it reality. And looking back at my EDP631, I realized I had created a learning experience that was similar to my A8.1 Professional Development Plan. Experiential learning at its best.

Overall, this project was rewarding in its ambition and difficulty. What did I do well? I believe I was successful in addressing multiple problems and finding an integrated, holistic solution. What would I do differently? I would spend more time at the beginning defining the deliverables and creating realistic timelines. This would have allowed time to improve my video and digital artifact. Yes, I am very HBDI Yellow and challenged by my lack of HBDI Green.

Reflecting back on my MA journey, I realize I was given the opportunity to synthesize all of my diverse career experiences and skills into a singular career offering. The goals I established early on for my newfound skills and knowledge of Instructional Design remain the same:

1. Development of problem-solving skills through experiential learning. I feel I am well prepared to use instructional design to promote the development of problem-solving skills to young adults and professionals. My professional career was spent solving ill-structured marketing problems, and as an

28 instructor, I’ve used elements of Constructivism to help Miami students solve complex problems for clients. Combining my professional and academic experience with instructional design and technology would align my interests with my skill sets.

2. Assist in the development of self-actualization and creativity. Helping others create original work and discover its benefits has been a goal of my professional and academic career. Creativity is in increasing demand as information technology takes over more traditional occupations. I believe instructional design and technology can, and should, play an important role in helping people develop creative confidence and self-actualization. The creative act and creative output are a direct reflection of the individual creator. Encouraging self development through the creative process is one of my passions.

3. Apply the art and science of compelling communication. I would like the opportunity to apply the best practices of news organizations, entertainment platforms, and marketing to adult education.

Technology has surrounded all aspects of our lives with intertwined communication channels.

Education has an opportunity to maximize learning experiences through integrated, artful storytelling and compelling communication.

4. Use technology for anytime, anywhere learning. I would like to explore the development and delivery of multi-channel remote learning experiences. Emerging technology continues to overcome physical barriers to create holistic and personalized learning. This will democratize learning and create new models for education.

I am extremely grateful for Miami University's willingness and encouragement to sponsor my pursuit of this degree. And I am very appreciative of the mentorship and ongoing support provided by Dr. Dickey.

Sincerely, Jim Johnson 914-309-4522 john1344@miamioh.edu

29 References: Accenture. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2023, from https://www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/thought-leadership-assets/pdf/accenture-education-and-te chnology-skills-research.pdf Angelo, T. A., & Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques : a handbook for college teachers (2nd ed). Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and actions: a social cognitive theory. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

Brown, A. H., & Green, T. D. (2020). The Essentials of Instructional Design: Connecting Fundamental Principles with process and practice. Routledge.

Duan, S., Watson, S., & Newby, T. (2021). Novice instructional designers’ attitudes towards the best possible self activity and the correlation with personality and subjective well-being. TechTrends, 66(2), 240–253. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-021-00653-1 The Future of Jobs Report 2020. World Economic Forum. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-report-2020 Dondi, M., Klier, J., Panier, F., & Schubert, J. (2021, June 25). Defining the skills citizens will need in the future world of work. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/defining-the-skills-citize ns-will-need-in-the-future-world-of-work Gonzalez-Perez, L. I., & Ramirez-Montoya, M. S. (2022). Components of Education 4.0 in 21st Century Skills Frameworks: Systematic Review.

Kavousi, S., Miller, P. A., & Alexander, P. A. (2020). The role of metacognition in the first-year design lab.

Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(6), 3471–3494. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09848-4 Kolb, Alice & Kolb, David. (2006). Learning styles and learning spaces: A review of the multidisciplinary application of experiential learning theory in higher education. Learning Styles and Learning: A Key to Meeting the Accountability Demands in Education. 45-91.

30 Manolis, C., Burns, D. J., Assudani, R., & Chinta, R. (2013). Assessing experiential learning styles: A methodological reconstruction and validation of the Kolb Learning Style Inventory. Learning and Individual Differences, 23, 44–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2012.10.009

McCoach, D. Betsy, et al. Instrument Development in the Affective Domain School and Corporate Applications. Springer, 2013.

McCoach, D. B., Gable, R. K., & Madura, J. P. (2013). Instrument development in the affective domain. school and corporate applications (3rd ed). Springer.

Miami University. (n.d.). Advancing Women in Entrepreneurship | Dept | FSB - Miami University. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.miamioh.edu/fsb/academics/entrepreneurship/focus-areas/women/index.html McMurtrie, B. (2022, July 12). A 'stunning' level of student disconnection. The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.chronicle.com/article/a-stunning-level-of-student-disconnection Morrison, Gary R., et al. Designing Effective Instruction. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2019.