Fostering a growth mindset is key to helping students learn to embrace challenges during their learning process.
By incorporating Kialo discussions into the classroom, you can help students approach complex topics with confidence, and see their ideas evolve over time through collaboration and investigation.
In a Kialo discussion, students explore a central thesis by adding pros and cons, building their subject knowledge while engaging with multiple perspectives and their peers’ contributions. In this article, we’ll go over some of the ways you can use Kialo Edu to foster a growth mindset in class — (completely free).
1. Embrace complex thinking and discussions
Complex or controversial topics often come with ambiguity and uncertainty, challenging students to think deeply and persist for a fuller understanding of what they’re dealing with. Such topics can appear daunting, but offer valuable opportunities for growth.
Kialo discussions give students a structured and supportive framework for navigating complex topics. Students break down the topic into manageable chunks, helping them organize and visualize their thinking and learning.
2. Focus on the learning process
By praising the learning process rather than seemingly fixed traits, educators help students focus on the factors within their control. Using “the power of yet” recasts a lack of understanding as a temporary state, reframing progress as possible with time and dedication.
In a Kialo discussion, you might recognize a student’s effort and strategies to find a suitable source, or their risk-taking in tackling one of the more challenging counter-arguments, for instance.
As you progress through the curriculum, try asking students to revisit earlier discussions, allowing them to review, revise, and expand on their ideas with any new insights or information they have gained. In doing so, educators can emphasize that understanding is an ongoing process, and that initial gaps in knowledge or struggles with content are natural steps in the learning process.
3. Teach and encourage learning strategies
Students need practical skills and tools to take an active role in their own development. By teaching specific learning strategies in the classroom, educators can help students see learning as a purposeful and deliberate process that they can control.
In a Kialo discussion, educators can help students improve their work by encouraging self-questioning techniques. Prompt students to look at their discussion and ask themselves questions like:
- Is my claim clear and specific?
- What are the strongest arguments and can I challenge them by adding a con?
- Have I considered alternative perspectives fairly?
- Do I need to reorganise my claims to make my argument easier to follow?
Students can edit, move, and link their claims with ease in a discussion, helping reinforce the idea of a discussion being an iterative process.
4. Normalize mistakes as learning opportunities
Mistakes are a valuable (and inevitable!) step in the learning process. When framed as opportunities to improve and grow, mistakes can help students build resilience and confidence.
Remind students that there is no “right” answer in a Kialo discussion. The goal is to explore their reasoning and refine their ideas, rather than to produce a “perfect” result.
However, it’s important to encourage students to identify gaps in their reasoning, unsuitable sources, and weak or unsupported claims. Students can also learn from each other’s experiences by sharing how they addressed such issues.
5. Make feedback a normal part of learning
Educators can frame feedback as a constructive tool by assigning tasks that give students opportunities to respond to assessment. Kialo’s Grading and Feedback feature makes it easy to leave timely, focused feedback directly on students’ claims, allowing you to give targeted guidance that helps them refine their ideas.
Alternatively, you might have students comment on each others’ claims to leave suggestions and feedback. Peer review and collaboration can show students how deeper understanding often comes through interacting with others’ ideas.
6. Encourage self-reflection
Encouraging students to evaluate their effort, strategies, and results helps them recognize their growth and understand the role they played in achieving their goals. Similarly, having students take the time to consider what worked—or didn’t—shows them that they have control over their own learning.
To build on this, students can set clear actionable goals after they complete a discussion. For example, students can set goals to address feedback suggesting that they need to work on writing more concise claims, or use more topic-specific vocabulary. Prompt them to track their progress and reflect on whether they met their goals.
7. Address real world issues
The best way to have students tackle problem-solving activities is to use a multi-thesis Kialo discussion. A multi-thesis discussion allows them to explore and compare two or more proposed solutions to approach a problem from different angles.
By integrating tools like Kialo and strategies to promote a growth mindset, educators can empower students to be actively involved in their learning.
