The Growth and Goals Module is designed to empower students with the learning skills they need to thrive and continually adapt in today’s dynamic world. They develop skills of metacognition—identifying what they know, don’t know, and strategizing accordingly—goal-setting, self-regulated learning, mindfulness, and mindsets. The module is integrated with courses and aligned with each course’s intended learning outcomes, thereby meeting students where they are, and during their learning.

 Arising from Alison Flynn’s Chair in University Teaching (2016–2019), the module is the result of a collaborative effort with students, uOttawa’s Teaching and Learning Support Service, Student Academic Support Service, uOttawa’s Centre for Research on Educational and Community Services, and professors at uOttawa and Trent University. To have the greatest impact, the module is continually evaluated and iteratively improved. To date, over 5000 students have used the module at over 10 institutions. The project has also engaged six students on the project teams, through uOttawa’s Work-Study, UROP, and Honours projects. 

Our goal is to reach all students, not only those who are fortunate enough to have the support in their environment or find themselves in dire situations and may seek help too late.

Ready to check out the module? You will find the adaptable module below and instructions here. Educators tell us it takes 2–3 hours to prepare the module for use in their course. #GrowthGoals

• Course-specific version in Brightspace: English, French, and instructions

• Course-specific version in Pressbooks: English | French

• Course-independent version: English | French

Theoretical frameworks

Self-regulated learning (SRL), mindfulness, metacognition, growth mindset

Self-regulated learning (SRL)

We are using an SRL model that involves stages of forethought, performance, and reflection (Zimmerman, Bonner, & Kovach, 1996; Zimmerman, 1990, 1998, 2000).  In the same way that athletes are taught to set goals, monitor their progress, and reflect on their performances (Olympic.org, 2015), academic SRL skills can be increased through educational interventions (Schunk & Ertmer, 2000; Zimmerman & Schunk, 2011).

The strategic control of thoughts, actions, and motivations to achieve personal goals and adaptively respond to environmental demands

Zimmerman, 2008

Metacognition

Metacognition is a critical part of SRL and can be broken down into two parts: metacognitive knowledge (knowing what you know) and metacognitive control and regulation (deciding what to do for your learning). In order to help students become better self-regulated learners, we give them strategies to become more metacognitive. 

Growth Mindsets

In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.

Carol Dweck, in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Module’s learning outcomes

1) Use the concept of metacognition to:

• Rate your current ability towards the course’s learning outcomes and provide an explanation for your rating

• Identify resources and strategies that you will use to reach your goals

• Explain to what extent the skills acquired from the module can be used in other settings

• Apply skills from the Growth & Goals module to other courses and life challenges (Note: this learning outcome is currently not addressed but will be added to the module)

• Describe the course’s intended learning outcomes in your own words (Note: this learning outcome is currently not addressed but will be added to the module)

2) Use goal-setting skills to:

• Identify and construct SMART goals

• Construct a personalized schedule for a university semester to achieve goals

• Define and refine your priorities and use them to set your own goals for a course or personal endeavour

3) Use the concept of self-regulated learning and its associated 3-phase learning cycle to:

• Describe self-regulated learning in your own words

• Describe each of the three phases of the self-regulated learning cycle in your own words

• Identify common myths about learning

• Self-assess study habits and thinking

• Rate personal feelings towards a course

4) Use the concept of mindfulness to:

• Develop and practice your present-time awareness

• Recognize that thoughts and feelings are natural products of the mind, and by exercising control, you can let them pass without becoming entangled or distracted

• Learn to not be overpowered by emotions or thoughts in directing your actions

• Practice developing mindful awareness through meditation activities

• Incorporate mindfulness into daily activities

• Apply the mindfulness skills learned in the Growth & Goals module to future courses and life challenges

5) Use the concept of mindset to:

• Describe a growth and fixed mindset in your own words

• Identify growth and fixed mindset statements

• Transform fixed mindset statements into growth mindset statements 

• Construct strategies to deal with failure and build resiliency 

PDF of the infographic (EN and FR)