Have you ever had a transformative experience? I’m not referring to an occurrence in which you made external changes that you hoped would produce internal benefits. I mean a period in which key factors aligned in such a way that produced powerful self-understandings. Such self-revelatory moments don’t just inspire us to change at some later time; they produce immediate and lasting change.
Transformation doesn’t change our situation. Our perspective and perceptions of the circumstances change. We see something of value in ourselves that is deeply and immensely empowering.
For many of us in the field, education has transformed us in more ways than we can count. But how can we promote transformation among our students?
Transformation can’t be forced, but the conditions can be set to make it more likely.
Below are steps that I’ve found very useful in promoting these defining learning experiences.
The student experience is often cast from a negative perspective. A common narrative among educators is, “Today’s students are ________ (You fill in the pejorative of choice: generationally flawed, cheaters, apathetic, coddled, . . . It’s a seemingly endless list.) Rather than deconstruct students’ past academic experiences, educators attempt to demolish them. The demolition approach leaves students in ruins, while deconstructing methods 
Having vision is typically viewed as an essential ability of an executive. A person with a cogent vision can marshal the needed people from various areas to work together. [/cs_block_grid_item][/cs_block_grid][cs_text]Similarly, students need academic vision to marshal the cognitive resources needed to achieve their academic outcomes. Educators serve themselves and students well when they help them establish academic vision.
Humans think continuously throughout their lives. We can be certain that students know how to think. However, they don’t know how to think to learn.
Typically, we think for our own purposes. However, in school students must use their minds to achieve the educator’s goals. This type of learning requires interpretation, precision, monitoring and evaluation. It requires a framework! The ThinkWell-LearnWell Diagram and Learning Sufficiency Diagram have been useful frameworks for thousands of students throughout the U.S. and beyond.
Knowledge work is different from all other forms of work. The major challenges involve cognitive overload, where students try to do too many things at once, and cognitive confusion, where students are uncertain about which skills and processes to use for respective tasks. This makes studying grossly inefficient, leading to stagnation and frustration.
All students have a learning routine. This consists of the actions and resources they rely on to learn content and prepare for tasks. There are numerous flaws in students’ learning routines, leaving them directionless in their studies. Helping students adapt their learning routines to the environment will pay tremendous dividends.
Grades are lagging indicators. It takes a while for those results to come in. Students need leading indicators, internal metrics that students can confidently and consistently rely on well before their tests or tasks. Our interventions must include short-term successes.
Success is never a straight line. Students who have been genuinely transformed will revert back to previously unsuccessful approaches at some point.
Use these as lessons to propel them forward rather than evidences of failure. Expect a reversion of practice. However, these setbacks can be short-lived if we help students recognize what is occurring and redirect them back to what works.
When properly sequenced, these seven steps can transform individual students, entire cohorts, and even institutions. I’m curious to learn which of the steps is most applicable to you.
Now, it’s time for you to share. Use the comment feature below to share which of the steps you find most applicable and valuable.
Write a good comment and you’ll receive the 7 Steps to Academic Transformation infographic FREE.
This is an exciting infographic.It is very timely for the education space in which I operate.Thank you for
this great website which give son much guidance and insight.A great help to the education transformation process.
I am deep into the Metacognitive strategies taught by Dr. Saundra McGuire. I can see how this platform dovetails with it and takes it deeper. I can’t wait to get started.
Hi Carol,
Saundra and I are on the same page, and our work does dovetail nicely. I’m looking forward to my keynote session with the Delgado community in a few days (Monday, August 7th). It will be my first time in the Big Easy! Hopefully, I’ll see you then.
thank you for making it simple
the overview is simple and straight to understand
Thanks, Leonard! I plan to share this information with faculty and staff who are teaching first-year seminar courses at our campus. I also see this being useful to assist students who have been placed on academic probation to help them re-frame their thinking and strategies. I hear from students who are not doing as well say that I will study harder next time. This is a way to help them study smarter..
#5 Seems most the most common problem I am confronted with as an instructor of Applied Music (Classical Guitar). As a student, I recall learning from a peer that he took notes during his lesson so he could use his practice time most effectively. In other words, he practiced what the instructor assigned, not what he already played well. I not only took his advice with personal success, but for the past 16 years I have forwarded that sage advice to my own students. Regrettably, many applied music students seem to lack a productive practice routine- they may think they are practicing when in truth, they are performing to an audience of one, themselves.
Over the years I have come across practice sheets to simplify and encourage note taking during the lesson to (hopefully) lead to more effective practice. It has been said, “practice makes perfect”. I disagree. Perfect practice makes perfect.
David-
I agree 100%.
Could you give an example of a personal algorithm and how students adapt one?
Ann-
Algorithms consist of sets of processes and rules to solve problems. For example, consider search engines such as Google. Google uses algorithms of one’s search history to predict current searches. If we’ve used a sequence of words to search in the past, the algorithm will use it’s predictive smart technology to predict the words we wish to type.
Likewise, students use their past interactions with educators and learning environments to predict their current environment. Unfortunately, they use poor predictors. For example, students will attempt to figure what information is most salient in a course by looking to formerly reliable predictors such as changes in the teacher’s voice tone and whether a term is mentioned twice. These are false predictors. Their implicit algorithm is off-base.
Ever since I watched your webinar on The Six Transitional Traps, I have been craving knowledge. Leonard Geddes and his topics are very inspirational and knowledgeable. I keep waiting to see what other webinars he will release. I am so very happy that I found Leonard Geddes and The Learnwell Projects.
Thanks for this, Leonard. I often help students understand how professors think and what they are looking for in student work and thinking. This is especially useful for international students, but really most students could use insight about why professors require certain things. It’s because they value something (e.g., the ability to analyze a problem or connect what they said in the classroom to the world outside). Sometimes knowing why something is important to a prof helps students learn how to demonstrate it.
Very astute point. Students try to decode their professor by searching for clues about what they value. Unfortunately, they regularly misinterpret these cues. Instead of decoding the professor, they should decode their course. Courses are designed to teach and ultimately assess students’ ability to convert information into knowledge — and there are levels to that knowledge.
Step #1 reminds me of Appreciative Advising. Is the idea to help students see where they have been successful in the past, and build on that?
Judy, there is some overlap with appreciative advising. Many times our desire to see students shake free from the transition traps that ensnare them, we tell students to forget about their precollege learning experiences. (I have to guard against this often.) We can make them more successful by operating with a bit more nuance.
This a great tool for scaffolding the conversation about academic success. I would like to use it with our Academic Success class (students on academic probation).
Leonard, this is an excellent way for students (and faculty and staff) to visualize the key components in academic transformation. Thanks!
Thanks Janet. Visualization is an under-appreciated asset in education.
I love the idea of promoting energy management as opposed to time management. For many of the students I work with when they have the time they don’t have the energy. All of these ideas will be helpful when working with struggling students. Thank you.
Hi Stephanie,
Your experience with students confirm my own. As professionals, we can relate, right: we too must harmonize our energy and time with our prioritize. If we show students how to do this in their academic work, they’ll become more effective people and professionals.
Thanks for this helpful infographic. I am doing a presentation for faculty mentors in a few weeks and I am thinking of ways I might incorporate these tips.
Have I ever had a transformative experience? One that produced immediate and lasting change? Yes, I have, so I completely “get” the 7 steps. I got them before I even saw them in this post, and I used them to transform struggling students – from young adults to senior citizens returning to school. Never say die, I say. One is never too old to be transformed. I bring the ThinkWell-LearnWell and Learning Sufficiency Diagrams into many classrooms. Knowledge work IS different from other types of work, but I might add to the definition for “cognitive overload” that the amount of material presented in a short period of time produced cognitive overload as well as simply trying to do too many DIFFERENT things at one time. I add this because I have seen the boatload of homework meted out even in K-12. People are human, and humans need some diversions. All work and no play makes Jack a frustrated and angry student. Grades mean nothing – particularly when administrators say that no student gets below 50 (out of 100). The student might have done zero, but he or she will always get 50. The students know that, too, and some (even one is too many) work to get that 50 by getting … who cares what number below 50? They will always get 50. That sends a rather demoralizing message to the students, to the teachers, to the parents, to the community, and to the legislators.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this piece, Leonard. Thank you so much for the positive impact you have on teachers and students everywhere.
Maggie–
Thanks for the affirmation! I have to completely agree with you about some schools interpreting “rigor” as meaning more work. Rigor is beautiful, desirable and immensely rewarding when crafted well and presented properly. For one example of this, see the article: The Power of Micro-experiences.
Keep up the good work!
I really love how this is outlined! I work with nursing students who have not been successful on their first attempt at a course. I see very clearly in this diagram where they have struggles and breakdown in thinking!
Bedelia–
I have worked extensive hours with nursing students, faculty and nursing programs. I know their struggles well! Thankfully, I can report to you that I’ve witnessed nursing students boost their test scores immediately, significantly and consistently!
I am new to working with college students. This article is very informative and I can incorporate some of the ideas.
I will definitely share this information with my learning assistance colleagues and review it with my tutors.
Everything from The Learn Well Project is informative and delivered clearly. The visuals are very appealing. Thank you for the great job you do. I am sorry that I missed Leonard’s pre-conference session at the ACTLA conference last year. I hope he will re-visit soon.
Thanks Diane. I may be attending this year’s ACTLA conference.
I am interested in the first step mentioned…because so many of the students I see have largely had uninspired and unsuccessful K-12 experiences…it is necessary to broaden their own perspective so they’re able to reinterpret their own academic pasts…to see themselves as competent…and recognize the biases of educational systems.
Yes, I’m currently revising my 2013 Why Good Students Do “Bad” in College. Keep your eye out for it in the coming weeks.
Lovely infographic
Melinda and Eileen are on target…none of us are on the straight path upwards, there are always times when we fall off the wagon and have to get back on. Thanks for the work you do for the planet!
Thanks Joseph. Students are humans too! They experience the same challenges that we all face.
Nicely done! All of these steps are important and integral to success, but number six can really keep a student on track in between the positive feedback of assignments and tests. Sometimes students don’t realize how well they are doing every day and that those days can, and do, add up to big success!
Theresa–
You got it! Feedback is crucial. It should be close in proximity, formative and informative.
I have found all of the tools provided by The Learnwell Project to be very valuable and this one also achieves that bar. I as a learning specialist understand the distinctions in step 4, but when trying to convey this to a student an example would be useful.
Annette– It’s great to hear that you’ve found the tools useful. Were you asking for an example of how to convey Step 4 to students?
At this point of time, Step 6 rings most true. Students can sometimes get discouraged and focus only on how long earning their degree will take, where the money will come from, where to go for help, etc. Planning for and creating successes along the way, can work towards a focus on the present. Students can then become more engaged and empowered in the learning process. Thank you for sharing.
Marieatta– Well said.
I find steps 6 and steps 7 valuable. So often students will say that everything is fine, until a grade is posted. They need to know how they are doing, and where they are throughout the semester.
And lastly, yes success is not a ‘straight line’. There are curves and roadblocks along the way. The travel is not always easy, but the final destination is usually well worth the trip.
Eileen,
Thanks for commenting. I agree completely. The line gets a bit straighter with time, but it’s never completely straight.
Great resource for sure!
Love the philosophy! As an educator and an academic coach, I believe that all of the seven steps can work and are necessary to mold the student into a learner.
Echoing the other posts, more information would be beneficial and a new link sent for the upcoming seminar. I clicked it off and now cannot locate it! Hopefully will be able to attend if not in the classroom. Thank you very much for the information.
Lynn–
Thanks for the feedback. Here is the link to the upcoming webinar: https://goo.gl/Wxc7vd
Thank you for this structured overview
These seven steps truly demonstrate how learning and teaching can be transformational–a goal for every educational program.
I’d love to have a version of this that addresses students directly! But I’m happy to get the original as well. 😀
Liz– I prefer to write directly to students, but my audience consist primarily of those who work with students.
Great framework. I look forward to exploring it more, and looking for ways to incorporate it into K-12 work.
Thank you! This graphic is very helpful.
Love this approach. Step 1 is key – interrupt the cycle!
As a learning specialist, I work on the student end to help them clarify their role and goals as a student. I spend a lot of time on their learning routine, but I think I could spend more time discussing frameworks for thinking to learn and how they can align their strategies with the instructor’s outcomes and the assigned tasks.
Liz–
Sounds like you’re doing quality work. Helping students align their efforts toward instructor outcomes are extremely useful. It works even better when instructors intentionally teach to meet the learning outcomes:). Unfortunately, this is rarer than you’d think, leaving students to learn despite the oversight.
I have a faculty training program on Choice Architecture theory; A considerable portion of of this event is devoted to helping faculty deconstruct their thinking and strategically use it to trigger students’ thinking.
Thank you in advance for a pdf of the infographic. We are incorporating metacognition into our classes now.
This is interesting. Just yesterday, I was asked by a colleague to help them identify data demonstrating the “transformative” aspect of a stated mission.
Hi Tonie–
I like #3. I never thought about how to think specifically about learning. And adding other senses to make the learning richer. I’ll have to think more about this.
Be sure to post your thoughts once you’re done contemplating. By the way, I will be participating in the Maricopa Summer Institute in early June. Perhaps, I’ll see you there.
As an ESL teacher to middle and high school students who come from an even greater distance towards taking charge of their own learning, I would say that the clear articulation of the integration between learning strategies and skills is of high importance. They often put in a lot of time but do not do so using optimal skills and strategies.
Well said Michelle.
Thank you for this. You have given me some tools to address the high failure rate in a test.
This is a great article discussing a more proactive approach to take with students. It does not just include techniques or ideas; rather it focuses on identifying motivators and internal energy to assist students in their academic challenges. Also, it focuses on the idea that we will occasionally fall back into old and ineffective ways, yet we have the power to learn and to grow from each of those challenges.
Woo hoo Erin! Well said.
Step 4 is most relevant to my students at this time. Recognizing the differences between these four elements – in an efficient and confident way – is a skill deficit. The resistance to viewing these elements in different ways often means they continue using self-defeating approaches out of habit and comfort, and then seem surprised at results that do not improve. Thanks for articulating these so well!
Yes, these often overlooked elements are critical to student success. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I think that expecting and planning for “relapses” as part of the process of acquiring new habits is an important aspect of this model and something that is often overlooked.
Thanks for you comment Melinda. It’s good to hear from you.
would love to share this with faculty advisors
This looks very interesting and would very much like to look into this in more depth. More specifically metacognition or thinking to learn.
Researcher have found that metacognition is an academic game-changer! Literally, you cannot go wrong by developing students’ metacognitive skills. I believe it is THE missing skill set among students. You can learn about it and learn how to use tools to develop students’ metacognitive skills at the upcoming Effective Thinking and Learning webinar: https://goo.gl/Wxc7vd.
The webinar will be a visually-rich, exercise-driven experience that focuses on solving authentic academic challenges. We have a few spots left.
Hope you and your staff can join us.
Thank you
why would students who have been ‘genuinely transformed’ revert back to that which didn’t work?
Hi Lea,
Good question: Students, like all humans, struggle to break free from habits. I’ve witnessed students undergo transformation from academic probation status to making consistent A’s and B’s for a semester or two, only to relapse back to making D’s. When asked what happened, they rather honestly admit that they simply reverted back the bad habits that felt comfortable.
The good news is that once they recognize their problem as a relapse, then they can resume the good practices that emanated from their transformation.
This is a succinct overview of how to effectively coach individualized academic success without a class.
great view of student academic transformation