How is Mindset relevant to learning CS?

To begin learning about mindset and how it can impact the learning of Computer Science students, watch this short video...

Different Challenges, Different Mindsets

While some people approach most aspects of life with a Growth Mindset or Fixed Mindset, it is very common for one person to have different mindsets for different types of activities. For example, you might feel confident starting a new programming assignment (even if you know it is likely to be challenging) and yet believe that you are not good at writing papers and avoid classes that are writing-intensive. Or perhaps you don't mind when people see you out for a run, but the idea of dancing in public fills you with terror.

Take a Moment to Reflect

Programming with a Fixed Mindset

For students who are new to Computer Science and used to an educational system that emphasizes testing, the experience of learning to program can be particularly stressful. If, up until now, your experience of being a student primarily involved learning the "correct" answers so that you could repeat them on a test, it's easy to see why you might think that being smart looked like knowing the right answers.

Of course, if you think that getting something right the first time means that you're good at it, you will probably think you're terrible at programming. Think back to all the code you've written, and try to remember how many times you wrote something that worked perfectly the first time you ran it. For anything more complex than "Hello World" you probably encountered at least one error. If you're not used to learning that encourages exploration and experimentation, you would probably see error messages as a sign of failure and failure as a sign that you were simply not good at programming. Unless you had someone there to reassure you that you were actually doing just fine and that error messages like the ones you're seeing are a normal part of the process, you could easily get discouraged and decide not to continue studying CS.

The Trouble with Meritocracy

Cultivating a Growth Mindset in the students you work with is an important part of creating an encouraging learning environment. However, to create an inclusive learning environment, it's important to also remember that the same amounts of effort and perseverance don't automatically produce the same results for everyone. If someone is struggling, simply telling them to "try harder" can actually be quite discouraging.

Meritocracy is a social system in which success and status in life depend on an individual's merit. In this context, merit is often correlated to effort, leading to the message that you can elevate your status in society if you just work hard enough. Unfortunately, this doesn't take into account many realities of how societies operate.

It's very difficult to keep learning if you don't see taking on challenges as part of the learning process. However, as we will discuss in later topics, not everyone faces the same sets of challenges and not everyone receives the same encouragement to persevere. Not all challenges can be overcome simply with a "can do" attitude. This is why we have to be mindful of how we encourage students to develop a Growth Mindset.