An agile mindset is important for your success

You think you just don't have the talent and skills to start your own business, for example? You are just not a physics guy? The project is too difficult and there is no point at all if you start with it? These questions point to a Fixed Mindset.

People with a Fixed Mindset assume that their skills and competencies are innate and unchangeable. They believe that they must work within these predetermined boundaries. In contrast, people with a Growth Mindset believe that they are capable of change. They learn from their mistakes and can accept setbacks and gain new insights from them.

   Success or failure - purely a matter of luck?

To understand our own successes and failures, we often ask ourselves why we succeeded or failed. Depending on the explanation we give ourselves for this, we are subsequently less or more motivated to tackle further tasks. The decisive factor is therefore to whom or what we attribute the causes.

Every cause for success and failure can be classified. Thereby we distinguish 3 areas:

# Place of attribution: Where is the cause – inside or outside of me?

# Stability: Does the cause remain stable or can it change in the future?

# Controllability: Do I have the cause under control or not?

Example:
Let's take the example of the exam. You have written a very good grade. If you think to yourself afterwards: " I was lucky", you have attributed as follows:

# Place of attribution: External – after all, it was just luck and had nothing to do with your performance.

# Stability: Unstable - because who knows whether you will be lucky next time again

# Controllability: Uncontrollable – luck is seen here as a coincidence and cannot be controlled

   What are the implications of attribution?

It becomes problematic when people attribute their failures to stable and uncontrollable causes. "I am untalented and stupid!" (internal, stable, uncontrollable) or "Programming is too difficult for me!" (external, stable, uncontrollable). These are extremely poor conditions for motivation. These factors seem to be unchangeable and it seems as if we cannot change anything. If success is therefore attributed to chance or luck, we do not feel self-effective but subject to unchangeable circumstances.

We have the best motivational conditions when we attribute our successes to internal and stable causes. "If I learn a lot, I can also be successful!" (internal, stable, controllable); "I am gifted!" (internal, stable, uncontrollable). This means we attribute our success to our effort and our abilities, for example. This increases our confidence in our own ability to perform and our self-efficacy beliefs increase. So we learn that it makes a big difference how we see things.

Fatal constellation for motivation:

# Low ability
# Low self-efficacy: "I can't do this".
# Causal attribution: internal, stable and uncontrollable (low aptitude)

"I can't do it and I'll never learn because I'm too stupid."

Influence through conviction

When people believe that they have no influence on whether they succeed or fail, they feel helpless. With repeated experience of having no control or influence over the outcome of an action, helplessness sets in.

Motivation - the "driving force" of goal-oriented action

Motivation is an inner state. It is the energy that moves us to learn and gives direction to our actions. The humanistic approach to motivation states that people can develop and use their resources well if they experience themselves as competent, valuable and self-determined and can realize themselves. How can we create the basis for this? When do we experience ourselves as competent and successful?

   Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

Why we are motivated can have different reasons. For example, if you are very interested in the ancient era and like to read everything you can find about it, we talk about intrinsic motivation. You act here out of your own motivation because you want to know and understand more about it. You enjoy working your way into the field.

If antiquity is an exam subject in your studies and you are actually more interested in modern times, you are not learning out of your own interest, but rather out of the consequences you expect from your learning. It is about a grade, about progress in your studies. Here we speak of extrinsic motivation. Your interest actually lies elsewhere and so you lack the joy for the actual thing. Concentration is lower than in the case of intrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic motivaion => I do a thing for its self sake.
Extrinsic motivation => I do a thing because I expect consequences from it.

Figure: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation (from: Digital Competence & Self-Management, Obexer 2019).

   Concentration

If we are extrinsically motivated or lack motivation altogether, this has an impact on our concentration. The same applies to nervousness, fatigue or thoughts that cause us to digress. Here we speak of inner concentration disorders.
But if we are distracted by our environment, e.g. by media, or because it is too loud or too quiet, the seat is uncomfortable or the room too warm, then we have an external concentration disorder.

Only if we eliminate the disruptive factors, good concentration is possible. Here are 10 simple tips on how to boost your concentration:

• Get enough sleep
• Switch off cell phone or set to silent
• Ensure sufficient (day) light
• Tidy workspace
• Stay Focused - Keep your learning goals in sight
• Alternate sitting and standing positions
• Take movement breaks
• Ventilate – fresh air supplies the brain with oxygen
• Quiet surroundings or concentration music
• Changing your perspective on the subject and encouraging intrinsic motivation

Time and Stress Management

Source by https://pexels.com

Time management is an important success factor in online learning, especially when managing different online events, priorities and tasks across multiple courses. Only those who organize themselves can also study successfully.

First of all, here are some important first steps:

   Define goals and deadlines

• Write down all your 'to dos' and by when you have to finish the tasks.
• Try to estimate as best you can how long it will take you to complete each task, and perhaps set milestones or intermediate results.
• If you are working in groups, do the same as a team for the tasks to be completed.

   Prioritize

Successful time management means that you can separate the important from the unimportant. For this, a very simple strategy can help you, the Eisenhower Method. Watch the video below, maybe this simple way will help you to separate important tasks from not so important ones and thus enable you to work more efficiently.

   Avoiding procrastination

Procrastination is a phenomenon that most of us struggle with. Especially when learning online, the temptations of distraction, e.g. through social media, aimless surfing on the internet, e-mails, etc. are very high. Try to prepare yourself against this by

• become aware of the distraction

• come up with a few tricks to trick yourself (or your "own weaker self"). In the following article you will find a whole series of such tips: Proven tips to overcome procrastination

Pay attention to health

Our most important asset is our health, so it's important to take care of it even when learning online. Give special consideration to:

• TAKE BREAKS, both longer breaks for rest in general, and short screen breaks to allow your eyes to regenerate. While you're at it, look far into the distance, air out the room, have a drink, and stretch and move around a bit.
• SPORT and MOVE - even if you can't or don't want to leave your home that often, make sure you give your body enough exercise. Be creative - the app store and YouTube have many offerings on aerobics, yoga, etc. that you can all do even in a small space. Climb stairs, do push-ups, or run in place. Exercise is good for you physically and mentally and is an important aspect in managing stress of any kind.  
• ENOUGH SLEEP is an important prerequisite for successful learning.
• HEALTHY EATING. Eat colorfully! Vegetables, fruits and dairy products also help your brain cells and give you the energy you need.

   Further information

Manipulate Time with this 20 powerful time management tips

How to manage your time effectively

Screen work and health

Center for Online Education: Student Health and Wellness Guide 

Multimodal learning strategies

You may have heard that many people have a visual learning style, meaning they learn more easily by seeing (reading, looking at pictures, etc.). Others find it easier to recall what they hear, while still others learn best via haptic experiences (i.e., touching). While this sensory distinction is quite controversial in the literature, you can still consider how this applies for you. Through which sensory channels do you best absorb information?

People learn in different ways, and each of us has individual preferences that cannot always be limited to a specific learning method. This is exactly where the VARK model comes in. It describes learning preferences in four areas: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic. Multimodal learning, therefore, means that information is absorbed through multiple sensory channels simultaneously  – not just by reading or listening, but through a combination of different forms. By engaging multiple senses at the same time, information can be better connected and stored in long-term memory.

In practical terms, this means that successful learning often results from the deliberate combination of different methods. For example, a topic can first be read, then visualized in a diagram, discussed in a group, and finally applied in practice. Such diverse approaches foster a deeper understanding and facilitate the transfer of knowledge to new contexts.

This will help you identify your preferences for different learning methods in order to subsequently use them in a more targeted manner.

Source by https://pexels.com

 Example: Learning with videos

A particularly illustrative example of multimodal learning is learning with videos. By combining visual and auditory elements, multiple sensory channels are engaged simultaneously, which improves comprehension and retention. 

• During multimodal learning with visual-auditory stimuli, the brain exhibits so-called cross-modal responses, e.g., visual brain regions that also react to auditorily learned stimuli. Such reactions occur early (within 35–100 ms) and thus promote processing and recognition.
• Functional connectivity between different sensory brain regions - such as between visual and auditory areas - increases, which facilitates the retrieval of knowledge.

Educational videos should therefore utilize not only visual but also auditory and, if possible, motor components – e.g., through superimposed gestures or interactive elements  – to better achieve learning objectives. Caution: Very short videos (especially in the style of TikTok or Instagram) can hinder learning.

  Sources and further literature

How to start?

   Set realistic goals

Before you start learning, it is important to set realistic goals for your learning unit. Then focus on these specific goals and review them immediately after the learning session. This way, you can make sure you have achieved the learning goal. Dividing your learning into small "chunks" also helps you stay motivated and make digestible chunks out of a seemingly unmanageable amount of content.
 

• Identify your learning goals by writing them down.
• Set deadlines for each goal. By what date do you want to have learned chapter XY?

   Plan fixed learning times

The to-do lists are long and the appointment calendars are full. To give yourself enough space to learn, it's important to schedule specific study times.

• Create a schedule for yourself in which you enter all the appointments where you need to be present (e.g. webinars, online group meetings, etc.). You can use a digital calendar (e.g. Outlook, Google Calendar, etc.) to do this, or you can use the calendar in Sakai.
• Now set fixed study times that you will need to complete assignments in each course. To do this, you will need a good overview of all assignments and deadlines, and a realistic estimate of how long it will take you to complete each assignment.
• Make sure you plan for breaks as well. It's better to plan shorter blocks of study and then take a short break rather than plan a very long period of study and then fail. Be sure to schedule breaks for eating, recreational activities, and social interaction (even if virtual).
• Reward yourself! A short walk outdoors, a coffee break or a meeting with friends - there has to be room for that, too. Give yourself a small reward in between, because that's how you stay motivated.

  Tips for learning

• Start the learning phase well rested
• Keep the learning goals in mind
• Find your ideal learning place where you are undisturbed
• Stay focused and do not get distracted
• Take regular breaks from learning
• Exchange information in the group, so you can see if you have understood the material and at the same time anchor it
• Reward yourself for the learning goals you have achieved

   A lot of material, little time? Tips for a good learning plan

    Learning Tools – which one suits your learning style?

By using different media (paper, pen, tablet, internet, etc.), multimedial, interactive and mobile learning is possible. This allows everyone to choose the right tool for their own learning style.

The transcript – a basic working technique in studies

A large part of the knowledge transfer in studies consists of lectures and seminars. In addition to the lecture notes, which you may receive from your lecturers, your personal notes are particularly important. This requires you to actively listen and think, but also to reflect on and structure what you have heard and seen. A good transcript is your basis for learning and is therefore also crucial for your success in exams.

Preparation

• Come to the lecture informed and interested. What do you already know about the topic? Activate your previous knowledge to be able to tie in with it.
• Define your learning goal.
• Do the lecturers provide lecture notes or handouts? If so, use this resource for your notes.
• Consider the form in which you will take notes –  e.g. handwritten or / and digital, tablet, PC, notebook or pad. There is no right and wrong here and you can use whichever method suits you best or fits the lecture style. Do you write in hyroglyphs and can no longer read your transcript yourself? Then it's probably better to switch to a digital transcript.
• Create a template with date, page number, heading, etc. for your transcripts. This will help you keep track of everything later.
• For paper transcripts, plan space for post-processing and additions.

Transcription

• Pay attention to the demarcation between your own notes and the lecture itself.
• Note down only the essentials! Do not try to note down every word spoken. Only record the main statements. This also includes explanations / consequences / causes of the main statements as well as formulas / data.
• Does your presenter speak in convoluted sentences or ramble? Note down only the key words – you will remember the connections later.
• Stick to your style of speaking. Try to reproduce what has been said in your own words.
• Use abbreviations and clues to reduce your writing work. Symbols such as arrows, call signs, equal signs also help to make relationships and show connections.
• You can ignore spelling and grammar for now. There will be time for this in the follow-up.

Follow-Up

• Follow-up not only improves the quality of your transcript, it also serves as your first repetition and thus anchoring of the content.
• Read through your transcript carefully. Is everything understandable? Are there any ambiguities or questions?
• Add information and highlight important statements in color.
• Make a note of keywords in the margin – this will help you later when learning.
• Cross out or delete unimportant information.
• If you prefer visual learning methods, then create a mind map of the course.