Today I began The Neuroscience of Learning with Dr. Britt Andreatta on Lynda.com, the first course in a learning path to become an Instructional Designer. In today’s lecture, Dr. Andreatta discussed the beliefs people have about learning in terms of fixed and growth mindsets, with relation to the work of Carol Dweck.
A fixed mindset is one in which the individual believes that their ability in a certain area is static. For instance, many people believe they are so-called “math people” or “musically talented”, and no matter how much they study they will not improve much. Inherent to this mindset is the practice of comparing people to one another and categorizing them as stronger or weaker in certain areas.
On the other hand, a growth mindset is the underlying belief that as the brain has plasticity, with proper instruction we can improve and essentially become “math people” or proficient in an instrument. In contrast to the fixed mindset, what is important here is that people tend to compare themselves with themselves – that is, they measure their own improvement.
While I certainly find the evidence convincing, I am also interested in how much aptitude for certain skills can be a promoting or limiting factor in adult learning. As the course continues I hope that this issue will be discussed.