COACHING ADULT LEARNERS’ RESPONSE TO FAILURE

Carla Shamblen, MSPAS, PA-C

Amber Herrick, MS, PA-C

PAEA Education Forum, Washington DC, October 2019

OBJECTIVES

Recognize Recognize how to promote a growth mindset for future failures and setbacks

Differentiate Differentiate between Coaching and Mentoring

Discuss Discuss innovative approaches to guide students through failures and setbacks

Identify Identify characteristics of the adult learner, to include the millennial student, that may contribute to their learning expectations

Compare and contrast

Compare and contrast a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset

BACKGROUND

• Students often see failure as negative

• Something painful that should be avoided

• “Failure is not an option”

• A culture that values perfectionism

• Competitive thinking throughout American culture

• Aversion to risk and failure has consequences for growth and learning

FIXED MINDSET

• Innate intellect

• “Smart, average, or dumb”

• Blaming others for one's failure(s)

• Fear of failure/refusal to take risks

• “I believe I can grow”

• Through hard work, potential can be achieved

• "Calculate" their mistakes

• Associate failure w/ positive learning

GROWTH MINDSET

FIXED MINDSET VS. GROWTH MINDSET

Jain 2015, Bishop 2014

Mindset:“one’s image of one’s current and future self, and the need to fulfill

the expectations that are set by one’s self and by others to fulfill this image.”

A STUDENT WITH A GROWTH

MINDSET

Attributes success to hard work

or effort

Sees failure as a natural part of

the learning process

More likely to put in the effort

and persistence

Gaier 2015

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNER

Seeks answersReads outside of lecture material

Formulates questions/concepts

to clarify

Emails/meets with lecturer/course

coordinator

Learns for understanding

vs. memorization

Faculty Expectations

FACULTY EXPECTATIONS OF THE ADULT LEARNER

LEARNING FOR TODAY, NEXT QUARTER AND

YEARS TO COME

• New learning responsibilities

• Self-directed learning

• Active learner engagement

• Metacognitive skills

PREPARING FOR A CAREER AS A PA

• Behaviors, attitudes and critical thinking

• Time management, collegiality; giving and accepting feedback

PREPARING TO BE LIFE-LONG LEARNERS

• Identify knowledge gaps

• Capable of independent, self-motivated learning

• Adaptable to changes in medical practice

Neal 2014

ATTRIBUTES OF THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION

Generation Y; born between 1982 – 2000

Accustomed to instant access to information

• Assertive; self-liking

• Less regard for traditional hierarchy

• High performance expectations

• Risk averse

• Accustomed to immediate satisfaction

and instantaneous feedback

• Team-oriented

• Profoundly altruistic

Desy 2017, Williams 2017

CLASSROOM

• Favor hands-on learning

• Desire meaningful assignments & continuous, explicit feedback

• Feel empowered to question the system

• Value mentoring, personalized learning, and working in teams

• High expectations; perfectionists

• Want expectations laid out

• Expect direct observation of skills

• Value work-life balance

• Expect frequent, positive, and

affirming communication from

preceptors

CLINICAL ROTATIONS

ATTRIBUTES OF THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION

Desy 2017

COACHING

• To help someone do

• Learner-led

• Facilitate skill development for

improved performance/life-long

learning

• Encourage self-reflection, goal-

setting, and problem solving

• To help someone be

• Faculty-led

• Motivate and guide learners

• Provide advice and inspiration

MENTORING

COACHING VS. MENTORING

Deiorio 2016, Lovell 2018

COACHING THROUGH FAILURE AND SETBACKS

• Be transparent with students

• Confront false perceptions

• Talk about what went right

• Identify specific actions needed to

achieve a desired result

Lovell 2018

USING INNOVATIVE APPROACHES

Metacognition

Nugget MethodDeliberate

Practice

Experiential Learning

Cycle

Teach for understanding; focus

on the learning process

http://www.queensu.ca/teachingandlearning/modules/students/24_metacognition.html

THE NUGGET METHOD

Developed by

Dr. Marian Condon, D.Ed., RN

A nugget is defined as an item of

knowledge - a fact or an

accurate explanation of a concept.

• Student analyzes incorrect answers

• Identifies missing "nugget”

• Writes each nugget as a question

• Repeatedly challenges self to nugget list questions

Identify error/ gap in knowledge

Lutter 2017

DELIBERATE PRACTICE

"Without the guidance of

faculty, the natural tendency of

a student is to practice what is

more comfortable and less

threatening."

Student and faculty identify a weakness

Faculty provides focused practice activity

Student acquires expert skill from

repeated practice; feels empoweredPelley 2014

THE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNINGCYCLE

A model derived by David A. Kolb,

Ph.D. , integrating the steps that

produce learning from experience.

Concrete Experience (doing/having an

experience)

Reflective Observation

(reviewing/reflecting on the experience)

Abstract Conceptualization (concluding/learning from the experience

Active Experimentation (planning/trying out what you've learned)

Pelley 2014

ASSESS ‘GROWTH’ OVER TIME

• Avoid lowering standards; instead, set stretch targets

• Monitor progress over time

• To facilitate achieving their fullest potential

"Learning is most likely when students are given challenging tasks

just beyond their comfort zone." Masters 2013

PROMOTING A GROWTH MINDSET

BARRIERS

Fixed Mindset Psychological Issues

Anxiety and/or panic

attacks

Clinical depression

Self-doubt

Imposter Syndrome

Cultural Dimensions

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MENTORING TOWARDS A GROWTH MINDSET

• Praise the process – the effort, strategies, perseverance, choices

• Share accountability for students' success

• Success is possible, but often only with assistance

“Together we

will make sure

you master this”

STRATEGIES

THE POWER OF YET

• The Power of Yet

• “I can't do this...yet!” draws attention to the potential to improve

• Highlighting struggles as something normal and positive in the learning process

fosters a growth mindset

Carol Dweck

FAIL…

• FAIL = First Attempt In Learning

• Perfectionism is one of the biggest

deterrents of learning from mistakes

CV OF FAILURES

• Taking ownership of failure

• Reflect

• Appreciate hard work, motivation, and dedication

• Examples:

• ‘Leadership positions I did not get’

• ‘Scholarships (and awards) I did not get’

• ‘PA schools I did not get into’ Nelson 2019

GROUP DISCUSSION

Share strategies that you have found to be

effective when coaching your students.

Have you needed to change your approach

over the years?

GRIT

• The capacity to strive for and succeed at long-term goals, and to persist despite failure, adversity and plateaus in progress

• Perseverance, determination and commitment

• Responding to failure, asking for help, able to cope

Jain 2015

Jain 2015

GRIT

Courage The ability to control the fear of failure

Conscientiousness "When you do it, mean it!"…"All in."

Long-term

goals; EnduranceFollow through to find meaning & value of effort

Resilience Optimism, confidence, and creativity

Excellence vs.

PerfectionExcellence is an attitude, not an endgame

QUESTIONS?

CONTACT INFORMATION

Carla Shamblen, MSPAS, PA-C

Director of Clinical Education / Assistant Professor

Midwestern University PA Program, Glendale, AZ

Email: cshamb@midwestern.edu Phone: 623-572-3677

Amber Herrick, MS, PA-C

Director of Didactic Education / Assistant Professor

Midwestern University PA Program, Glendale, AZ

Email: aherri@midwestern.edu Phone: 623-572-3947

REFERENCES

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• Nelson J. A ‘CV of Failures’ offers path out of perfectionism. Medscape. June 3, 2019.

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10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.10.026

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http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/09/23/

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