PS 26-106 - CANCELLED - Practice, not magic: A growth mindset and flexible practice tools improve student outcomes in Dendrology

Abstract: Dendrology, which emphasizes tree identification, is a core course for forestry and natural resources undergraduate programs, and it is a required skill in the Society of American Forester’s accreditation. In addition, plant identification is ranked as a top skill by both universities and employers (Sample et al. 2015). Students typically learn sight identification for 150-200 species, which includes the scientific and common names as well as botanical family. However, many students struggle with information overload. At NC State, an average of 100 students in Forest Management, Natural Resources, and Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology are required to take Dendrology. Many struggle and either drop the course or fail and have to re-take it. My goal was to reduce the average drop/failure/unsatisfactory rate, which hovered around 25% in 2019 and years prior. My approach was to implement two kinds of changes in a course redesign: 1) building a learning community and coaching a growth mindset, 2) creating flexible tools that enabled students to build their identification skills anywhere. Among other things, I took time to learn every student’s name and encouraged them to drop into the Dendrology Lab to work on their ID skills during open lab hours. This rapport helped me connect with students who were struggling and strategize with them to improve their study habits. Additionally, I created a free preparation course that taught students how to learn plant identification before the start of the semester, with 25 students completing the course and performing significantly better on identification exams. YouTube videos for each species taught as well as the ILEX (Identify-Learn-Explore) practice tool enabled students to practice their identification for short bursts from anywhere with an internet connection. The course redesign improved the drop/failure/unsatisfactory rate from 25.5% in 2019 (pre-redesign) to 12.3% in 2021 and 6.7% in 2022 (both years post-redesign). In conclusion, cultivating a growth mindset, combined with flexible practice tools, help students succeed in a difficult, content-heavy course.