Read, Write, and Succeed:
Building Non-Cognitive Skills
through Learning Communities
Brenda Landes and Laurel Watt
Inver Hills Community College
College Reading and Learning Association Conference
November 6, 2014
What are Non-Cognitive Skills?




Persistence
Motivation
Time Management
Study Habits
- Paul Tough
Motivation
“Growth Mind-Set”
- Carol Dweck
 “Grit”
- Angela Duckworth


Why Should We Address Non-Cognitive
Skills with our Students?
Success rates in developmental courses
 Barriers to college completion
 More action, less talk
 Growing understanding of the critical role
non-Cognitives play in school success at
all levels

Perspectives on the Importance of
Non-Cognitive Traits in Learning
Boylan, H. R. (2009). Targeted intervention
for developmental education students
(T.I.D.E.S.). Journal of Developmental
Education, 32(3), 14-18, 20, 22-23.
 Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new
psychology of success. New York: Ballantine
Books.
 Tough, P. (2012). How children succeed: Grit,
curiosity, and the hidden power of character.
New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

The Read, Write and Succeed
Learning Community

Introduction to College Reading and Writing
(READ 90)
◦ Integrates developmental reading and writing at
the lower level (two levels below Freshman
Composition)
◦ Taught by Reading faculty
◦ 5 credits

College Success Strategies (INTS 1101)
◦ A college-level course
◦ Taught by Counseling faculty
◦ 2 credits
A Little History on the Development
of This College Success Strategies
Course
 Master
Student – 2 credit course
 On Course – 1 credit course, ½ semester
 College Success Strategies - 2 credit course
o Increased focus on study skills
Example: Scaffolding of Study Guides
o Meets all semester
o Case management approach
Bi-weekly meetings, frequent email/phone
READ 90 Outcomes







Select appropriate reading and learning strategies
for a specific text passage.
Identify main ideas and important details in a text.
Apply an expanded understanding of English
vocabulary to college reading and writing tasks.
Generate coherent writing in response to text.
Demonstrate understanding of organizing
principles in both reading and writing.
Identify the intended audience and purpose for a
text.
Exercise proofreading and editing skills.
INTS 1101 Outcomes

Access & utilize appropriate campus technology

Use appropriate resources for preliminary career
exploration

Develop strategies for managing time effectively

Develop money management strategies

Implement appropriate strategies for solving
problems and making decisions that impact
academic success including application of campus
policies (i.e. Satisfactory Academic Progress)
INTS 1101 Outcomes, continued

Develop basic digital and information literacy skills

Create effective and achievable educational &
personal goals

Identify & utilize appropriate campus & community
resources

Articulate strategies for managing stress and
life/work/school balance
How We Address the Non-Cognitives
in Read, Write, and Succeed LCOM

Texts
◦ Voices and Values (Townsend Press)
◦ YA books such as The Absolutely True Diary of a
Part-time Indian, The Fault in Our Stars, hole in my
life, and Copper Sun

Writing Assignments
◦ READ 90 essays
◦ Shared, integrated assignments
How We Use the Texts
Reading comprehension
 Fluency
 Writing prompts
 Application of INTS 1101 course themes and
outcomes
 Active Engagement beyond Personal
Reflection
 Development of new, positive habits

An Illustration of Integration and
Application
Emotional Intelligence
Concept & model presented in INTS text
 Class group activity analyzing characters in
Read 90 YA novels and V&V Essays
 Homework assignment: Self-analysis and
personal goal setting
 Repeated throughout the semester with
slight adaptation
 Examples in your handout

Discussion
What are some texts you have used or
would like to recommend that would
support development of non-cognitive
traits?
Another Illustration
Brooklyn Castle Documentary Film
 Class discussion and paper assignment
 Writing prompt:
What skills do you see the students in the film
learning while participating on their school chess
team?
How do these skills prepare them for both
learning in school and in life in general?
Why are these skills important for all of us to
learn?

Our Student Responses:









Determination
Team Work
Patience
Focus
Concentration
Resilience
Critical Thinking
Persistence
Time Management





Leadership
Performance under
Pressure
Taking Personal
Responsibility
Emotional
Intelligence – Self
Control
Logical Thinking
Discussion

Besides pairing courses or teaching in a
Learning Community, how else could you
facilitate the development of NonCognitive Skills by your students?

What adaptations could you make to
your existing courses to add a focus on
Non-Cognitive Skills?
Evaluating Effectiveness of LCOM
Approach

Learning and Study Skills Inventory
(LASSI) Pre-testing and Post-testing

Evergreen Learning Community Student
Survey

IHCC Institutional Research Office
LCOM & Non-LCOM Class
Comparisons: Success Rates
Across each class, students who enrolled
in LCOM classes more frequently ended
those classes with a Success as compared
to non-LCOM class students over the last
5 years (Fall 2009 – Fall 2013).
 READ 90 in an LCOM (68%) vs. not in an
LCOM (62%) +6% difference

LCOM & Non-LCOM Class
Comparisons: Retention
Across each class, LCOM students were
more frequently retained to the second
fall compared to non-LCOM students
over the last 5 years (Fall 2009 – Fall
2013).
 READ 90 in an LCOM (50%) vs. not in an
LCOM (45%) +5% difference
