WHAT is the assignment? 

You will read/watch four resources.  Two are TED Talks by academic researchers in the field of psychology that research non-cognitive learning.   Two are news sources that are reporting on research on non-cognitive learning.  Finally the Loooooong resources is one of the original academic research articles on 'grit' and measuring non-cognitive skills. 

• View researcher Dr. Angela Duckworth's TED Talk Links to an external site. "The Key to Success: Grit" (you will also read her research study in another assignment)
• View researcher Dr. Carol Dweck's TED Talk Links to an external site. 'The Power of Believing You Can Improve"
• Read an interview with psychology researcher Dr. Marcus Crede  that casts doubt (based on competing research studies) on grit as just being a repackaging of other terminology, and its importance being overemphasized "Much Ado About Grit?  Interview with a Leading Psychology Researcher" Links to an external site.
• Read two research articles.   The first article is from a trade publication (a type of publication for sharing the idea of others in a technical field of study) and will give you non-technical information about grit and perseverance Perseverance & Grit.pdf
  The second article is a literature review that summarizes six research studies conducted by Dr. Duckworth and her associates.Grit Perseverance & Passion for Long Term Goals.pdf
  It's much more technical. 

HOW Should I Complete It? 

After viewing the resources, you will need to use specific evidence from several of the resources to answer the prompts below.  Each response should be around 300 words (each).

First Prompt

We have purposefully included a popular media summary on grit (a TED Talk on Youtube), a more technical and scholarly news article on research in grit, and an actual research paper on grit.  Using specific evidence, compare and contrast the difference between these sources as to relatively which is most and least scholarly.  

Second Prompt.

Answer one of the following three prompts on a Google Doc. Use the Paraphrase and Academic Writing module for background on how to paraphrase evidence from the videos and articles.   NCSSM Instructors expect you to use specific evidence to support your argument.   That specific evidence can mean paraphrasing from multiple sources you have read.

Our expectations are you incorporate specific evidence (our preference is by paraphrase, and if necessary, quotes) from the resources above AND the additional reading you selected in the previous assignment, "Select an Additional Reading"

Choice 1. Grit or Not to Grit.  Several sources debate whether 'grit' is an appropriate measure of a person's skills or behavior, while Dr. Duckworth provides evidence 'grit' is a new and appropriate way to measure a person's abilities.  If you could fund further research, cite the sources your reviewed to justify what you would further research to define the existence of 'grit.'

Choice 2. Peer Networks: Does a strong peer network matter? Using specific evidence from both the readings and videos (it cannot be just from the videos) does a strong group of peers build stronger grit, and do measures like GPA, class rank, academic awards and SAT/ACT scores undermine cooperative peer networks at your schools (or community)?   

Choice 3. Grit is  for Instant Grits, Not People: Dr. Crede suggest in one of the readings 'grit' is a poor measure of your future success, and (to paraphrase and quote from the article) study habits and study skills Links to an external site., the way that students practice for exams, how they revise material, whether they try to cram it in at the last minute, do they practice on a regular basis, matters a lot more. Additionally, his research group finds very good prediction, in higher education, for variables that reflect a student’s ability to adjust to a new environment Links to an external site..   How would NCSSM allow you to demonstrate these 'alternate skills' he suggests matters more than grit?

WHY should I complete this assignment?

At NCSSM, instructors are going to assign your readings and videos without specific 'worksheet's or prompts for you to fill in.  Moving towards 'college level' you will need to take notes and decide for yourself what is important from the reading.  Don't have a strategy?   Take notes on what you think is important, then once you watch a video/read the article, rewrite and reorganized the notes in a outline/headings that you think best fit the information

If you aren't familiar with TED or NPR.

• TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a 'think tank' or organization that shares academic ideas.  These ideas range from human relationships, to business, to innovation/new technology, to academic research.  NCSSM instructors may use these in their courses, and NCSSM hosts TED-X NCSSM, a local TED conference that highlights innovation and experts in North Carolina.  
• NPR, National Public Radio, is a non-profit organization supported by donations and some federal government support.   NPR airs two news shows by radio and internet stream, Morning Edition and All Things Considered.  Because of their in-depth reporting that seeks out authoritative sources, many instructors may use NPR stories in their courses.

HOW Am I Graded?  

40 pts Focus, Organization & Structure  Separate from answer the reading prompt, your writing was focused and not disjointed or disorganized. You correctly answered the prompt and did not stray off topic. Your answered as an argument that supports the original question.

40 pts. Critical Reading & Thinking; Development, Support & Elaboration  You clearly integrated evidence from the readings (multiple readings, not just one or two)  correctly; the evidence you used supported your argument and your own personal experiences.

20 pts. Style and Mechanics.  Correct paraphrase is used; few to no grammatical or spelling errors. Sentence structure and sentence transitions are varied.

HOW do I submit this assignment?  

1. Create a new Google Doc titled "Non-Cognitive Skills"

2. Paste the question title (1, 2, or 3) at the top of your document that you chose to respond.

3. Go to File->Share in your Google Docs and share the file with your instructor.

4. Submit the Google Doc URL (not the file this time, but the URL), so your instructor can comment on your work within the Google Doc itself

5. Click the Submit button and submit the URL.

WHAT is next?

You will complete two more assignments related to these readings----at orientation, we will do a few more activities around 'grit'