Something that stuck with me was the importance to see the nuances in designing research.  Particularly when you need to design practices for a very specific group of population.  For example, when you think of motivation whether internal or external, a student who is in great need of economical work remuneration not only to sustain themselves, but their family of origin or extended family, their extrinsic/external motivations to gain a career to earn money is what might motivate more these students.  Thus, when designing an early intervention to motivate students to gain internal motivation, these needs will be important to include as factors.

To Foster Autonomy

Some specific ways I have provided autonomy to my students are:

• Provide for every homework at least two choices. For some assignments, I allow submitting their homework in multiple formats, eg.: video, and audio.  When I noticed that a student is struggling, I have offered this flexibility for other assignments. 

• I added a rule to allow two extra days for late submission with a penalty.  Also, implementing what I called “one-time one-late submission” for everybody due day two weeks before the end of the semester.  This will give extra time to those who need it.  In this way, there will be no need to change multiple dates on the blackboard.  

• I also have created and continue to create micro-lectures of the class material in Blackboard.  These micro-lectures are composed of video/s, and podcasts, aiming to be about 6 minutes long (from YouTube or AVON), but this is not always possible, small text with the explanation, and research articles. Very importantly, I aim to provide research-based easy-to-use tools that accompany the theory.  A newer thing I have added is to allow students to do their extra credit on subjects they are interested in. 

• In this same line, tests and quizzes are online open for several days and the students can take the test and quizzes whenever best for them.  The worth of tests and quizzes altogether is no more than 20% of their grade. I basically use these, to push a little for them to read the textbook. But my main focus is for the students to create, analyzed, and apply the curriculum.

Implementing Purpose

For this part, I will have to work on restructuring a group assignment with low stakes grade, to make it relevant to the students’ community.

• At the same time, I will help the students to identify and develop their strengths. 

• Also, teach my students about the impostor phenomenon (not trying to figure out who is experiencing it) and how to counteract this problem. 

• I have already created a folder in my Resources folder in Blackboard for them to have access to the imposter phenomenon and the stereotype threat.

• In this folder, they have text, short videos, and links to articles.  

• I usually send this information two weeks prior to my class and I will speak about this during one of the first few classes.