mSuccess: A smartphone-based growth mindset and social belonging

intervention

Tim Steenbergh, Doug Daugherty,

Chris Devers & Lorne Oke

EMAresearch.org

36th Annual Conference on the First Year Experience

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• Search RealLife Exp on the App Store or Google Play

• Download the app

• Create a free account

• Go to Download Page

• Select FYE2017 for conference experience

• Select FYE 2017 mSuccess Demo for mSuccess intervention

Disclosure

Drs. Daugherty, Oke and Steenbergh own equity in LifeData LLC, a mobile software provider.

www.lifedatacorp.com

AcknowledgementsWe are gratefully acknowledge the following individuals who helped us conduct this study.

Brian TietjeCal Poly

Amy Baldwin & Kurt BonieckiUniversity of Central Arkansas

Gwen Sharp & Tony ScintaNevada State College

Ian SlaterIndiana Wesleyan University

• Background: Mobile tech, GMS, and SB

• Description: A first year mobile intervention

• Findings: Grades & retention

• Discussion

Session Overview

Ecological Momentary Assessment

Data gathering strategies designed to offer greater clarity by repeatedly assessing people in the context of everyday life.

Billy Mills

Surveys are like pictures

Billy Mills, 1964 Olympic Gold Medalist- 10,000m

EMA is like a movie

Reactivity

The tendency to change our behavior when it’s measured

• Intervention strategies delivered in the moment and context of daily life.

• Can be used with a wide range of audiences to provide virtual coaching / mentoring.

Ecological Momentary Intervention

Our Story:

• Interests in positive psychology, student success and mobile technology.

• Recognized the potential of EMA/EMI.

• Sought digital strategy for implementation and turned to the app world.

• Connected mobile to GMS & SB.

Background

iHabit 2012 LifeData 2017

Growth Mindset (GMS)

“Some people assume that a person is born smart, average, or dumb. But research shows that the brain is more like a muscle - it gets stronger when you exercise it.” (Dweck, 2008)

mSuccess Components

Social Belonging

“Almost all freshmen at IWU and other schools worry about fitting in and being accepted by other students. So this is a common concern.” (adapted from Walton & Cohen, 2011)

mSuccess Components

mSuccess Check-In

Social Belonging Prompts

Growth Mindset Prompts

mSuccess 2015 (v.1.0)

• 71 students recruited from several remedial English/Math classes for at-risk freshmen

• Offered $10 for participation and an additional $15 for completion of the posttest

• Smartphone-app intervention provided in the first 2 weeks of the semester with booster session offered in Week 7.

mSuccess 2015 Findings

• First semester GPA was positively correlated with

– engagement with app-delivered GMS material (r = .25, p < .05)

– engagement with SB material (r = .32, p < .01)

– overall app use (r = .30, p < .01).

• Stronger correlations between app engagement and GPA (r =.47, p< .05) for 23 minority students.

• No difference in retention rates for students who received intervention vs. those who did not

• Further adapted GMS/SB intervention for mobile delivery

• Invited other like-minded colleagues to join in mSuccess 2016.

mSuccess 2016

Study Design

New Students(N=767)

Ran

do

miz

atio

n

SB+GMS(n=385)

Control (n=382)

mSuccess 2016- IWU

Study Design

New Students(N=767)

Ran

do

miz

atio

n

SB+GMS(n=385)

Control (n=382)

200 App Downloads

170 App Downloads

Study Demographics- Race

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Asian Black Hawaii/Pac.Isl.

Hispanic Multiple Intern'l White

Participated Declined

Study Demographics- Gender

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Female Male

Participated Declined

Study Demographics- First Gen

0

50

100

150

200

250

Not First Generation First Generation

Participated Declined

12-Day Intervention

SB+GMS• 2 notifications/ day• GMS Prompts M,W,F• SB Prompts T,R,S

Engaged128/200 (64%)

Engaged110/170 (65%)

Control• 2 notifications/ day• General Information

Prompts Mon-Sat

Minorities (=55)

Fall Semester GPA

3.16

3.27

2.92

3.41

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Control mSuccess Control mSuccess

All (N=370)

t53= 2.66, p< .01

t368=1.26, p= .10

Spring Semester Retention Rates

All (N=370) Minorities (n=55)

90%

94%

83%

92%

70%

75%

80%

85%

90%

95%

100%

Control mSuccess Control mSuccess

χ21=2.04, p= .15

χ21=1.13, p= .29

App Engagement(Average Notifications Completed)

9.5

6.7

0

5

10

15

20

Control mSuccess

t236= 3.10, p<.01

mSuccess Engagement- Race(Average Notifications Completed)

6.4

8.7

0

2

4

6

8

10

White Minority

t125= 1.45, p=.07

mSuccess Engagement- Gender(Average Notifications Completed)

6.4 7.5

0

5

10

15

20

Female Male

t126= .85, p=.40

mSuccess Engagement- First Gen(Average Notifications Completed)

0

5

10

15

20

No Yes

t126= .84, p=.40

Discussion

• Mobile GMS+ SB intervention showed promise

• Greater benefit for minority students- similar to previous findings (mSuccess, 2015; Walton & Cohen, 2011)

• Benefits of mobile interventions

– Cost-effective

– Scalable

– Easily tailored

– Allow EMA

GPA of European-American and African-American Students Receiving Social Belonging Intervention

Walton & Cohen, 2011

Discussion

• Mobile GMS+ SB intervention showed promise

• Greater benefit for minority students- similar to previous findings (mSuccess, 2015; Walton & Cohen, 2011)

• Benefits of mobile interventions

– Cost-effective

– Scalable

– Easily tailored

– Allow EMA

Real-Time Monitoring

1 100

1 100

Self-EfficacymSuccess

Self-EfficacyControl

Discussion

• Relatively low engagement with GMS + SB content appeared impactful

• Implementation strategies are critical for engagement

– Email invitations were less successful, in-person invitations linked to FYE had higher participation

– Need more research on factors related to mobile engagement

Replication

• Plan to launch mSuccess 2017 at IWU

• Contact us if you’d like to learn more about opportunities to participate in mSuccess 2017:

tim.steenbergh@indwes.edu

lorne.oke@indwes.edu

doug.daugherty@indwes.edu

Every passion has its destiny. - Billy Mills

Try the App

• Search RealLife Exp on the App Store or Google Play

• Download the app

• Create a free account

• Go to Download Page

• Select FYE2017 for conference experience

• Select FYE 2017 mSuccess Demo for mSuccess intervention