Implementing the Learner’s Mindset -Encouraging a Feedforward Strategy

February 17, 2025

Have you ever given feedback to someone, only to have them push back—hard? I have. In fact, not only was my well-intended feedback rejected, but the learner escalated the situation to their supervisor. The result? During my weekly one-on-one meeting with my leader, I received feedback of my own: It wasn’t my place to provide feedback to someone who wasn’t my direct report.

I was caught off guard. From my perspective, I wasn’t trying to criticize or undermine the learner. I actually dislike giving feedback, so I had approached the conversation carefully, aiming to frame my input as an opportunity for them to develop their critical thinking skills. I genuinely believed they had the potential to take on greater responsibilities in the future. But despite my good intentions, I completely missed the mark.

So, what went wrong? More importantly, what can this experience teach us about the way people receive feedback—and how we can better prepare learners to not just accept feedback, but actively use it to grow?

Returning to a Learner’s Mindset

The organization I work for has existed for over 150 years, shaped by a culture where training was mandatory, top-down, and teacher-centric. During a Learning Needs Analysis interview, a manager bluntly stated, “This is not a Learning Organization.”

Instead of dismissing their perspective, I leaned into curiosity. Why did they believe that? What evidence supported this mindset? Could I understand how a fixed mindset took hold? Rather than seeing this as a roadblock, I saw an opportunity. I reflected on how I could challenge assumptions, influence change, and reframe learning beyond compliance.

This shift—from questioning to action—mirrored my own growth. Moving from a fixed mindset (accepting the status quo) to a growth mindset (seeing potential for change), to an innovator’s mindset (rethinking possibilities), I arrived at a learner’s mindset—embracing continuous reflection and adaptation.

Now, my focus is on helping the organization make the same shift, fostering an environment where learning isn’t just mandatory but meaningful.

What is Feedforward?

Feedforward is a forward-focused approach that emphasizes growth and improvement rather than dwelling on past mistakes. It is most effective as a formative assessment because it highlights opportunities within a learner’s work—such as a document, perspective, or other deliverable—and provides clear pathways for refinement and development.

Beyond its academic applications, feedforward is a valuable strategy in everyday life.

Figure 1 (Alexyz3d, 2019)

By adopting this approach, individuals can navigate challenges and setbacks more effectively, strengthen their resilience, and proactively identify opportunities for growth and success.

What is the difference between feedback & feedforward?

Feedback is

Retrospective
Summative
Giver-focused

Feedforward is

Developmental
Formative & therefore actionable
Receiver-focused

Why did I miss the mark?

Reflecting on my experience, I missed the mark because I was focused on how to deliver feedback without fully considering if or how the learner would be able or willing to respond to the feedback.

My experience taught me that learners need to have the right mindset to receive feedback, so let us explore the role of mindset in how learners respond to feedback and their ability to seek out feedforward.

What are the Four Mindsets?

The four mindsets are below:

Fixed Mindset (Dweck): Views intelligence and ability as static, resists feedback, avoids challenges.(Harapnuik, 2021)
Growth Mindset (Dweck): Believes ability can develop through effort, accepts feedback but may still depend on external validation.(Harapnuik, 2021)
Innovator’s Mindset (Couros): Actively seeks new challenges, applies feedback in creative ways.(Harapnuik, 2021)
Learner’s Mindset (Briceño): Embraces learning as a lifelong, iterative process, actively seeks feedforward. (Harapnuik, 2021)

Mindset Comparison Table:

Mindset	Characteristics	Response to Feedback or Feedforward	Examples: I Failed...
Fixed	Avoids, is defensive.	Sees feedback as judgment.	I’m not good at this, and I never will be.
Growth	Accepts, but is reactive.	Uses feedback as correction.	I can improve with effort. Next time I will do better.
Innovator	Seeks, and applies.	Uses feedback as opportunity for creative adaptation.	What can I change?
Learner	Actively engages, and improves with new goal.	Uses feedforward as a learning tool.	What can I learn if I do a critical evaluation of the things I did well and the things I can improve on? After self reflecting I am going to redo this and set a personal goal to work on this skillset to improve myself.

The mindset comparison table illustrates that as individuals progress from a fixed to a learner’s mindset, they become more open to feedback. Ultimately, they seek feedforward and become intrinsically motivated, self-directed learners.

Shifting from a fixed mindset to a learner’s mindset isn’t about venturing into the unknown—it’s about rediscovering the curiosity we had as kids.

Younglings explore fearlessly, ask questions without hesitation, and take in the world with all their senses (sometimes literally). While I don’t recommend all learners go around putting everything and anything in their mouths 👄 like my 3 year old nephew, However, if I were a chocolatier, well… sampling my work would be essential research! 🍫😆

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” – Albert Einstein
(New York Times & Miller, 1946)

The Plan to Shift Mindset

I will need to change the learning environment and teach leaders actionable strategies they can use to help move their employees from a fixed mindset to a Learner’s mindset.

Learning Environment

To shift from a fixed mindset to a learner’s mindset the environment that the learners are immersed in has to change. The strategies I can implement are:

Reframing Mistakes as Learning Opportunities: this will help normalize iteration and supports a growth mindset
Developing Metacognitive Skills: Teaching students how to think about their thinking and learning process.
Creating a Safe Learning Environment: Encouraging risk-taking and curiosity without fear of failure learners are more willing to try new processes and provide honest and professional insights. These responses are aligned with the innovator’s mindset.
Encouraging Self-Reflection: Helping students analyze their own progress and identify areas for improvement.

Actionable Strategies for Educators

I will use & teach these strategies to the department leaders to help move learners from a fixed mindset to a learner’s mindset.

Teach leaders to Shift the Language they use to Evaluate the employees/learners: Using forward-looking phrases (e.g., “Next step you might try is…” instead of “This didn’t work”)
Modeling a Learner’s Mindset as an Educator and people leader: Demonstrating curiosity and openness to change.
Integrating Feedforward into Assessment: Designing Checkpoints of Understanding that include opportunities for iterative improvement.
Include Collaborative Feedforward Activities in training:
- Encourage learners to provide peer feedforward using Menti-meter so opportunities are anonymous, more authentic, and follow a prescribed format.
- Facilitate a virtual reflection wall where students share key takeaways and progress updates.
Student-Led Goal Setting: Encouraging students to identify their own learning goals and seek guidance.

Business Specific Considerations

I work in a learning department supporting a large organization, where my learners are adults from other departments. Unlike in educational institutions, training here is often short—typically half-day or full-day workshops—making it a transactional experience. Many employees have long tenure in a unionized environment, often with fixed mindsets, which adds unique challenges.

Stakeholder Mapping: The Key to Shifting Mindsets

If you work in a support department outside a traditional educational setting, shifting a learner’s mindset requires more than just training—it needs reinforcement from their team. Stakeholder mapping helps identify who holds the most power and influence in making this shift successful.

Understanding Stakeholders

Core Stakeholders: “High power, high influence individuals like direct managers or department heads.”(Pathways, 2023) Keeping them engaged with tailored communication is essential.

Direct Stakeholders: While they have less power, they strongly influence core stakeholders. Engaging them early turns them into champions rather than roadblocks.

Indirect Stakeholders: These can be low power/low influence (e.g., trainers) or high power/low influence (e.g., shop stewards). They typically require minimal, general communication.

A Lesson in Feedforward

Initially, I overlooked stakeholder dynamics when introducing feedforward to a trainer with a fixed mindset. Without preparation, they resisted, seeing it as criticism rather than growth. This experience reinforced the importance of building relationships and linking initiatives to strategic goals. By aligning with leadership’s focus on continuous improvement, I can better support trainers in embracing feedforward as a tool for development.

Bringing it all together

Feedforward requires the right mindset, but many struggle with it due to early conditioning in a summative assessment-driven education system. In my organization, hierarchy and unionized job structures further reinforce a fixed mindset, making “that’s not my job” a common barrier.

However, by adjusting the learning environment and adopting key strategies, educators can help learners reconnect with their innate curiosity—the same boundless drive all children are born with.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your feedforward, tips, or tools for fostering a learner’s mindset in the comments below.

Next time…

🚀 Exciting News from The Power of Knowledge.ca! 🚀

In our next post, we’re diving into “Assessment of, for, and as Learning”—a free downloadable resource that builds on Implementing the Learner’s Mindset. This guide will help you foster self-directed learning habits in your educational practice:

✅ Critically evaluate personal contributions
✅ Use simple yet powerful self-reflection techniques
✅ Apply a goal-setting model to self-correct and develop lifelong learning skills

Join us as we explore strategies to empower learners to take charge of their own growth. Stay tuned—you won’t want to miss this! 🎯

References

Alexyz3d. (2019, February 11). 22,931 Multiple Pathways Stock Photos, Pictures & Royalty-Free Images. iStock. https://www.istockphoto.com/search/2/image-film?phrase=multiple+pathways

Harapnuik, D., Dr. (2021, February 9). Learner’s Mindset Explained. It’s About Learning. https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=8705

New York Times, & Einstein, A. (1946, August 2). Einstein, at 67, Bids Us Keep Questioning (W. Miller, Interviewer) [Personal communication].

Pathways, P. (2023). How to Build a Quick and Powerful Stakeholder Map [Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9a5xRzvvQg

David