The LearnWell Projects

Good teaching.
Hard-working students.
Weak results.

Why?

Because sometimes the problem isn’t the seed — it’s the soil. 🌱

In this new video, I break down the difference between students’ epistemological views about learning and their pedagogical beliefs about teaching — and why beliefs grow directly from views.

If we don’t diagnose the views, we misread the beliefs — and treat the wrong problem.

https://youtu.be/cJcl1K_auUE?si=HOaYS_rBkeF-qONN

Stones, Weeds, and Seeds: Why Good Instruction Sometimes Can’t Take Root Academic success starts with soil — not just seeds, not just instruction, not just effort.In this video, I introduce a powerful diagnostic lens for understan...

Quick puzzle for you 🌱
What do you call students who are engaged, hardworking, attending class, and still underperforming on exams?

Answer: Often — bad soil, not bad effort.

I just released a short video where students describe feeling shocked by tests even though they studied. Their struggle reveals hidden learning beliefs that block deep understanding.

If you work with students (or have one at home), this is worth 3 minutes of your time.https://conta.cc/4ql6KI3

We've spent years trying to fix retention, persistence, and engagement in higher ed—with only modest gains. But what if the real issue starts with the language we use?

When we call students “customers” or “clients,” we frame the relationship as transactional. That changes everything—from how we design experiences to how students see themselves.

In my latest piece, I explore why it’s time to start viewing students as stakeholders—and how this one shift could transform our institutions from the inside out.

👇 Read the full article and let me know: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴—𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳?

From Customers to Stakeholders: The Power of How We Define Students Some of the most significant changes in higher education haven’t come from sweeping policies or groundbreaking technologies, but from something far more subtle: the words we use to describe the people we serve. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the shift from referring to students as students to r...

I used to argue with colleagues that student-athletes should have the highest GPAs on campus. After years of results, I let them speak for me.

Student-Athlete Success: The Secret Weapon Boosting Enrollment Athletics is quietly becoming the engine of college enrollment—especially at small and mid-sized schools. In this video, I reveal the “secret weapon” I use t...

Higher education has shifted again. Athletic department budgets have surpassed all other division budgets at large universities, and student-athletes are the largest constituent at smaller colleges.

This reality has rekindled my passion for turning athletes who attend college into true student-athletes.

With this new relationship in mind, I’ve launched a new YouTube playlist: The Hidden Game: Academic & Life Lessons Inside Sports.

The series draws from:

🎓 My work with student-athlete programs

🤝 Interactions with professional athletes and coaches

📰 Insights from major sporting events

🎙 Sportscaster commentary

All to show how the same literacy skills athletes use in competition parallel the ones they need for academic success.

This resource can help you and your colleagues connect athletics and academics in ways that strengthen retention and build enrollment health.

Subscribe, like, follow and click the notification bell.

From Jocks to Scholars: The study hall that transformed a football team and a university in 3 weeks! I’ve always believed student-athletes should be among the highest-performing students in college. Why? Because the literacy skills required to play high-leve...

🔍 The hardest problems to solve are the ones hiding in plain sight—so familiar they blend in, until the consequences hit hard and can’t be ignored. 🚨

Good Students, Mediocre Results—The Hidden Crisis in Higher Ed 🎓 | Leonard Geddes By the time students enter college, they’ve logged over 16,000 hours in academic learning. You’d expect them to be expert learners, ready to thrive.

🏈 The Super Bowl isn’t just a game—it’s a masterclass in strategy. 🏆

Last night, we saw once again that championships are won in the trenches, not by chasing the flashiest players. 💡 Higher education faces a similar challenge. Too often, leaders get distracted by the latest innovations—AI 🤖, dashboards 📊, and technology—while neglecting the real foundation of student success: learning centers and outside-the-classroom educators. 🎓

Just as a dominant defensive line determines a football team’s fate, investing in the trenches of education is what drives lasting success. Are we building from the ground up, or chasing the next big thing? 🤔

Check out the full article. ⬇️

Championships Are Won in the Trenches: A Lesson for Higher Education | Leonard Geddes Last night’s Super Bowl reminded us of a timeless truth—championships are won in the trenches. The teams that consistently succeed aren’t chasing the flashiest new quarterback or the fastest receiver; they’re quietly and deliberately building their offensive and defensive lines.

✨ What if the key to academic success isn't what students learn, but how they take notes?
🚀 Discover the surprising link between note-taking and academic performance.
🎥 Watch how peer leaders are transforming their classmates' learning journeys.
Ready to see transformation in action? Read the full article on my blog: https://thelearnwellprojects.com/the-power-of-transformation-in-higher-education/

The Secret to Academic Transformation Lies in Students' Notes ✍️ What if I told you that students' notes in class could predict their academic success? Not because of some mystical insight but because notes reveal the depth of their thinking. In my Transforming Good Students into Great Learners workshop, I often surprise students by accurately predicting their pe

Transformation in higher education isn’t born in boardrooms—it starts in dorm rooms, classrooms, and learning centers. As leaders navigate the growing influence of AI, one truth remains: only humans can truly transform students into lifelong learners and leaders.

The Power of Transformation in Higher Education: Why Learning Centers Must Lead in 2025 Discover how higher education leaders can embrace transformative education through learning centers. Learn why transformation starts in dorm rooms and classrooms—not boardrooms.

College exams are starting soon. Many students will be working hard to make the grade, but they should avoid confusing work with labor. Give them a labor check-up: https://thelearnwellprojects.com/time-for-an-academic-labor-checkup/

Feeling Burned Out? It Might Be a Sign of Transition Traps

Burnout cannot become your new normal. It is a sign that something isn't quite right.