Because their beliefs matter so much, we must show students that their efforts do make a difference and explain why we propose they use certain strategies. I don’t think we’re always as diligent about this as we should be. A lot of times when we use a learning strategy, whether it’s concept maps, a reading preparation assignment, or a think-pair-share activity, we don’t explain to students why we’ve chosen this strategy. We don’t tell them that research has shown that when college students taking courses like theirs used this strategy, it improved their performance in the course or it developed necessary learning skills like critical thinking and problem solving.