Read on Twitter
Hi folks! I am @DafniKatsampa and I will be live tweeting for #smartenconf session ‘How does Academic Culture, structure and assessment impact on student mental health?’
Stay tuned, post your questions and engage in the discussion!
Let's begin.
Stay tuned, post your questions and engage in the discussion!
Let's begin.
It’s not too late to join us if you like the sound of this session. You can register for the Zoom Meeting here:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYpcuuqrjssHdIfjz4pRjD4SLVgJqCewbrw and join the conversation at #SmartenConf
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYpcuuqrjssHdIfjz4pRjD4SLVgJqCewbrw and join the conversation at #SmartenConf
First, Lesley Turner @PerryWhyte a member of SMaRteN Student Research team, University of Exeter welcomes the audience and talks briefly about what we mean by academic culture, structure and assessment in relation to student MH #smartenconf
Lesley hands over to @rachelhrpiper Youth Engagement Officer for Child Outcomes Research Consortium who will chair our session for today #smartenconf
We have a great panel today
Sally Kift @KiftSally
Lesley Turner @PerryWhyte
Cameron Williams
Michael Priestley
Susannah McGowen
#smartenconf
Sally Kift @KiftSally
Lesley Turner @PerryWhyte
Cameron Williams
Michael Priestley
Susannah McGowen
#smartenconf
Rachel introduces Cameron Williams, Researcher and Project Manager at @blackdoginst and asks him how can we best optimise students’ wellbeing capabilities or ‘soft skills’, such as resilience? #smartenconf
More specifically, what’s the role of university culture in this development, and why should we aim to develop a ‘positive’ or ‘healthy’ university? #smartenconf
As University staff, we often focus on using short term workshops/interventions to boost student wellbeing (e.g., 30-minute resilience courses). However, these approaches can be limited in various ways, says Cameron #smartenconf
Alternatively, it may be possible to boost students’ enduring wellbeing capabilities or ‘soft skills’ by designing an optimal wellbeing culture (i.e., by building a positive/healthy university, mindfulness), continues Cameron #smartenconf
If we achieve this, we can expect flow on effects not only for mental health but also for educational outcomes and even future work development and career outcomes, concludes Cameron #smartenconf
Rachel introduces Sally Kift @KiftSally and asks her “what practical things can university educators do in their assessment design to better support student mental health and wellbeing? #smartenconf
We need to devote explicit course time to helping students acquire a good understanding of assessment literacies, such as the terminology, protocols and processes associated with higher education assessment, so as to be successful and confident learners, Sally says #smartenconf
Sally highlights that we also need to attend to the explicit development of students’ “Feedback Literacy”; that is, ‘what feedback is’ and how best to use it #smartenconf
Four interrelated features of feedback literacy:
- Appreciating feedback processes and its value
- Making judgments on the quality of their & others' work
- Managing affect and emotional impact of feedback
- Taking action and acting productively on the feedback
#smartenconf
- Appreciating feedback processes and its value
- Making judgments on the quality of their & others' work
- Managing affect and emotional impact of feedback
- Taking action and acting productively on the feedback
#smartenconf
Universities should carefully design students’ first assessment experiences in their first year of studies. Research shows that students’ sense of belonging in higher education is linked to their experience of early assessment success #smartenconf
Don’t forget to post your comments and questions in the chat window or using the #smartenconf hashtag on social media.
Rachel introduces Susannah McGowen, Associate Director for Curriculum Design, Georgetown University and asks her "How do we help students maintain engagement and motivation in our current virtual environments?" #smartenconf
Evidence from surveys and research in their faculty suggest that maintaining closeness is essential for wellbeing and mental health, and maintaining this connection outside office hours is important, says Susannah
#smartenconf
#smartenconf
It's crucial to generate a sense of belonging and connection, says Susannah #smartenconf
Key points to remember:
- Relationships are still important regardless of mode
- Inclusive strategies lead to connection
- Opportunities to narrow scope for academics
#smartenconf
- Relationships are still important regardless of mode
- Inclusive strategies lead to connection
- Opportunities to narrow scope for academics
#smartenconf
Rachel introduces our final speaker for this session, Michael Priestley @PriestleyMJ, PhD Student, University of Durham and asks him ‘How can universities situate assessment within a whole university approach to student wellbeing?’ #smartenconf
A whole university approach is important to coordinate cultural and structural change to improve the mental wellbeing of all students/ staff, says @PriestleyMJ #smartenconf
Teaching, learning, and assessment is a fundamental component of a whole university approach, and requires balancing educational challenge and threat to optimise student learning and wellbeing, @PriestleyMJ continues #smartenconf
In conclusion, challenge is a necessary part of learning, but extensive and inclusive student voice and participation is fundamental to balance this tension, and effectively situate assessment within a whole university approach to wellbeing #smartenconf @PriestleyMJ
We need to ensure we have mechanisms in place to address student's needs #smartenconf
Q & A time! First off - Recommendations on solely personal actions, e.g. mindfulness, resilience training, but what about structural and systemic factors, e.g. financial and housing stability, social integration? What do the evidence tell us? #smartenconf
Cameron takes the lead and discusses how important these structural and systemic factors are in student MH and how we should have in-depth conversations about these stressors and the impact on wellbeing #smartenconf
@PriestleyMJ We need to understand wider social and political narratives around education and the tension between ideal and practical assessment for students; students need to be mindful of their own work and learning #smartenconf
Next Q: How do you think universities can better deal with stress brought on from turning in assessments late or missing deadlines when done so accidentally? #smartenconf
Universities need to be compassionate, especially with assessments and deadlines. Staff need to develop skills around assessment literacy, setting expectations and facilitating students' experience based on these criteria. We need to start a dialogue, says @KiftSally #smartenconf
Another idea would be to let students choose their own criteria for certain tasks, that may bring elevated engagement with learning and coursework, says @KiftSally #smartenconf
Q to panel: Do you think that academics/lecturers have enough training on how to give positive and useful feedback? And more generally, do academic staff have enough training in how to teach well? #smartenconf
Susannah talks about the challenges in virtual learning and engagement and what academics/lecturers could do to maintain connection with their students, e.g. group tasks, use of breakout rooms, setting the camera on #smartenconf
Staff should also learn how to give effective feedback for remote learning, especially due to the increased workload. We don't only have to schedule assessments, but also we need to schedule feedback given. Otherwise, students' won't value the learning experience #smartenconf
It's really important through this process to increase motivation among students, and providing feedback is one of the main factors. Assessment and feedback go hand-in-hand, says Susannah #smartenconf
Next up - What do the panel think about the intricacies of implementing adjustments for students. Should we be moving towards a more inclusive way of assessing and teaching, i.e. accessible presentations/handouts with access prior, alternative formats, flexibility? #smartenconf
@KiftSally now talks about a recently funded project in Australia on reasonable adjustment of exams; we speak so much about inclusive curriculum design of learning, but we don't adapt this to the assessment of learning #smartenconf
There is a big need and desire both from academic staff and students to make the exam process better, says Sally #smartenconf
Q on wider academic culture and the impact of this culture on students wellbeing and mental health; Cameron discusses the holistic approach universities should adopt to optimise student's learning and better support students #smartenconf
"It's important to make students our priority" says Cameron #smartenconf
@PriestleyMJ talks about their research on implementing changes on the academic culture to benefit student wellbeing. Academic culture in HE can mediate the perceptions on learning (e.g. challenge vs. threat) #smartenconf
Thinking about exhaustion and burnout; @KiftSally this is a difficult subject, but there is a more compassionate approach from both staff and students and 'everyone does the best they can, from where they can' #smartenconf
Problems will include connection issues and rooms/places where people can work from in their homes, reduced funding, but we need to remember that we are all in this together, says @KiftSally #smartenconf
The burnout has been acute, especially during the presidential elections in the US. People were reducing assignments, cancelled classes, but students wanted to maintain the connection. Strategies to cope included an open dialogue among staff & students, Susannah adds #smartenconf
Unfortunately, we don't have the control of the situation at the moment, and what can be helpful to all academics and students is that we need to accept the loss of control and find strategies to cope throughout the rest of academic year, Susannah concludes #smartenconf
Final Q for the session; what are gaps in research and what is the one thing in relation to speakers' aims/objectives they’d really love research to find out? #smartenconf
Cameron discusses the necessity to understand the role of Universities in the mental health of their students; "We have a good understanding of how to support students, what we need now is evaluate these interventions and implement evidence into practice" #smartenconf
@KiftSally talks about the relationship between value and withdraw and the importance to work with students and gain a deeper understanding of their experiences to persist and get through; what sort of strategies did they use? #smartenconf
Susannah adds that she is looking forward to examine experiences of academic staff during the pandemic; what are the practices not only beneficial to learning, but also belonging and inclusion? #smartenconf
@PriestleyMJ expresses his interest on identifying and evaluating the impact of interventions and strategies effective for student's wellbeing #smartenconf
Most importantly, what do YOU believe they should examine in their research? #smartenconf
@NetworkSmarten launched a funding call giving out grants of up to £25k to fund research which seeks to address many of these key questions discussed throughout the conference. Find out more at http://www.smarten.org.uk/funding and help them fill these gaps in research #smartenconf
It's the end of this session folks!
If you’ve enjoyed it, you might want to attend the final session (do!)
Future Priorities - at 3pm today
Register for a place at http://www.smarten.org.uk
#smartenconf
If you’ve enjoyed it, you might want to attend the final session (do!)
Future Priorities - at 3pm today
Register for a place at http://www.smarten.org.uk
#smartenconf
