Helping students soar through challenges:

As we embark on a new academic year, it is crucial to recognise the unique challenges students face in managing their well-being amidst academic pressures. Recent research from UCL indicates that university students face a higher risk of depression and anxiety compared to their peers entering the workforce directly (McCloud et al., 2023). King’s College London's 2023 student mental health report unveils a concerning trend: mental health problems among university students nearly tripled from 6% to 16% between 2016-17 and 2022-23. In this article, we’ll explore what we can do as educators to boost students’ emotional well-being, laying the groundwork for both academic success and enduring achievements.

Introducing social-emotional learning

Social-emotional learning (SEL) integrates emotional intelligence into our teaching, fostering skills for managing emotions, enhancing empathy, and setting personal goals. The five SEL components set out in the Collaboration for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework include self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, social awareness, and Relationship Skills. Below, we’ll delve into each of these components and how they can help us craft learning experiences that empower students to boost their well-being through the SEL model.

 Self-awareness

Self-awareness, or recognising one’s emotions, thoughts, and values, is foundational for building confidence, optimism, and a growth mindset. Helping learners understand their learning preferences and emotional responses significantly contributes to empowerment, engagement, and motivation (Pan, 2023). Here are several measures we can implement to foster self-awareness in students.

• Ask students to create a reflective learning journal using OneNote or QMplus Hub Journal. This offers students a platform for reflecting upon their own learning experience, which helps them identify strengths and awareness for improvement. 
• Invite students to respond with emojis or reactions in online classes. This offers them regular opportunities to recognise and navigate their emotions, encouraging them to share their thoughts and ensuring that they are heard. 
• Use Mentimeter to conduct confidence surveys before and after lessons. This helps students reflect on their progress, and seeing positive changes over time can boost their confidence. Ice-breaking activities and encouraging students to anonymously share ideas and raise questions reduces their stress and helps them feel more comfortable with participation.
• Use learning analytics from TEL tools and QM Plus as a basis for offering timely support to students. Sharing analytics with students helps them visualise their improvements and achievements over time. This continuous feedback loop contributes to the development of a growth mindset.

 

Self-management

Self-management involves the regulation of one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. This skill encompasses effective stress management, impulse control, and self-motivation. Here are several actions we can take to help students better manage themselves. 

• Provide clear and timely information about learning activities and assessment tasks – this lets students know what to expect and what is expected of them.  Consistency in the design of module sites helps students know how to access their learning materials, announcements and assessment and feedback.
• Discuss deadlines and study plans explicitly with students. For example, if our students have just started the programme or are encountering a particular assessment type for the first time, we can start a conversation about how to plan for and approach particular tasks. We could also talk to students about tools, like Microsoft Planner, that can help them manage their study  
• Signpost students to resources on stress management, time organisation, and goal setting available in Student Advice and Signposting Hub. The key support services signposting video produced by the Digital Education Studio, FMD colleagues and students introduces how we can signpost support for academic and study skills, financial concerns and mental health challenges. Signposting students to support services at stressful times like the assessment period or beginning of the semester surely helps. QMUL library’s academic skills service offers a wide range of academic and study skills support including online resources and tailored support sessions.

Responsible Decision Making 

Encouraging responsible decision-making involves thoughtful choices guided by ethical standards, safety concerns, and societal norms. The goal is for students to assess the outcomes of their actions considering the well-being of both themselves and others. Here are a few steps we can take to help them make decision responsibly.  

• Encourage students to participate in learning communities like Teams, discussion forums, or Padlet. Gaining a deeper understanding of digital norms and expectations, they can learn how to express their thoughts politely in discussions and how to raise questions in a respectful manner. 
• Introduce netiquettes when module starts. Effective online communication manners adequately prepare them for a hybrid work environment. Additional tips on cultivating digital citizenship empower students to connect via technology responsibly while engaging in online learning.
• Include case studies in curriculum to encourage students to analyse and discuss various situations and consider the ethical implications and potential consequences of their decisions. 
• Design role-playing activities to expose students to broader professional perspectives. This allows them to practice decision-making in a simulated environment and receive feedback from peers, mentors and us. Dr Georgy Petrov shares how authentic learning experience contributes to students’ capacity to make responsible decisions professionally, ultimately preparing them to emerge as leaders in the field.

 

Social Awareness

Social awareness, the capacity to empathise with diverse backgrounds, is pivotal in enhancing collective well-being. Here are a few recommendations.

• Consider diverse backgrounds and perspectives in curriculum design. Creating an inclusive safe space for students to share perspectives and experiences nurtures social awareness. The QM Academy’s Guide to Inclusive Curriculum and Educational Practice offers valuable insights into designing a curriculum that embraces diversity. 
• Involve students in working with people from diverse backgrounds to deepen empathy and connection. Professor Amitha Ranauta from our Faculty shares how outreach and voluntary work beyond classrooms help cultivate dental students’ social awareness.

 

 Relationship Skills

Relationship skills, including communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution, are crucial for fostering overall well-being. How can we help?

• Scaffold and support students in peer feedback activities. We might provide students with a clear assessment rubric to follow when giving peer feedback, model constructive feedback ourselves and showcase examples of well-constructed feedback. Well-supported peer feedback activities deepen their understanding of assessment criteria and develop their relationship skills by bolstering their confidence in professional communication. The enhanced confidence reduces anxiety in articulating thoughts and improves their well-being. Dr. Stephanie Fuller's approach to conducting peer feedback activities and Paula Funnell's design of a feedback workshop for Dentistry students offer valuable insights into building a learning community and fostering reflective learning from mistakes. 

 

Let's remember that the journey toward academic success is intertwined with the well-being of our students. By infusing SEL principles into our learning design practices, we not only address the challenges of the present but also contribute to the enduring success of our students in the years to come. Ahead lies a year of fostering well-being, resilience, and academic triumphs!

 

Reference

Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL; www.casel.org)

McCloud, T., Kamenov, S., Callender, C., Lewis, G., & Lewis, G. (2023). The association between higher education attendance and common mental health problems among young people in England: evidence from two population-based cohorts. The Lancet. Public health, 8(10), e811–e819. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(23)00188-3

Pan, X. (2023). Online Learning Environments, Learners’ Empowerment, and Learning Behavioral Engagement: The Mediating Role of Learning Motivation. SAGE Open, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231205098

 Sanders, M. (2023). Student Mental Health in 2023 - King’s College london. Retrieved from https://www.kcl.ac.uk/policy-institute/assets/student-mental-health-in-2023.pdf