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Promoting Student Well-being in Learning Environments

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“We can all help to create an environment where students can flourish, where their well-being and learning is important.“ 
—Shaina Rowell

Hello Faculty,

Welcome back to campus! We hope the start of your semester is going well for you and your students. How lucky are we to have had such beautiful weather to enjoy? Hopefully, you have had a moment to take a breath, walk in the sunshine, or watch the sunset as the UMass Dartmouth campus transitions to autumn.

Transition is the theme of this week’s newsletter as many of our students are transitioning into college schedules full of new classes, jobs, athletics, clubs, family obligations, and more. With this comes the stress of balancing everything. If we were to survey students on how they feel many would express thoughts much like the word cloud above the graphic on this page. (Did you know you can create a word cloud as an activity in your class to survey students? We recommend using the word cloud option from Kahoot!.)

In our newsletter this week, you will find an article from a recent issue of The Chronicle of Higher Ed on the academic, social, and emotional challenges students face. It’s no secret that factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy, current events, and social media are impacting college students’ learning. Now more than ever it’s important to create a sense of community, belonging, and well-being in the classroom.

We invite you to explore the resources provided, including information on Universal Design for Learning (UDL), podcasts focused on inclusive teaching methods and a free guide on promoting student well-being in learning environments. With small changes to assignments, assessments, and engagement you can design a course that is collaborative, student-centered, and focuses on the well-being of students. Even if you feel that the slightest change may not make an impact on the class, remember the story of the starfish, one change can have a lasting impact.

The Instructional Development team is happy to provide consultation and support on course design and incorporating technology to enhance the teaching and learning experience within your course(s). Feel free to contact us anytime; we look forward to working with you. Have a great semester!

-The ID Team
CITS | Instructional Development

Create a Sense of Belonging in the Classroom…
(Click a title below to view a resource.)

US Department of health and human services workplace mental health and well being article

Declaration of Dependence Chronicle of higher education article

A Guide for Creating an Empathetic Learning Environment Faculty Focus article

The UDL guidelines article by CAST.org

Podcasts…
(Click a title below to listen to a podcast.)

podcast episode 414: promoting student well being in learning environments

podcast episode 425: Inclusive Teaching

Podcast episode 71: Teaching in the digital age: building connection through technology

Teaching Resources Guide Book:

Promoting Student Well-being in Learning Environments

Overview – Resources for course design, syllabus language, and class activities that support well-being.

The Center for Teaching & Learning and Habif Health & Wellness at Washing University St. Louis has developed a guidebook for instructors called Promoting Student Well-Being in Learning Environments. The guidebook is based on the idea that we can help students meet our high standards and engage in the complex learning and exploration that we expect of them by creating learning environments that promote well-being. Even small shifts can make a major difference for students. Think of the guidebook as you would a menu. It provides a variety of evidence-based strategies and resources to choose from depending on the needs of your course. There are ideas you can use in course design, in developing your syllabus, in the first weeks of class, and throughout the semester.

Instructional Development works with faculty to…

  • Explore, design, and experiment with different teaching and learning modes.
  • Research and integrate technologies that can enhance teaching and learning.
  • Design and develop online courses and programs.
  • Write learning outcomes, design assessments, craft activities, and develop content.
  • Utilize best practices for using instructional technologies.

Feel free to contact us online to book an appointment!