We look at ways to enhance the student experience and provide support when learners need it, in light of successive academic years filled with plenty of uncertainty, confusion and endless challenges for university students
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Obtaining a university degree is a big milestone. But the process of securing this degree can have a huge impact on the mental health and wellbeing of those studying. This is true under ‘normal’ circumstances, but the effects of the pandemic have both amplified existing pressures and created a raft of additional stressors that have made university studies considerably more challenging. How can we support student wellbeing and ensure continued engagement?
The Impact of Covid-19 on Mental Health for University Students
The devastating impact of Covid-19 on the mental wellbeing of students has been evidenced widely. The latest poll conducted by the UK Office for National Statistics in March 2022, showed that more than a third (36%) of students reported that their mental health and well-being had worsened since the start of the Autumn 2021 term; noticeably down from the 56% reported in December 2020 at the height of the pandemic, but noted in the report as a statistically significant increase on late November 2021 (28%).
As a leading impediment to academic success, deteriorations in mental health can lead to decreased motivation, disengagement and reduced student retention rates. 71% of North American university students indicated increased stress and anxiety due to the pandemic, with academic performance being referenced as a concern by more than 80% of those students.
Clearly, these are concerning statistics. But there are ways to keep the channels of communication and information open to students.
The Importance of Connection with Students
In the latest UK ONS survey, the proportion of students feeling lonely often or always was 17%, significantly higher than the adult population in Great Britain (7%). Almost half of those students (47%) had experienced 0 face to face teaching hours in the fortnight before being surveyed. An important question for universities to ask is – how are we maintaining to connections to students we don’t see on campus?
Long before the pandemic hit, universities had been using PebblePad’s unique set of tools, which provide real-time insight on student progress and well-being, as a way of maintaining connection with their students. We’ve seen a terrific array of supportive practice - from large scale Personal Academic Tutoring initiatives, through supporting transition to university, to staying connected to students in work-integrated learning settings.
We’ve seen our partner organisations respond to the need to ensuring students remain engaged and on track towards success in many varied and exciting ways. As many universities continue harnessing digital technologies for remote and blended learning environments, student connection will be more front-of-mind than ever. Some means of keeping students connected with the university and their peers and engaged with their course include:
- creating interactive Welcome Week orientation and Induction workbooks
- view student progress and development on a piece of work in real time and provide just-in-time feedback and advice
- providing workbooks that support research planning, projects, tutorials or independent enquiry
- supporting group work or peer review for helping students feel engaged and connected to their peers
Nurturing Wellbeing with Portfolio Workbooks
There is little doubt that teaching and learning in higher education have been markedly changed in ways that will remain and continue to evolve. Yet it’s difficult to imagine that on-campus attendance won’t continue to remain a vital part of the university experience for the majority of students. As students return to lectures or tutorials, and to work-integrated learning activities, there will be the need to ensure connectedness and support remain well-established, whatever their mode of studying, and that students are provided with opportunities to make sense of their experiences.
PebblePad’s capability to support learning activities on and off campus, as well as large-scale orientation and personal tutoring initiatives, helps nurture the wellbeing and engagement often needed by students. For us, fostering student engagement, wellbeing and success is underpinned by three key components - student-centredness, scaffolding and support.
Our top tips for achieving this are:
- Embed active, collaborative and reflective student-centred learning approaches in every step of the learning journey.
- Add structure and guidance by scaffolding the student learning journey to support effective tutoring, mentoring and advising initiatives.
- Offer support and intervention by quickly identifying students who are struggling or disengaging with their learning journey.
In addition, PebblePad is currently developing a flexible and accessible digital toolkit designed to help students and staff take a proactive approach to managing their wellbeing. The digital wellbeing resource has been designed in conjunction with Alexandra Fusco, an experienced psychodynamic psychotherapist, wellbeing and life coach and educator.
