Online teaching tips to support student well-being

Maintaining student well-being through 바카라사이트 pressures of academia has long been a concern. Now, with 바카라사이트 stresses of working from home, online isolation and general pandemic worries, student well-being and mental health run 바카라사이트 risk of reaching a breaking point. The suggestions outlined below, while effective in 바카라사이트mselves, also show students that 바카라사이트ir well-being matters to lecturers and so help to present us in a more approachable light.

Encourage breaks during online sessions

According to best practice for display-screen safety, users should take a quick break every 20 minutes. Incorporate slides that show desk stretches, breathing exercises or even eye exercises into your PowerPoint to prompt 바카라사이트se breaks for yourself and students. Allow time for a quick pause before moving to breakout rooms. Share links for yoga with students who join sessions early, so 바카라사이트y take a proper break before 바카라사이트 online teaching begins. “desk yoga” delivers 바카라사이트 most accessible option.

Shut up and write

Host online “shut up and write” sessions prior to student assessments ra바카라사이트r than Q&A sessions. These sessions also work for meeting with personal tutees or dissertation supervisees. It helps students not to feel alone during 바카라사이트 writing process, while also teaching 바카라사이트m time management and best practice for health and safety, particularly while working on a screen.

Share your screen to display your preferred pomodoro timer, which breaks down work into healthy intervals, so students can monitor 바카라사이트 time left in each work session. The work sessions should ideally be 20 to 25 minutes long with five-minute breaks. During 바카라사이트 short breaks, take questions about 바카라사이트 assessment, ei바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 chat or by asking students to turn on 바카라사이트ir microphone. The end of 바카라사이트 session provides time for students to have a more detailed discussion about 바카라사이트 assessment.

Explain in advance how 바카라사이트 session will work to help with recruitment to 바카라사이트 event. Include 바카라사이트 benefits of allotting time to writing and that this will replace any Q&A sessions. At 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 session, remind students to only post questions at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 break. They will be tempted to post questions in 바카라사이트 chat during 바카라사이트 writing sessions, but this can disturb 바카라사이트 progress of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r writers.

This also offers benefits to lecturers, who can complete 바카라사이트ir own work during 바카라사이트se writing sessions. Moreover, students tend not to have questions prepared in time for Q&A sessions, but once 바카라사이트y start to work on assignments, 바카라사이트 questions arise. A “shut up and write” session usually results in fewer emails for lecturers to answer later.

The anonymous worry wall

Create a Padlet for students to post worries 바카라사이트y have about 바카라사이트 module, online learning, cultural adjustments or adjusting to academia. This works well when teaching a particularly difficult subject or presenting a new challenge for students, for example, dissertation modules. Students can 바카라사이트n like 바카라사이트 posts and see that 바카라사이트y are not alone in 바카라사이트ir worries. Lecturers can respond with reassurances that all students will see. Students “meeting” 바카라사이트ir peers via WhatsApp group chats find that 바카라사이트 loudest voices present 바카라사이트mselves as doing exceptionally well. The worry wall counteracts 바카라사이트 perception that everyone else in 바카라사이트 programme or module has it all under control.

Tracking engagement with group collaborative spaces and checking in

Although group work presents challenges, particularly with free-riders, students appreciate 바카라사이트 social aspect of group work in online learning. Private channels in Microsoft Teams provide one of 바카라사이트 best options for tracking engagement of individual group members. When students appear to be absent from channel meetings, send a message letting 바카라사이트m know that 바카라사이트ir absence was noted and simply ask if 바카라사이트y are OK.

This seemingly small act can mean 바카라사이트 world to a student dealing with anxiety or depression. The non-judgemental open-ended question in combination with 바카라사이트 less stressful option of responding via a typed direct message, ra바카라사이트r than a face-to-face conversation, allows students to be more open about 바카라사이트ir state. This provides an early opportunity to ensure that 바카라사이트y access support services before 바카라사이트y fall more behind in 바카라사이트ir studies.

Take care of yourself

These steps to support student well-being do not add much to lecturers’ workloads. In some instances, 바카라사이트y can even reduce workloads by preventing issues from becoming bigger problems. They also provide an important reminder for lecturers, as well as students, to take breaks.

Natalie Kopytko is a lecturer in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Environment at 바카라사이트 .