Summary
Wellbeing journaling empowers students to create their own proactive plans and techniques to manage their wellbeing through stressful periods at University and beyond. By identifying a module where students make regular records, and embedded wellbeing journaling into this record keeping it makes it natural for students to make wellbeing a regular part of their schedule, and makes them accountable for taking action on it. Regular supervision helps with accountability and encouragement to act and reflect.
Theory
Student centred pedagogies, and in particular journaling, have been found to empower students to engage with their learning and construct their own learning environments (Tillapaugh and Haber-Curran, 2013). As personal wellbeing is inherently something we must to some extent learn about in our own environment, this empowerment and self-constructed learning environment is key to students continuing their action on wellbeing beyond graduation. Journaling is a well-known practice frequently recommended by Wellbeing Services and other psychological support groups as part of a course of action to improve wellbeing and mental health.
The 3rd year dissertation project within the School of Engineering is known to be a particular source of stress for our students and as such it was identified that action needed to be taken to address this. Furthermore, as this is one of the final modules many students complete prior to graduation, it is our last chance to ensure students have the skills they need for industry before departing from academia. Given that this module already incorporated a logbook a journaling methodology was chosen.
Embedding wellbeing journaling into a module which involves students having 1-1 supervision means that they have the opportunity to receive regularly personalised feedback, but also holds them more accountable for taking regular action on their wellbeing.
Tillapaugh, D. and Haber-Curran, P., 2013. At the intersection of leadership and learning: a self-study of using student-centered pedagogies in the classroom. Educational Action Research, 21(4), pp.519-531.
Measurable Benefits
- Students must, at some level, engage with thinking about their own wellbeing proactively.
- Staff, not just those leading the module, but all of those who supervise student projects, must, at some level, engage with thinking about the wellbeing of students. This can also encourage them to think about their own wellbeing.
- Students develop a skill set, vocabulary and personal methodology for managing their wellbeing in stressful situations which they will be able to apply to the rest of their academic careers and in their working lives beyond graduation.
How it Works
- Identify an area of the curriculum where students are regularly recording their actions. This could be during experimental data collection, literature review, etc. In the School of Engineering we identified this as 3rd year dissertation projects, where students are already required to maintain a logbook.
- Within the chosen area, embed a section for recording/planning wellbeing actions. This will need templates or other guidance documentation to be provided to the students.
- Brief the students about why this is needed and what is expected.
- Students should then create their wellbeing plans / record their wellbeing actions as part of their regular activity recording.
- The activity record as a whole should be regularly reviewed by a supervisor. In the School of Engineering projects have a weekly supervision slot and the logbook is reviewed as part of this. Supervisors should not be expected to provide wellbeing counselling or guidance, but can encourage students to update and act on their wellbeing plans, to reflect on the efficacy of their actions and to record all of this information. Supervisors should also signpost students to support services if this appears beneficial based on any wellbeing information provided by the students.
- Feedback should be provided to the students, encouraging them to reflect on what they have learnt and how they will continue to implement this.
Practical Example
See attached PDF Are You OK_ - MyPortfolio. The PDF is an anonymised example of a student’s wellbeing page from their dissertation logbook. This shows how one student used wellbeing journaling, embedded within their project logbook, to proactively manage their wellbeing throughout the project. They experimented with a range of methodologies over the course of the 20 week project, finding and reflecting on what worked best for them.
Additional Information
The School of Engineering dissertation logbook, which includes the wellbeing page, is available to be copied here:
https://myportfolio.warwick.ac.uk/view/view.php?t=iIHh4ST7tKYkyg2up9fG
Individual Perspective
I have found this pedagogy easy to implement, once the template is in place, and many students appear to have genuinely benefitted from it. Wellbeing Services also had positive things to say about it. However, some students are very resistant to it; to combat this it is important that you briefing / supporting information is very clear on what students need to include (e.g. a outline plan, not their personal issues) and why (in order to develop useful life skills in a very important area for their long term health, not so we can spy on them). I used Mahara for the student logbooks, not all students were keen on this platform and you may want to instead use something they are already familiar with.
Supporting Example: Dr Sarah Stewart-Brown
Summary: Assessment-based Reflective Journal
On the Public Mental Health module students are asked to reflect on their own wellbeing and what determines how they feel. They are offered an activity that might support their wellbeing every day and encouraged to try this. They are asked to write a brief immediate reflection on the activity – what they liked, what they didn’t like, what they experienced and what effect this had.
One component of the assignment at the end of the module that is submitted for marking is a reflection on four wellbeing activities. These can be activities undertaken as part of the course or they can be wellbeing activities the students do on their own.
Students recommended to use a recognised model for reflection like the Gibbs cycle.
How it Works
- Include information about experiential learning in the marketing materials.
- Explain to students that understanding of wellbeing is subjective as well as objective.
- Explain that wellbeing is best supported by doing what you enjoy, but that sometimes it is possible to be taken by surprise encouraging them to have a go at something they have not sampled before.
- Create an culture of safety in the group so it is possible to experiment without penalty.
- Explain that marks are allocated for authenticity of the reflection not for enjoying or approving it.
Practical Example
Some of the experiential learning activities which are provided include
- A walk around the campus
- Mindfulness
- Yoga
- Qi Gong
- Emotional Freedom Technique
Individual Perspective
This pedagogy depends on tutor’s being available with knowledge of these wellbeing activities. Some experience and skill in the practices is essential – but there are many people teaching these skills on campus now.