How are you today? Using wellbeing polls to dismantle power dynamics, support and include all learners in Higher Education

Yhnell, Emma ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3960-5181 2024. How are you today? Using wellbeing polls to dismantle power dynamics, support and include all learners in Higher Education. Presented at: ESLTIS24: Enhancing student learning through innovative scholarship 24, St Andrews, Scotland, 08 - 09 July 2024.

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Abstract

Higher Education can include power dynamics between staff and students which are unhelpful to learning and may prevent all learners being appropriately supported and included. As an ambitious, energetic and engaging educator who advocates for diversity and inclusion in Higher Education, as we pivoted to online lectures I missed interacting with learners and welcoming them into the room. Additionally, I was unable to “read the online room” and consequently modify my teaching style and delivery as I routinely did for in-person lectures. To mitigate this and understand how students were feeling I began online teaching with a short anonymous and interactive poll - simply asking learners “How are you today?” when beginning the teaching session and giving them a variety of multiple-choice responses as shown: Question – “How are you today?”: • Doing great. • Feeling ok. • Not feeling great today. • Chuffed–Wales won the rugby. • Brrrrrr–it’s cold! • Show me the answers. Wellbeing polls provide permission and an opportunity for learners to anonymously check-in with themselves. Furthermore, I proactively sought out iACT mental health first aid training, so I can confidently and briefly summarise the poll results and discuss how I am feeling, helping to break down barriers between learners and educators. I then signpost to and remind learners of support services and personal tutors as appropriate. Wellbeing polls have been such a hit with students that I have retained them for in-person lectures. Through this simple addition to my teaching sessions, learners are reminded that academic staff care about their wellbeing. I am also aware of students who have sought additional support as a direct result of the use of wellbeing polls. Student feedback on this simple addition to teaching sessions has been extremely positive: “I love the wellbeing polls. Emma, you understand and care about us. I appreciate that you ask us how we are…especially useful when I was feeling low…you reminded me people do care –Year-1 Student”.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Other)
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Biosciences
Additional Information:	Session 6B: Parallel Talk
Last Modified:	20 Nov 2024 09:48
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/173446

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