Creating Conditions for Well-being in Learning Environments

Posted on January 13th, 2015

29 October 2014 | Tara Black, Associate Director, Health Promotion and Alisa Stanton, Health Promotion Specialist at Simon Fraser University.

Overview: 

Learning environments are core to the student experience and have a powerful ability to impact student well-being. Student well-being leads to a positive classroom dynamic with more engaged and successful students. Yet, well-being is rarely addressed within this setting. Given concerning Canadian stats regarding student isolation, stress, anxiety, and feelings of overwhelm (ACHA, 2013), and the relationship between these and student success and learning, well-being should be of strategic importance to post-secondary institutions. 

Simon Fraser University (SFU)’s Health Promotion team has taken a forward thinking approach to enhance student well-being within learning environments. Through bridging the divide between service and academic units, including partnering with the Teaching and Learning Centre and engaging SFU faculty members, they have researched and developed the Well-being in Learning Environments initiative. The initiative identifies 10 evidence-based key conditions within learning environments that can impact well-being, and offers practical tools and strategies that instructors can incorporate into their own teaching practice. 

This webinar shared SFU’s experience and learnings with respect to addressing learning environments as settings for health promotion action. The Well-being in Learning Environments initiative was presented, including the process used to engage with academic units. Select ideas for pedagogically cultivating well-being in the classroom were shared.  

Audience: 

This webinar was intended for those who are working to enhance student mental health, well-being and success from within or outside the classroom: Deans and program directors, faculty members, instructors, teaching and learning experts, teaching assistants, administrators, health promotion specialists, health educators, student leaders and other stakeholders.

Counsellors, health care and dis/ability service professionals may be particularly interested in this webinar from the perspective of bringing people together to work cross-campus towards systemic change to better support mental health and create learning environments that enable students to thrive. 

Webinar Learning Objectives:

• Learn how healthy learning environments can enhance student success and well‐being 

• Gain practical tips and strategies for creating well‐being in learning environments

• Increase your understanding of ways to engage faculty members and partners in academic departments

Watch the Webinar View the Presentation