Student and staff mental wellbeing- Kate Lister.pptx

EADTU-EU Summit 2024

1. Student and staff mental wellbeing in online, open and distance higher education Professor Kate Lister Associate Dean/Director of EDI at Arden University Visiting Professor at the Open University UK

2. Distance learning student wellbeing

3. Barriers and enablers to wellbeing for distance learning students Project in the Open University between 2018 and 2021 aimed to apply a social model approach to mental health. RQ1 : What barriers and enablers to mental wellbeing do students experience in distance learning? RQ2 : What solutions do students and staff perceive would reduce these barriers? RQ3 : How can these solutions be embedded in distance learning?

4. Barriers and enablers to wellbeing Interviews (N=21) and survey ( N=584) results revealed a taxonomy of themes. Most themes appeared as both barriers and enablers, meaning that a factor can be a barrier or an enabler, depending how it is designed and how the person experiences it. Lister et al, 2021

5. Suggestions for solutions from focus groups (N=116)

6. Positive Digital Practices Positive Digital Practices A two-year £350k collaborative project, funded by Office for Students, creating resources for part-time, distance and commuter students. Resource hub: https://positivedigitalpractices.weebly.com/resource-hub.html

7. University staff wellbeing

8. Barriers and enablers to university staff wellbeing A social media call on university staff wellbeing in 2022 suggested themes of: Academic culture, values and being valued  Leadership, working practices/restrictions and work environments  Confidence, self-awareness and trust 

9. Barriers to staff wellbeing Academic workplace culture   Competition  Presenteeism   Casualisation  Workload  Workaholism  Burnout   Space Efficiency  Inequalities and discrimination  Gender inequality   Race and ethnicity-related discrimination  Disability and ableism  Homophobia and LGBTQ+ discrimination  Third space, recognition, professional services   Wellbeing and Mental Health Literacy  

10. Barriers to staff wellbeing “S taff and student wellbeing are not separate issues but need to be considered as mutually dependent parts of the same ecosystem. The literature suggests, and it is the authors’ firm belief, that working towards an integrated, holistic approach to staff and student wellbeing may be beneficial for all.” “It is essential that universities find ways to counter the toxic and competitive cultures of the past and move towards a strategic vision that supports a culture of compassion, belonging and equality for staff and students.”

11. Distance learning staff wellbeing

12. Academic development as an enabler

13. Academic development as an enabler

14. Academic development and wellbeing Significance by demographic Area Question Ethnicity (not white) Gender (female) Gender (male) Wellbeing 5.1. APD has had a positive impact on me. X 2 (6, N =274) =14.207, p= .027     5.12. After an APD event, I feel good in and of myself. X 2 (6, N =274) =20.217, p= .003 X 2 (9, N =274) =32.740, p< .001   5.8. APD has helped me enjoy and feel good in my practice. X 2 (6, N =274) =21.845, p= .001 X 2 (9, N =274) =30.407, p< .001   Community 5.9. I've met colleagues I might not have       5.10. APD gives me a sense of community X 2 (6, N =274) =12.383, p= .046   X 2 (9, N =274) =22.734, p= .007 Confidence 5.2. APD helps me develop my confidence X 2 (6, N =274) =14.829, p =.022     5.7. I've gained confidence in my practice. X 2 (6, N =274) =24.153, p< .001     Belonging 5.3. APD gives me a sense of belonging   X 2 (9, N =274) =17.398, p= .043   5.4. APD has made me feel included X 2 (6, N =274) =13.454, p= .036     Valued 5.5. APD makes me feel valued       5.11. Arden values and prioritises staff development X 2 (6, N =274) =13.725, p= .033   X 2 (9, N =274) =26.517, p= .002

15. Contract type and wellbeing Contract type made a significant difference to wellbeing ( X 2 (12, N =274) =55.738, p <.001), (no significant differences by gender or ethnicity.)

16. Workloads, culture, isolation, technology “It is hard to feel a sense of belonging when all work is distance. I do not meet colleagues face to face and as an associate, although everybody is lovely and will help when I reach out, it is hard to feel part of the team.” “I feel a gap between management and staff... lack of belongingness..” “The single thing that hinders my day to day is the huge volume of technology - I struggle to cope with my tasks because of all the IT aspects that I can't do.” “Without a clear, strong sense of development, I feel restless and unfulfilled. I have recently requested a mentor, so I hope this helps.” “[APD is] a fantastic way to meet colleagues that you wouldn't usually work with. It definitely contributes to the community. It's just balancing workload to engage with APD that's the main challenge. From a well-being perspective, I'd like to engage with APD more, but I can't due to volume of work - which can create feelings of stress.”

17. Further work needed Interviews and surveys with distance learning staff in different institutions Establishing a taxonomy of barriers and enablers for staff Trialling and evaluating case studies of practice to enhance wellbeing, a ‘what works’ approach ….Anyone interested in collaborating?

18. Kate Lister - [email protected] - [email protected] - @KateMarburg