It’s vital that considerations about learners’ mental health are in the foreground when planning online teaching, learning and assessment.

For some students, especially in higher education, studying at a distance (which usually means online) will be a conscious choice informed by mental health-related factors. These students may be unable to leave home to attend school or university, or they may have had a bad experience in the past that means they feel more confident when studying in their home environment.

Other students, who have not chosen to study online, may find a change to this mode of study to be very stressful. Study online requires the development of new skills and can involve uncertainty over matters such as assessment. These challenges may be especially acute for learners with existing anxiety.

• Increasing learner wellbeing The role of educators in supporting online learners’ mental health has not been commonly discussed, despite there being an obvious need. The pandemic changed this somewhat, with increased attention being paid to the need for students’ mental health and wellbeing to be considered when moving teaching online. However, these discussions often focus on immediate support for mental health rather than focussing on ways of embedding mental health and wellbeing into the curriculum. There’s also a tendency for conversations about the online pivot to focus on technologies and resources rather than the learner experience. The points below introduce some areas where your choices as an educator can be made in ways that support wellbeing.
• Relevant and authentic learning Many barriers to learning and wellbeing can be addressed by ensuring learners’ interests, background and social identity are represented in learning materials and supporting resources such as images, case studies, supporting texts, videos, interactive games, animations, slide presentations and music.
• Safe spaces Feeling safe is essential for mental wellbeing and every educator has a responsibility to ensure their classroom, whether online or offline, is a safe space for learners. This can help with the development of positive relationships that are conducive to learners’ wellbeing. Simply acknowledging that studying online can be difficult, juggling different elements of our lives (study, work, family etc.) is often tricky, and normalising the stresses learners are experiencing can help to reduce anxieties.
• Supporting digital wellbeing Ways of doing this include teaching learners how to manage digital workload, overload and distractions, and how to look after personal health, relationships and work-life balances in online settings (Beetham, 2015)
• Sustain a human connection Set up ways of keeping in contact with students – these might include emails, text messages or phone calls. Include synchronous sessions in your teaching, when everyone is together, and provide times for introductions and social interaction.
• Learner autonomy Giving learners greater responsibility for their own learning leads to them feeling more in control, with positive effects on their wellbeing. Consider whether learners could take some control over: learning objectives, what is learned, how it is learned, which tools and resources are used, who they learn with, and how learning is demonstrated.
• Assessment Test anxiety, also sometimes called exam anxiety, is a condition that affects people when they are being examined or tested in some way. It causes extreme distress and anxiety in testing situations. This stress can be reduced by making reasonable adjustments, for example by avoiding peer assessment or assessed group work; avoiding toxic situations such as the use of proctoring software that requires students to manage their movements and environment while sitting a test; providing a choice of assessment type or format where possible; considering whether learning outcomes could be assessed in a different way; creating authentic assessments that learners find valuable; or providing examples of completed past assessments.
• Ask students Learners will know which aspects of learning they find stressful, and will often be able to propose solutions. Providing opportunities for them to share their experience, and acting on suggestions where possible, can improve online learning for everyone involved.
• Talk to other educators A consistent approach to wellbeing across the institution means learners know what to expect, and should involve educators having opportunities to share experience and agree on good practices.

As part of that final activity of talking to other educators, take the opportunity to share ideas with others on this course. In the comments section, add one suggestion for a way in which an online educator can potentially increase student wellbeing, read through other suggestions, and ‘like’ those that you think are helpful.

© The Open University