University Student Self-management, Success and Wellbeing
This project aims to engage academics (who teach) in learning how to better shape the curriculum environment to support student academic success and the development of self-management capacity. Self-management is the capacity to effectively work toward achieving meaningful goals, and to be flexible in the face of setbacks. Evidence-based self-management is one aspect of psychological literacy, which is the capacity to utilise psychological principles to meet personal, professional and societal needs (see psychliteracy.com).
Psychological science has delivered evidence-based self-management strategies (e.g., time and motivation management, emotional regulation, study strategies) that are particularly advantageous for university students, as these strategies enable increased personal and professional success during both studies and career, as well as broader positive societal impact, given the leadership potential of graduates. In addition, it is well documented nationally and internationally that the levels of distress experienced by university students is well above average, and this distress is associated with anxiety, depression and suicide. Thus, from a health psychology perspective, this project is framed in terms of prevention and early intervention, as well as the promotion of success and wellbeing (see unistudentsuccess.com; thefridge.org.au).
The theoretical framework is primarily self-determination theory, which has received empirical support in diverse contexts, including educational contexts (see SelfDeterminationTheory.org). This theory also aligns with key educational theories regarding the design and delivery of the curriculum to increase student engagement and success, and with work engagement models emanating from organisational psychology.
Aims: The aims of this project are to increase the capacity of academics to design and deliver curricula that (a) are evidence-based in terms of utilising teaching, learning and assessment strategies that increase student engagement and academic success, and (b) provide students with opportunities to further develop self-management skills. A further aim is to support UNSW in becoming a “Healthy University” and thus adopt a university-wide evidence-based approach to supporting student success and wellbeing.
Progress and outcomes: This project takes a multi-pronged approach to advancing the aims, including student research projects, curricular resource development, and continuous Faculty- and University-level advocacy. Some highlights in terms of progress/outcomes:
- Several well-received UNSW, national and international presentations at higher education conferences and workshops (to academics and student support staff) on the topic.
- A UNSW Scientia Education Academy Lecture, and an in-depth discussion of this the topic at an Academy meeting. As a result, PVCE leadership has ensured that Foundations of University Learning and Teaching candidates are being exposed to the relevant training material; reportedly there has been significant positive feedback on this material.
- Publication of an accessible book for university students on the topic of evidence-based self-management (“The Rubber Brain” aapbooks.com). Several universities are now adopting this book as a recommended text in their courses.
Next Steps:
1. More of #1 and #3 above, but with a particular focus on staff training opportunities, for example:
2. Contribute to specific programs within UNSW (e.g., tutor training in BABS); but most importantly:
3. In collaboration with other Scientia Education Academy Fellows and other stakeholders, develop a university-wide approach to UNSW becoming a “Healthy University”.
Visit the initiatives page here.
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Title: Educational leadership
Introduction
I have been a Fellow since late 2017 (Round 2). My integrated academic practice over the past decade has been in the areas of (a) psychological literacy, (b) student self-management, success and wellbeing, and (c) general aspects of higher education academic practice.
In July 2019 I transitioned to an Honorary Professor of Psychology Position.
Given the general HE audience, I will comment very briefly here on my activities in areas (b) and (c).
Progress / Outcomes / Next steps
Student self-management, success and wellbeing
Please see the Healthy Universities Initiative (HUI) submission (for this Annual SEA Report) for more detail.
Approximately chronologically since July 2019, as a Co-leader of the HUI:
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October- January: I revised and updated (along with Jenny Richmond & Sue Morris) the content of the Self-Management for Effective Learning Moodle Section.
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January: I contributed, along with Jenny Richmond and Sue Morris, to Nalini Pather’s creation of the Healthy Universities Wellbeing Moodle Course (a more visually appealing reorganisation of the material from the Section).
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Late January: Nalini Pather, Sue Morris, Jenny Richmond, Rebecca LeBard and I presented a Workshop for program/course leaders on curricular approaches to student wellbeing.
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March onwards: with the HUI Team, I engaged with the Advanced HE student mental health and wellbeing project; I also presented on UNSW HUI activities during one of the five Zoom sessions.
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March onwards: I contributed to improved communication between the SEA and the Student Wellbeing (SW) CoP.
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Late April: Nalini Pather, Leesa Sidhu, Jenny Richmond, Rebecca LeBard and I organised and presented a Zoom workshop for program/course leaders on curricular approaches to student wellbeing (see recording at https://www.education.unsw.edu.au/teaching/scientia-education-academy/unsw-healthy-universities-initiative)
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About this time, I worked with Remi Hatsumi (PVC-E Portfolio) to construct the Healthy Universities website (see above).
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June: I organised weekly meetings of the HUI Team, and we revised the HUI goals.
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June-August: I drafted and revised the Policy, Procedure and Guidelines on Curricular Approaches to Student Wellbeing, Academic and Career Success, in iterative consultation with the HUI Co-leaders, SEA Fellows, student leaders, student support leaders across the university, and the Advanced HE consultant. The Policy and Procedure are now being considered by UNSW Educational Leadership. The Guidelines are available at the above website, and have already received favourable comment from national and international colleagues (e.g., the Advance Higher Education project co-leaders).
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August-October+: I have been supporting Leesa Sidhu’s leadership of the EF SW CoP Curriculum project (see HUI submission).
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September: Presented (with Jenny Richmond) to the Faculty of Science on HUI activities.
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September-October+: I organised the ethics application for the AdvHE survey of program and course convenors; the survey will be open until the end of October. This should result in an international benchmarking report for the PVCE.
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October: I wrote the first draft of the HUI submission for the SEA Annual Report.
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Next steps: Progress/continue ongoing activities outlined above and in the separate HUI submission; make the self-management resources more accessible to forward-thinking early adopters.
General Aspects of Higher Education Academic Practice
Since July 2019, I have, for example:
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Written numerous referee reports to support the promotion of female academics at UNSW, nationally and internationally;
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Contributed to the writing of invited chapters/articles on assessment and other aspects of HE, in collaboration with international, national and UNSW colleagues;
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Supported School of Psychology colleagues in making the transition to remote delivery of courses;
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Contributed to teaching in psychology courses;
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Contributed significantly to several national and international psychology education committees and communities of practice;
Publications 2020/in press:
Morrissey, S. A., Cranney, J. & Kennedy, B. J. (2020). Competency based accreditation standards: A new era for the accreditation of psychology in Australia, and a comparison with accreditation in Aotearoa New Zealand. In G. J. Rich, A. Padilla-Lopez, L. Ebersohn, J. Taylor, & S. Morrissey (Eds.), Teaching psychology around the world (Volume 5). Newcastle on Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Press.
Cranney, J., Dunn, D.S., & Baker, S. C. (2020). An international perspective on assessment practice: Potential lessons for undergraduate psychology education. In S. A. Nolan, C. Hakala, & R. E. Landrum (Eds.), Assessment: Individual, institutional, and international approaches. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Cranney, J., Hulme, J., Suleeman, J., Job, R., & Dunn, D. S. (2020). Undergraduate psychology education and assessment: International perspectives. In S. A. Nolan, C. Hakala, & R. E. Landrum (Eds.), Assessment: Individual, institutional, and international approaches. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Bernstein, D., Pooley, JA., Cohen, L., Goldthorpe, B., Provost, S., Cranney, J., Penner, L., Clarke-Stewart, A., Roy, E., (in press), Psychology: An International Discipline in Context: Australian and New Zealand Edition. (3rd ed.) Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning.
Nolan, S. A., Cranney, J., Bakker, H. E., Hulme, J., Dunn, D. S. (in press). Project Assessment: An International Perspective. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology.
Cranney, J., & Morris, S. (in press). Psychological literacy in undergraduate psychology education and beyond. To appear in P. Graf & D. Dozois (Eds.). Handbook on the state of the art in applied psychology. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.
Hulme, J., & Cranney, J. (in press). Psychological literacy and learning for life. To appear in J. Zumbach, D. Bernstein, S. Narciss, & P. Marsico (Eds.). International handbook of psychology learning and teaching. New York: Springer.
Cranney, J., Morris, S., Krebs-Lazendic, L., & Hutton-Bedbrook, K. (in press). Back to the education future – evidence-based student-centred approaches to online curriculum design and delivery. To appear in S. McKenzie, M. Mundy, F. Garivaldis,, & K. Dyer (Eds.), Tertiary Online Teaching and Learning (TOTAL) Resource for online course students, teachers and developers. Springer Verlag.
