The Positive Pedagogies work area has three work packages:
1.The Inclusive Practices work package will build upon existing work in Wellbeing pedagogies to support students’ sense of belonging and wellbeing within the learning setting. Mature, part-time, commuter and distance learning students often experience feelings of isolation and lack of integration within their learning community. This work package identifies the learning environment as a crucial place where inclusion can be fostered and championed through teaching practices, by i) promoting Problem- and Team-Based Learning among mature students as means to generate cohesion, and ii) identifying with students suitable pedagogic practices that we will adapt and apply across modules and learning opportunities for fostering an enhanced sense of belonging.
2.The Digital Literacy work package will build on Jisc’s and Warwick Learning Design Consultancy Unit’s extensive work on digital literacies. Part time, distance and commuter learners often report lack of digital confidence, and this can be a daunting barrier to learning. We will co-create digital resources and activities to i) support development of digital literacy, ii) build skills and confidence, and iii) lead to greater sense of autonomy and mastery, thus positively affecting wellbeing.
3.The Wellbeing in Assessment package will build upon Warwick’s research into Wellbeing Assessment practices that improve students’ wellbeing through assessment pedagogies, guidelines and feedback methods. Assessment experiences create a significant barrier for students’ wellbeing, particularly in terms of: i) lack of flexibility in type of assessment, ii) rigid timings that can generate stress and workload issues, and iii) emotional responses to assessment outcomes can impact on students’ perceptions of achievement. Working with a diverse cohort of students, this work package will identify and develop specific wellbeing assessment practices and/or guidelines in these three areas, to be tested and embedded across modules and learning opportunities.