Wellbeing essentials

Wellbeing is a complex topic that extends beyond learning design, and it can be daunting to consider how to incorporate practices that foster wellbeing into teaching practice. Wellbeing essentials (Baik, et al, 2017) offer a lens for understanding the types of experiences that characterise supportive learning environments. These concepts offer a series of touchstones for reflecting on existing modes and enabling customisation and creative interpretation in your teaching practice. The following guidance outlines several wellbeing essentials, as well as strategies to incorporate these wellbeing essentials into the learning environment.

While considering these wellbeing essentials, it is also important to note that belonging may look different for students with diverse backgrounds and identities or may include multiple ’belongings’. These can be supported by approaches that are Culturally Inclusive.

(Wellbeing essentials modified from Baik, et al, 2017, along with the Universal Design for Learning Guidelines and Thompson & Song (2021).

  • Learning design enables students to have sense of belonging. Positive relationships between teachers, students, peers and guests are encouraged. Students feel connected to peers, disciplinary contexts and teachers through social interactions and learning experiences.

    This could look like:

    • Acknowledging the diverse identity/s of students in learning activities
    • Contextualising disciplinary contexts and values
    • Careful facilitation of peer engagement and activities

  • Agency is enabled when autonomous motivation and experiences of autonomy are designed into learning. Students who have ownership and agency over learning are able see the purpose of learning activities and their role within the learning environment.

    This could look like:

    • Offering choice in engagement mode, assignment type or group composition
    • Incorporating self and peer review processes

  • The link between learning activities, teaching activities and feedback are visible to students. Students can understand how their learning informs teaching practices. There is reciprocity and awareness of relational roles between teacher and student. Learning from mistakes is encouraged.

    This could look like:

    • Student-led activities that shift the role of teacher, student and peer
    • Incorporating moments of student reflection and feedback into assignment structures.
    • Articulating purpose and correlation between learning activities and subject aims

  • Students can navigate and act in multiple ways to participate in learning activities, delivery modes, interactions and assessments. Students feel capable of managing tasks and challenges.

    This could look like

    • Modelling success and failure
    • Narrating the learning journey
    • Offering challenges with linked support and feedback processes