Pedagogy can support self-care and student outcomes in the chemistry classroom. In fact, intentional course design to support the whole student may improve overall student outcomes. A quantitative analysis lecture course that was designed synchronously online during COVID was transitioned to a face-to-face environment in an active learning classroom. Discussion boards were converted to daily group work that highlighted collaboration. Small adjustments were implemented to the course and syllabus design to help students manage stress and to encourage self-care. Frequent anonymous check-ins were used to monitor student learning progression. Additional anonymous prompts encouraged students to share study tips, how to de-stress, and where to get help. Though not mandatory, class-wide group messaging was available for student questions and to provide additional mental health support. Campus resources for mental health were shared and classroom activities included time for decompression. This talk will detail how small changes in course and syllabus design were implemented to support student self-care while incorporating active learning. These modifications also helped faculty to manage the student concerns more efficiently, providing self-care for the professor as well. Though implementing large course design changes can be overwhelming, these small adjustments improved student success without much faculty effort.
Gretchen E. Potts (Tue,) studied this question.