Season 1

Promoting student mental health through assessment practices, with Kira Smith

This first episode of a miniseries on assessment and well-being sets the stage for our exploration into ways in which to build an inclusive culture of learning and healthier learning environments by focusing on assessment practices. In this episode, Kira Smith, Student Engagement Officer at the Office of Science Education at McGill University, helps us arrive at a common understanding of well-being and explains how it relates to student experiences. Drawing on the results of her graduate studies research, Kira shares recommendations for how instructors can promote sound mental health through their strategies for assessment of student learning. 
View the transcript.
Learn more on our blog Teaching for Learning @ McGill. 
 
References 
American College Health Association - National College Health Assessment II. (2019).  
Csíkszentmihályi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row. 
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random house. 
Imase. (2022). Night Dancer [Song]. On Pop Cube. Universal Music Japan. 
Keyes, C. L. M. (2014). Mental health as a complete state: How the salutogenic perspective completes the picture. In Bridging Occupational, Organizational and Public Health. Springer. 
Keyes, C. L. M., Eisenberg, D., Perry, G. S., Dube, S. R., Kroenke, K., & Dhingra, S. S. (2012). The relationship of level of positive mental health with current mental disorders in predicting suicidal behavior and academic impairment in college students. Journal of American College Health, 60(2), 126–133.  
McGill Student Services. (2023). Wellness Wheel. 
Wellness Recovery Action Plan.  
Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. Ascd.  

Welcome to Teach.Learn.Share!

Teach.Learn.Share’s first miniseries centers on assessment and well-being. Over five episodes, we ask different members of our university community whether we can view learning and student well-being as connected when looking at the way student learning is assessed. We also delve into specific ways in which to build an inclusive culture of learning by focusing on assessment practices. The conversations point to concrete strategies and calls to action while also signaling misconceptions and long-standing stumbling blocks around assessment. ---> Subscribe to Teach.Learn.Share on your favourite podcast player.