Presented by:
Sarah Rist
Key Statement:
COVID-19 created a natural global laboratory with multifaceted effects. Recommendations based on empirical research may help navigate the Z-Shift after The Great Experiment of 2020.
Keywords:
Student Well-being, Inclusive and Flexible Learning Models, Workforce Preparedness
Abstract:
Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from traditional-aged postsecondary students. The findings from this empirical research indicate that there has been a shift in how today’s Generation Z learners view online and hybrid learning and their ideal way to take college classes. In addition, the results suggest that students who engage in positivity practices are generally happier individuals. Developing flexible and inclusive learning cultures, as well as promoting consistent practices of positivity methods, are shown to improve overall well-being levels that can lead to healthier student populations, greater academic success, increased retention, and higher graduation rates.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Describe and compare student-centric learning models and methods that encourage students to become more engaged and active partners in their learning journey.
2. Design a plan to create more flexible and inclusive courses by leveraging 3-5 tips/best practices suggested from recent research findings.
3. Model and infuse positivity practices into courses/learning communities to promote higher well-being levels and equip learners with positive psychology techniques.
Hear it from the author:
TRANSCRIPT:
Hi there! I'm Sarah Rist with Ohio University, and I'm here to talk about the “Z-Shift”
paradigm after the “Great Experiment of 2020.” As so many of us know first-hand,
the unexpected global viral pandemic in spring of 2020 coerced nearly all colleges
and universities to shift in-person classes to the computer in some capacity.
Although this shift created hardships, unfortunately, for so many, it also organically
created a natural laboratory on a global scale with opportunities for higher education
stakeholders in the masses to experience learning in different modalities and to
arrive at renewed conclusions based on their first-hand experiences. Simultaneously,
this worldwide “experiment” has provided researchers with the right set of
circumstances to investigate the strong effects that COVID-19 had, and continues to
have, on higher education and society at large. For this research, I've been
investigating the shifting preferences regarding the student experience and their
ideal ways of taking classes beyond the pandemic times. Through this research, I
have also been examining factors that affect overall well-being, especially with the
rate of mental health challenges progressively spiking at alarming rates. Moving
forward, creative planning and thoughtful preparation is recommended to integrate
hybrid learning techniques into courses effectively, while also improving and preserving the well-being of students. For more details, please consider reviewing
the poster file and stopping by the session in Asheville.
REFERENCES:
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http://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6807
Lyubomirsky, S., & Lepper, H. S. (1999). A measure of subjective happiness: Preliminary
reliability and construct validation. Social Indicators Research, 46(2), 137–155.
https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006824100041
Seligman, M. E. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-
being. Simon and Schuster.
Wiley. (2024, February 27). Report: The Student Mental Health Landscape. John Wiley &
Sons. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/network/trending-stories/the-student-mental-health-
landscape