Curriculum design for ensuring well-being and mental health

In order to ensure well-being and mental health and to design or transform the curriculum with that goal and purpose, it is important that the curriculum is developed and implemented holistically and relies on the following three pillars (StudentMinds, 2019; StudentMinds, 2024):

Curriculum design in a way that study courses are connected into a meaningful whole at the level of the entire study program to achieve curriculum coherence with vertical and horizontal integration of content as well as methods of learning and teaching.

In order to achieve curriculum coherence, it is necessary to connect course content, avoid redundant content, and create shared project tasks through linking subjects that require the application of knowledge from multiple subjects simultaneously.

Thematic linking of courses within the same semester through shared projects, assignments, and case studies makes it easier for students to perceive cause-and-effect relationships and develops problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Interdisciplinarity allows for the merging of different perspectives and helps in problem-solving, while teamwork fosters connection and strengthens the sense of belonging so that the student feels like part of a group, which reduces anxiety associated with a sense of loneliness in large study groups.

Assessment for learning while encouraging deep learning

Assessment for learning while encouraging deep learning includes the application of strategies such as "3R" - Remove, Reduce, Rethink to reduce the assessment load and encourage deep learning among students.

In the 3R strategy, "Remove" means that it is necessary to remove multiple testing of the same knowledge through different formats, as well as the assessment of purely factual knowledge.

The "Reduce" strategy means introducing more frequent, smaller continuous checks or tasks that ultimately contribute to the course grade.

The "Rethink" strategy refers to assigning tasks in which real business problems, their resolution, and case study analysis are simulated.

As recommendations for assessment design, it is suggested to assess work phases (drafts, pilot research, reflection on feedback) along with a defined, timely, and openly communicated monitoring method for each subject.

It is recommended that feedback in assessment be focused on future work and improvements in the continuation of work in the next phase, which will reduce the sense of failure among students and allow them to improve their work results.

Also, encouraging self-assessment and peer assessment develops critical thinking and objectivity towards one's own work as well as the work of one's colleagues.

Ensuring inclusivity and support for all students

• Ensuring inclusivity and support for all students includes inclusive teaching that anticipates and addresses physical, cultural, and cognitive barriers.
• Addressing barriers through curriculum design and its implementation means offering flexibility by, for example, providing digitally accessible materials that are readable by screen readers or the availability of presentations before the lecture itself.
• It is important to enable different modes of participation in class, from asynchronous and synchronous online teaching to a combination of live lectures, recordings, interactive digital materials, quizzes, interactive books, and other content.
• It is necessary to ensure the adaptation of teaching materials as well as assessment for students with neurodiversities, thereby reducing cognitive barriers.
• Teaching materials should contain different perspectives (gender, cultural, socioeconomic), which helps students identify with the subject matter and feel a sense of belonging to the community.