Curriculum design for ensuring well-being and mental health

Present to students the integrity of the curriculum as well as the connections within it, with the aim of perceiving the meaningfulness of the curriculum and achieving learning outcomes. In this way, students understand why they are learning something and how it builds on what they have already learned.

Design courses in a way that they are divided into smaller, logical units - modules/topics, and so that knowledge is transferred gradually. Modular design gives students the impression of smaller, manageable steps.

Explain at the beginning of each class how today's lesson/topic/content builds on the previous one and how it prepares the students for future challenges and topics.

Communicate student obligations clearly, timely, transparently, and with understanding.

Use the first class of a course as an "anchor," which is important for creating links between subjects in that semester, but also with the future professional life of the students. Horizontal anchoring is connecting the course with other subjects that students are attending in the same semester, and vertical anchoring is connecting the material with future professional life. In this way, the meaningfulness of the course is achieved, it acts motivationally, and understanding and the integrity of the approach are increased.

Identify the prior knowledge that students bring, for example, from high school or from previous years, which can be done through specific prior knowledge testing. Namely, in this way, knowledge is built on good foundations of students' prior knowledge, which significantly reduces stress for students and brings benefits in mastering the content.

Design assessment that is not just a knowledge check but also allows for the promotion of deep learning. Link assessment with real problems from future professional life (e.g., project development, case studies).

Use innovative methods of learning and teaching, such as project-based learning, work-based learning, or the flipped classroom, to develop practical knowledge and skills needed in the labor market, critical thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving.

Coordinate deadlines for the submission of projects and other tasks, as well as exams at the level of the study program, so that periods in which students have multiple project tasks to submit and defend at the same time or multiple demanding exams almost simultaneously are avoided. Such a method of good organization and load balancing contributes to ensuring the well-being and mental health of students.

Use so-called "exemplars" in teaching by showing students examples of excellent, average, and poor work from past years. When students see a concrete example of what is expected of them, anxiety about the "unknown" decreases.

Create a Glossary of Terms that contributes to greater awareness and understanding of the content by students. A short glossary of key course terms, as well as terms related to grading (e.g., what exactly "critically analyze" means in relation to "describe"), can be created.

Introduce choice gradually, starting from the first year, in a way that for first-year students, most courses, topics, and content are defined, but as they progress toward higher years, increase freedom of choice so that students themselves shape paper topics, projects, and research questions according to their own interests.

Create a group identity in higher education institutions as one of the ways to contribute to a sense of belonging. A sense of belonging is one of the factors that most influences mental health. It is recommended to utilize the introductory hours of the course to establish social rules of communication and build a group identity. A student who feels accepted by colleagues will find it easier to seek help if they need it.

Ensure diversification of teaching materials by using examples, case studies, and authors from different cultural and social backgrounds, with the aim of achieving inclusivity. When students see such examples and their representation in materials, they feel certainly less marginalized.

Increase the number of formative tasks in assessment that do not carry points, but in this way, students solve tasks and check their level of knowledge of the material, so that they can approach summative evaluation with less fear and greater confidence. It is also important that they are provided with feedback so that they know which elements they need to improve.