Grow your academic resilience

Authors

  • Claire Olson Edge Hill University
  • Helen Briscoe Edge Hill University
  • Maisie Prior Edge Hill University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi25.975

Abstract

Grow Your Academic Resilience is interactive workshop aimed at equipping students with practical tools to nurture their academic resilience, or their ability to deal with academic challenges and setbacks (Martin and Marsh, 2008). The session helps students recognise the qualities of a growth as opposed to fixed mindset (Dweck, 2006), and supports them to feel confident in dealing constructively with feedback. Students are encouraged to identify strengths they possess and consider the skills they need to achieve their academic goals.

Research demonstrates that resilience is an attribute that positively impacts student wellbeing, engagement, and academic achievement (Turner, Scott-Young and Holdsworth, 2017). Consequently, we believe universities play a key role in developing the resilience of students, therefore introducing students to this concept at the earliest opportunity is paramount. Feedback to date has been positive and we aim to grow the number of sessions we deliver.

Our objective was to deliver an adapted session and elicit feedback from our peers for future development. Participants took part in a 45-minute workshop as university students. Alongside this, commentary was provided discussing the nature of the activities. Finally, participants were given 15 minutes to share experiences and offer constructive suggestions. Resources were shared, alongside presentation notes.

 Session Plan:

  1. Fixed vs. Growth Mindset quiz
  2. Grow your academic resilience (bespoke worksheet)
  3. Your feedback plan

The session addresses the following Learning Outcomes:

  • Understanding what it means to be academically resilient
  • Recognising a growth Mindset
  • Discovering practical tools to nurture your resilience
  • Dealing confidently with feedback

Author Biographies

Claire Olson, Edge Hill University

Claire Olson is an Academic Skills Advisor at Edge Hill University. With almost 20 years of experience working within education and training, Claire has had held a variety of roles within museums and galleries, further education, and most recently in higher education. Having joined Edge Hill University in 2016, Claire currently teaches and supports students with their academic writing via embedded sessions, workshops, and one-to-one appointments. Claire holds a BA in Art History, an MA in Museum Studies, a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Helen Briscoe, Edge Hill University

Helen Briscoe has supported students in higher education institutions for over 20 years. She currently works as an Academic Skills Advisor at Edge Hill University, where she delivers academic writing support through embedded teaching sessions, workshops, webinars, and one-to-ones. Helen has also previously worked as a Learning Facilitator, mentoring students with a range of complex mental health needs throughout their time at university. Helen has a passion for academic integrity and has recently created an innovative Referencing and Academic Integrity Toolkit, which sits within Edge Hill University’s UniSkills offer, and is designed to support both students and staff.

Maisie Prior, Edge Hill University

Maisie Prior is an Academic Skills Advisor at Edge Hill University, where she teaches academic writing and information literacy through a mix of embedded lectures, workshops, and one-to-one tutorials. Before working in higher education, she trained as a secondary school teacher of Modern Foreign Languages, having previously taught English across a variety of ages in Spain and Italy. Maisie holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (with Qualified Teacher Status), a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

References

Dweck, C. S. (2006) Mindset: The new psychology of success. How we can learn to fulfil our potential. New York: Random House.

Kort, B., Reilly, R. and Picard, R. (2001) ‘An affective model of interplay between emotions and learning: reengineering educational pedagogy-building a learning companion’, in Okamoto, T., Hartley K. R. and Klus, J. P. (eds.) IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technology: Issues, Achievements and Challenges. Madison, Wisconsin August 6-8, pp.43-48.

Martin, A. J. and Marsh, H. W. (2008) ‘Academic buoyancy: towards an understanding of students’ everyday academic resilience’, Journal of School Psychology, 46(1), pp.53-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2007.01.002.

Shields, S. (2015) ‘“My work is bleeding”: exploring students’ emotional responses to first-year assignment feedback’, Teaching in Higher Education, 20(6), pp.614-624. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2015.1052786.

Turner, M., Scott-Young, C. M. and Holdsworth, S. (2017) ‘Promoting wellbeing at university: the role of resilience for students of the built environment’, Construction Management and Economics, 35(11-12), pp.707-718. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2017.1353698.

Ungar, M. (ed.) (2012) The social ecology of resilience: a handbook of theory and practice. Springer, New York.

Weiss, R. (2000) ‘Emotion and learning’, Training and Development, 54(11), pp.44-48.

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Published

28-10-2022

How to Cite

Olson, C., Briscoe, H. and Prior, M. (2022) “Grow your academic resilience”, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (25). doi: 10.47408/jldhe.vi25.975.

Issue

No. 25 (2022): Special Edition, ALDinHE Conference Proceedings and Reflections

Section

Conference Proceedings

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