Classroom interventions that promote connection and well-being
Five for Flourishing is a collaboration between the UW’s Office of the Provost, UW Center for Teaching and Learning, and UW Resilience Lab to develop five easy-to-implement teaching practices to improve student well-being and social connection.
The project builds on UW’s decades-long efforts to foster student belonging and well-being and promote a culture of well-being across the UW in co-curricular environments. With an initial focus on large enrollment courses, it aims to bring that work into the classroom.
Why focus on flourishing in the classroom?
When students feel a sense of social connection they tend to perform better academically, remain in class, and persist in their academic goals.
Mental health concerns and loneliness among college students have reached historic levels, prompting the US Surgeon General to characterize loneliness as a public health epidemic. While social isolation and loneliness are different, they are related and both can negatively impact psychological and physical wellbeing. Addressing these concerns requires all members of the campus community to share responsibility for improving student well-being and academic outcomes.
Alongside student services and programs, instructors play an essential role in creating welcoming, supportive environments that help students flourish. The classroom (both physical and online) can and should be an important locus of social connection for students.
Project details
Five for Flourishing is oriented around implementing a set of five simple teaching practices designed to foster social connection. These practices aim to normalize help-seeking, mistake-making as growth, peer connection, and self-care. Although focused on the student experience, these practices also provide instructors with practical ways to channel their compassion and care.
The five interventions are:
- Supportive language in course syllabus – communicates that all students are welcome and valued, that struggle is normal and support is available.
- Moment-to-arrive slides – shared as students are settling in before class, these slides raise awareness about campus health and wellness resources, prompt connections between students, and introduce stress-management tips.
- Growth-mindset reminders – shared before and after major assignments and exams, these reminders frame assessment as an opportunity to learn and grow, rather than as judgments of intelligence or value.
- Small group connections – weekly group meetings create regular opportunities for students to ask each other questions related to the course and benefit from peer support.
- Mid-quarter check-in – enables instructors to gather student feedback on their experience in class and show students their input is valuable.
Starting in Autumn quarter 2024, a cohort of instructors will implement the five practices in at least two class sections over the course of two consecutive academic years. The research team will collect data through pre/post surveys.
The project cohort consists of 13 faculty members from the University of Washington’s Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma campuses, all of whom teach large enrollment courses (over 300 students on the Seattle campus and over 85 students on the Bothell and Tacoma campuses). While the practices are designed for use in all classrooms, the pilot’s initial focus is on large enrollment classes because it is often in the largest classes that students feel the least connected.
As the pilot progresses, the research team will integrate findings and feedback to improve the teaching practices and the instructor experience. Regular updates will be available on this page.
Research team
Marisa Nickle
Senior Director, Strategy & Academic Initiatives
Academic & Student Affairs | Office of the Provost
University of Washington – Seattle
Penelope Adams Moon, PhD
Director, UW Center for Teaching and Learning
Affiliate Associate Professor, Department of History
University of Washington – Seattle
Megan Kennedy
Director, UW Resilience Lab
University of Washington – Seattle
Lovenoor (Lavi) Aulck, PhD
Data Scientist, Office of the Provost
University of Washington – Seattle
Katie Malcolm, PhD
Associate Director, UW Center for Teaching and Learning
Affiliate Assistant Professor, Department of English
University of Washington – Seattle
Five for Flourishing in the news
Supiano, B. (2024, August 22). Simple ways to support student mental health in class. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Diamond. C. (2024, October, 24). UW launches pilot for new ‘Five for Flourishing’ project. The Daily.
Holz, J. (2024, September 23). UW introduces ‘Five for Flourishing,’ an innovative suite of academic interventions to help students thrive. UW News.