Student mental health is critical to promoting and ensuring students’ meaningful learning and academic potential development. Consequently, Lakeland University Japan, an American satellite EMI setting in Tokyo, has been exploring different approaches to supporting the wellbeing of students while providing an educational experience that responds to policy regulations and society’s expectations and gives students skills that boost their role in society. However, Lakeland’s context poses policy-related challenges requiring creativity to accommodate its diverse student cohort and the relevant American and Japanese regulatory frameworks. These macro-level challenges have been approached at the administrative (meso) and classroom (micro) levels, drawing on Maslow’s human development theory. Based on a review of internal policies and practices, this session highlights the ways through which Lakeland cultivates student mental health and learning. Our research process, focused on identifying effective actions and support mechanisms, following a simplified data-driven coding scheme that identified, contrasted, and considered patterns in relation to Lakeland’s policies and customary practices. As part of ongoing research, the presentation discusses the design of a new pedagogical framework helping practitioners explore their context and make contextually responsive decisions. The session likewise discusses assessment practices and how they inform pedagogical decisions, particularly knowledge adaptation. To date, the results suggest that direct involvement with students, curricular knowledge adaptation to student-familiar ideas, and a comprehensive understanding of the environment do promote student wellbeing while increasing motivation and learning. The identified practices are important for Lakeland and other tertiary settings seeking to scale and implement learning- and wellbeing-promoting virtuous cycles.

Authors:
Francisco Naranjo, Lakeland University Japan, Japan
Jessica McDonald, Lakeland University Japan, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Francisco Naranjo is an Adjunct Professor of Spanish at Lakeland University Japan. His research interests are evaluation and curriculum development. Currently, he is working with colleagues on a welfare project to improve teaching practices.
Jessica McDonald has over 16 years of experience working with students. She currently works as the Director of Admissions and Disability Services Officer at Lakeland University.

Connect on Linkedin
https://jp.linkedin.com/in/fjne2017

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