The development and evaluation of an online intervention, ‘MePlusMe’, supporting mood, wellbeing, study skills, and everyday functioning in students in higher education

Against the backdrop of a massive expansion in higher education, the number of students in higher education (HE) experiencing mental health problems is increasing, which poses a significant challenge to HE institutions in terms of how they best respond to students with mental health needs. This paper considers the implications of such developments by assessing the experience of students with mental health problems within one HE institution. The factors influencing students’ ability to seek help is explored alongside their experience of accessing and using student support services. The study found that there was a general reluctance amongst students to disclose their mental health problems or to seek help, largely due to the stigma that exists. However, students who did seek help from University support and counselling services valued this and students benefited when there was a formal link between NHS and university support services. The implications of the study findings for HE institutions are then considered.

The mental health and wellbeing of students in higher education institutions (HEIs) is subject to ongoing international discussion and debate. Higher education study presents a unique set of stressors, often at a transitionary period in students’ lives, and HEIs recognise the need for effective student support service provision to support students through these challenges. However, not all students experiencing study-related mental health difficulties seek, or are able to access, timely support to help manage this proactively. This may be due to a broad variety of reasons, including but not limited to: a lack of sufficient student support service provision; students’ minimisation of issues they are encountering; an unwillingness, or inability, to disclose mental health difficulties; a lack of insight or awareness of mental health difficulties and support services. This can contribute to students experiencing study-related burnout, avoidable distress, course drop-out, and in some cases, clinical anxiety or depression. In the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education, the increasing popularity of online teaching offers potential opportunities for supporting student wellbeing in innovative ways. The use of internet-delivered, self-directed wellbeing interventions has seen a radical uptake over the past decade, and findings are overall very promising. In particular, the use of brief mindfulness exercises has demonstrated improvements in student wellbeing across a range of disciplines. Whilst still recognising the need for traditional and effective student support services, HEIs need to support and encourage students to develop the skills needed to manage some of the stressors of everyday student life. This study trialled the use of brief mindfulness exercises as a method of self-care and self-regulation for students enrolled at King’s College London and Monash University in Melbourne. Mindfulness exercises (six 1-2 minute audio files) were provided to students via existing virtual learning environments. We evaluated the impact of the intervention using pre- and post-intervention questionnaires (including validated measures and self-report data) and compared these with students from a wait-list control group. This presentation will describe the mindfulness intervention as trialled at King’s College and Monash University, and discuss early findings regarding its impact and efficacy. We will also discuss some of the issues surrounding the implementation of, and recruitment to, internet-based interventions of this nature.

Purpose: development of recommendations for the study of security-oriented disciplines by students of higher educational institutions. Methodology: Analysis and generalisation of research results regarding the need of higher education students to study security-oriented disciplines. Results: In the conditions of modern warfare, knowledge and understanding of security issues are of critical importance for students of technical specialties. It helps them to be aware of the threats and risks associated with armed conflict and make the right decisions to ensure personal and collective security, and provides the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively respond to emergencies and save lives. Therefore, in the article: information on the state of higher education in Ukraine until February 2022 has been studied and summarised; the need of students of higher technical education to study security-oriented disciplines during the war was investigated; an expert survey was conducted among students who are studying for the Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees of two higher technical educational institutions – the State Higher Educational Institution “Donetsk National Technical University” and Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture. It was established that about eighty percent of the respondents are in favour of mandatory study of security-oriented disciplines during martial law, as an opportunity to ensure their own safety and the safety of others, help others and be useful in war conditions. A new concept of civil security education in higher technical institutions under martial law from the point of view of studying individual disciplines is proposed, which consists of the following: improvement of training plans for higher education applicants. recommendations for students of technical higher education institutions to study the following disciplines (in order of priority): “Life safety”, “Occupational safety”, “Fire safety”, “Civil protection”, “Environmental safety”, “Psychology of hazards”. Mandatory courses for students on pre-medical care, psychological help for themselves and others, military training should be introduced. Scientific innovation: a scientific approach has been developed to clarify the new concept of civil security education in higher technical institutions under martial law. Practical significance: the results of the work can be used in the preparation of educational plans for applicants of higher technical educational institutions.

Introduction and aim. The consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have led to a violation of the mental health of youth, children, and adults in Ukraine. Increased cases of mental disorders related to war trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to violence, loss of family and friends, loss of normal life, fear, uncertainty, and constant stress, are leading to long-term PTSD, which can negatively affect their quality of life, such as physical, mental, and social well-being. Determination of symptoms of PTSD in students (men and women) of medical and technical higher education institutions during the war in Ukraine. Material and methods. At the beginning of 2024, the survey was attended by 452 students of Ukrainian higher education in stitutions (medical and technical), of which 24.6% were male and 75.4% were female, aged 15–19 (65.8%), aged 20–28 (21.1%), and over 29 (13.1%). The methodology ‘Identification of potentially traumatic events in life among applicants’ was used to iden tify students with signs of PTSD out of a total of 452 surveyed students. The next step was to assess the degree of PTSD symp toms in 121 students of the total number of students who were identified as having PTSD symptoms using the ‘PTSD symptoms list’. Research was conducted with the help of the STATISTICS program, by the Pearson’s Chi-square method, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (rS ). Results. The severity of the consequences of the war was assessed based on the results of a survey among students of high er education institutions during the hostilities in Ukraine. Students who participated in hostilities or were in the war zone represented 45.9% of respondents from technical universities (TU) and 24.8% of the respondents from medical universities (MU). Students who experienced sexual violence (rape, attempted rape, coercion to perform any type of sexual act by force or threats) made up 18.9% of the students in the TU and 16.9% in the MU. Conclusion. Sexual violence (rape, attempted rape, coercion to perform any type of sexual act by force or threats) among students in higher education institutions was experienced by 18.9% of respondents of technical specialization and 16.9% of respondents of medical specialization. The identified unfavorable features of students’ mental health during hostilities may lead to long-term negative consequences in the future. Particular attention should be paid to risk groups, including female students.

Sexual violence (SV) experienced by higher education students is a prevalent public health problem. Collecting data on SV through self-report surveys in higher education institutions (HEIs) is essential for estimating the scope of the problem, the first step to adequately resourcing and implementing prevention and response programming and policies. However, in the United Kingdom, data is limited. We used data from the cross-sectional Oxford Understanding Relationships, Sex, Power, Abuse and Consent Experiences survey, administered to all students at a university in the United Kingdom in May 2021 (n = 25,820), to estimate the past year prevalence of SV. We analyzed data from respondents who answered at least one question on SV (n = 1,318) and found that 20.5% of respondents experienced at least one act of attempted or forced sexual touching or rape, and 52.7% of respondents experienced at least one act of sexual harassment (SH). We found that women experienced the highest rates of SV. Attempted forced sexual touching was far more common than forced sexual touching, or rape. Sexist remarks or jokes were the most common act of SH. Most acts of SV took place at the university. These findings reveal that the prevalence of SV in HEIs in the United Kingdom could be far higher than what is experienced in the general population. While this study reflects the context in only one institution, it underlines the need for continued monitoring to develop rigorous, evidence-based, and targeted prevention and response strategies.

Previous studies have shown that the phonological deficits that characterise dyslexia persist into adulthood. There is a growing number of dyslexic students in higher education for whom sensitive diagnostic tests of their reading and reading related difficulties are required. The main aim of this study was to compare the cognitive skills of dyslexic students with those of their non-dyslexic peers, and to ascertain the impact of cognitive difficulties on their study skills. A second aim was to produce guidelines for the assessment of dyslexia in higher education. The performance of 23 dyslexic students was compared with that of a comparison group of 50 students from the same university who did not report a history of reading difficulty. Participants completed standardised tests of IQ, reading, spelling and arithmetic and tests tapping phonological processing, verbal fluency and speed of processing. Their performance on a set of study-related tasks including proof reading and précis writing was also assessed and they completed the Brown ADD scales. Although dyslexic students did not differ in general cognitive ability from controls, they had deficits in reading and reading related phonological processes. Discriminant function analyses indicated that dyslexia in adulthood can be confirmed with 95% accuracy using only four tests: spelling, nonword reading, digit span and writing speed. The study highlighted the difficulties of dyslexic adults. The persisting difficulties of dyslexic students that affect their study skills need to be recognised by HE institutions so that appropriate support programmes can be put in place.

Problem formulation. The development of information and computer technologies is quite rapid. The realities of today are that higher education institutions must introduce new and effective teaching methods and technologies that will help to improve the quality of education. The large-scale introduction of online technologies, various models of blended learning is relevant, which leads to fundamental changes in approaches to the organization of education in higher education institutions and in each discipline, especially the role of the audience classes and its effectiveness. Materials and methods. To address this aim, the following theoretical research methods were used in combination: analysis of pedagogical literature, systematization and generalization of research - to compare different approaches to the implementation of models of blended learning for students of higher pedagogical education. Results. The analysis of pedagogical literature and the conducted researches allowed to reveal the concept of "blended learning". Based on the existing domestic and foreign works, the existing models of blended learning are considered. The models of blended learning that are expedient to use when studying pedagogical disciplines in the institution of higher pedagogical education are analyzed, in particular "Flipped Model", "Rotation Model", "Lab Rotation Model". The advantages of using blended learning models, inverted learning models - for teachers and students are determined. Conclusions. The problem of implementing blended learning models is quite relevant and is of interest to many both scholars and practitioners. There is a wide range of models of blended learning, skillful application and combination of which makes the learning process interesting, modern and conscious, and the work of students productive, activates the educational and cognitive activities of higher education, motivates, teaches both independent and teamwork and promotes the development of creative abilities, research skills. It should be noted that the models "Flipped Model", "Rotation Model", "Lab Rotation Model" and others are tested in technical educational institutions, as well as in the teaching of exact sciences ("Physics", "Mathematics"), while in pedagogical institutions of higher education, especially in the training of future teachers of humanities, this problem requires more in-depth study and, possibly, modification of existing models. The prospect of further research involves the study, testing and analysis of various models of blended learning for students of higher pedagogical education, including the humanities.

The paper summarizes the experience in higher education institutions financing, substantiates the trends in their financial support models diversification. The study systematizes approaches to the organization of higher education institutions financing under market conditions and reveals their advantages and disadvantages in terms of the effects at the level of an individual and society as a whole. It defines tools and models of the financing under orientation on demand, supply and strategic purposes of the national development. The study proves the need to substantiate the rational balance of individual and social effects in higher education institutions financing, which can be achieved through a combination of market self-regulation and state regulation of the higher education services market. The system of methods was used in the study, namely: monographic – to define the research aim and conclusions, the method of theoretical generalization of foreign and domestic scientists was used to critically analyze the existing approaches to the organization of financing the work of agricultural education higher institutions. General scientific methods of cognition, such as analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, systemic integrated approach, were used to systematize the models of financial support for higher agricultural education institutions and to generalize the conclusions. The paper substantiated that the state should take leading positions in higher education institutions financing. The role of state funding in ensuring sustainable development of agricultural education higher institutions has been identified considering the specificity of educational services and their role in ensuring sustainable development of the agricultural sector of the economy and rural areas. It is argued that the current conditions of free economic development and challenges the institutions face requires focusing on consumer demand and adjusting their educational services through prompt updating the changing educational programs based on modern research, attracting a larger number of stakeholders in the financing model formation. The modern tendencies typical of the market of educational services determining the expansion of the participants of the organization of financing the higher education institutions activity, are considered. The importance of financing elements focused on the innovations development, the role of which will grow in the future, especially in the form of competitive and targeted financing is revealed. It is proved that the results-based approach to the organization of financing also reduces the risks of macroeconomic inefficiency and contributes to reducing the information asymmetry. The obligatory presence of the state in the organization of research funding in higher education institutions is justified due to the positive impact of research on educational services quality and increases their value for an individual and society. The paper considers options for market-oriented higher education financing and the state's demands in terms of the concept of management, public and private funding methods, the education fee. It is established that the changing conditions of the market of educational services require a revision of targets for state funding due to the following factors: increased number of foreign students, use of information and communication technologies, increase in the integration of higher education institutions nationally and internationally. Key words: higher education institution, higher agricultural education, concepts of higher education institution management, methods of free economic education financing, sources of higher education institutions financing.

Students in Higher Education (HE), like academics and support staff members are critical roles players. This study provides insights into how students experience involvement, engagement, and satisfaction in Higher Education institutions. This study is qualitative in nature and the authors examined extant and relevant literature in analyzing, defining, explaining, and understanding the phenomenon of student’s involvement, engagement, and satisfaction in Higher Education. The exploration was guided by two critical literary review questions posed, namely: “What are the educational experiences of students in the Higher Educational institutions?” and “How does involvement and engagement of Higher Education students influence their satisfaction?” The databases of the Educational Resources Information Centre, Google Scholar, Springer and Research Gate were used to search for literature online. Search keywords included the following: (a) Educational experience of students from involvement to engagement and (b) student satisfaction. Selections were made on the basis of the abstracts of the different documents found. Based on the discussions, it was found out that students’ experiences are grounded in the environment where teaching and learning take place. Effective teaching methodologies support students to become good learners when the necessary environment is created for students to learn. The literature recommended that to attain the educational goals of higher educational institutions, higher educational managers could identify and improve areas of educational environment that affect students’ satisfaction levels.

BACKGROUND Immersive Virtual Reality refers to the use of computer technology to create a virtual world. The simulated environment may emulate a real-world scenario. Most nursing skills training programmes involve instructor demonstrations in a structured classroom environment, were students successively replicate operations utilising virtual reality. This study the scarcity of resources influenced the perception of physical training for nursing students in higher education. Therefore, immersive virtual reality scenes enable to integrate virtually, allowing the real-world training to be enhanced into practical experience. OBJECTIVE This study provides a systematic review literature on immersive virtual reality technology for nursing students in higher education institutions. METHODS This study has adopted the use of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). This has been done using keywords such as 'immersive virtual reality', 'training', 'nurse'. The four databases: Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science and IEEE Explore were used. This resulted in the study obtaining 21 published articles which have met the inclusion criteria and were analysed. RESULTS This study indicated from its findings that the published work only concentrated on nursing students undergoing training in higher education institutions. However, nursing students engaged in practical fieldwork were not the focus of the study. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the ability of VR technology to improve nursing education by improving theoretical and practical knowledge, as well as academic satisfaction among nursing students. The absence of significant advantages in enhancing critical thinking skills using VR interventions underscores the need to further investigate. CLINICALTRIAL Not Applicable

The experience of the United States, where in higher education students are trained for conscious social activities and independent responsibility for the benefit of the community and society as a whole, seems to be significant for the theory and practice of higher education in Ukraine. The appeal to the American educational experience is due to the fact that today the United States as a state governed by the rule of law is a reliable guarantor of individual rights and freedoms, provided by strong traditions of civic education – the key to educating students' social values. At the same time, the interest in higher education in the United States is due to its high prestige within the world educational environment, its well-known democratic orientation and constant content and methodological improvement. In the United States, training graduates in adapting to their social life as responsible citizens-members of certain communities and professionals in society has historically been a duty of higher education. The purpose of the article is to highlight the features of the educational process in the course of general education in the framework of undergraduate studies within the US higher education, institutions, which contribute to the development of students’ social values. It is noted that the pedagogical experience of the United States, where students are being trained in conscious social activities and independent responsible activities for the benefit of society in higher education institutions, is useful for the theory and practice of higher education in Ukraine. The methodology of the research is based on the analysis of scholarly and pedagogical sources of the USA and Ukraine on the problem under study with the elements of induction and deduction to characterise the state of its development in the USA; the summarising of the organisation of various types of training in the US higher education institutions, which provide for the formation of students’ social values. The originality of the research lies in the fact that for the first time in the Ukrainian pedagogical science, the views of American scholars on the types of training, as well as the civic engagement of students in the U.S. higher education institutions which contribute to the development of their social values have been summarised. It has been found out that today, in higher education in the United States, students’ engagement into social activities during their general education ensures their readiness for a meaningful and responsible life in an interdependent world characterised by uncertainty and rapid changes. By teaching leadership and community service through dialogue and collaboration, the U.S. colleges and universities contribute to the development of students’ social values, social and intellectual development of students who, moving from a comfort zone to a contact zone, are able to interact effectively within a variety of situations.

Exploring sustainable development perceptions among higher education students: An empirical study on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours

BackgroundPublic health measures such as physical distancing and distance learning have been implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 related knowledge deficit can increase fear that leads to negative mental health and COVID-19, especially among adolescents. Therefore, our study aimed to assess COVID-19 related knowledge deficit and its association with fear among higher education (HE) students during the first wave of COVID-19.MethodsA cross-sectional survey, COVID-19 International Students Well-being Study (C-19 ISWS) was conducted in 133 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in 26 countries between April 27 and July 7, 2020. A stratified convenience sampling technique was used. Descriptive, bivariate, mixed-effect logistic regression analyses were conducted using R software.ResultsOut of 127,362 respondents, 72.1% were female, and 76.5% did not report a previous history of confirmed COVID-19. The majority of those without the previous infection 81,645 (83.7%) were from 21 European countries while the rest 15,850 (16.3%) were from 5 non-European countries. The most frequent correct response to COVID-19 related knowledge questions among respondents was having the virus without having symptoms (94.3%). Compared to participants with good knowledge, the odds of being afraid of acquiring SARS-COV-2 infection among those with poor knowledge was 1.05 (95%CI:1.03,1.08) and the odds of being afraid of contracting severe COVID-19 was 1.36 (95%CI:1.31,1.40).ConclusionCOVID-19 related knowledge was independently associated with both fear of acquiring SARS-COV-2 infection as well as contracting severe COVID-19. Our findings will serve as a basis for public health response for both the current and similar future pandemics by highlighting the need for addressing the COVID-19 knowledge deficit to fight the infodemic and prevent negative mental health outcomes.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contribute to the scholarship of diversity, equity and inclusivity in higher education. The focus is to advance an understanding of the issues concerning student admissions and access in higher education. The paper will contribute to the debate on student admissions and access in higher education. Among others, the author argues that in the context of higher education, access has different meanings.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is conceptual in approach and draws from extant literature and the review was used in compiling the paper. Interpretivist approach was used in understanding the topic. Relying on capabilities approach (CA) as a lens in understanding student admissions and access, the author argues that higher education institutions (HEIs) should consider opportunities (capabilities) for all students to live the lives that they have reason to value (valued functionings). CA works from the premise that human beings share universal capabilities and students’ life can be fulfilling if given the opportunity to exercise their capabilities by universities.FindingsUniversities can rely on students’ racial and ethnic backgrounds, socioeconomic status and students’ disabilities in admitting them. Diversity characteristics can be used as a tool to ensure the heterogeneity of the student population or as an unfair advantage given to students who might otherwise be deemed inadmissible on the basis of their academic or test performance. Factors such as changing demographics, public policy, institutional practices and marketing techniques seem to have a subtle influence on the process of admission. Students may experience challenges because of the “invisibility” of their disabilities due to a breakdown in communication within higher education systems.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper relied on literature review only and this is its limitation. Literature review may have been influenced by selection bias of the author and is likely to include only those sources that are most consistent with the author’s personal opinion. Selection bias can arise when the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the review are not clearly stated and that might bias the findings.Practical implicationsAdmission officials in HEIs are expected to conduct a diversity needs assessment before admissions with the aim of using the data to identify student population. The needs assessment can look at aspects such as the students’ racial and ethnic backgrounds, socioeconomic status and students’ disabilities to ensure access and success of all students.Social implicationsInequities around access and admission for diverse groups of students in higher education are a reality worldwide. There is a worldwide trend within countries to see universities as contributors to economic growth, and many institutions are now increasingly attuned to the money economy. A student’s decision to apply on where to study may be influenced by the reputation of the institution.Originality/valueThis concept is relative and has different meanings depending on the nature of the work in question. The paper was compiled through literature review, all the sources used have been acknowledged, and the paper conveys the thoughts, interpretations and ideas of the author.

In the conditions of increased competition in the labor market, the task of improving the system of training qualified personnel in higher education is being updated. One of the ways of their implementation is the formation of a system of dual training of higher education applicants, which will contribute to the elimination of the use of traditional forms and methods of education, increase the quality of personnel training, considering the modern requirements of the implementation of employers. The dual form of acquiring competencies is an effective way of obtaining the necessary knowledge and skills. It is possible to combine the study of theoretical material at a higher education institution with practical training at enterprises, organizations, and institutions. The realities of the modern educational space in the previous conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic and today's wartime conditions in Ukraine require greater use of dual education in higher education as one of the elements of an innovative form of education in support of a competitive educational environment. To study this issue, we turn to foreign experience in different countries; educational institutions that implemented dual professional education have a long history of successful development, recognized at the world level. Today, in the world's advanced countries, the block of practical training accounts for about 70% of the educational process, which contributed to a significant increase in the number of specialists working in a pre-selected specialty. Therefore, using the world experience of implementing dual education in educational institutions in the complex modern conditions of the domestic educational environment is highly relevant and requires further research. The article aims to reveal the world experience of implementing a dual form of competence acquisition in higher education and the application of directions in Ukraine. The results. Having analyzed the experience of some countries in implementing dual education, we outline the importance of complex quality education in the way of training highly qualified specialists with critical competencies and appropriate professional suitability in the labor market. Therefore, today, there is a reformation of the domestic system of higher education on the way to the introduction of two-formal education in the aspect of forming an equal partnership of higher education institutions, employers, and applicants, providing them with practical experience in the conditions of actual professional activity. The implementation of personnel dual education will contribute to the improvement of the quality of education, the growth of the number of employers in the professional training of the future, the approximation of the training of specialists to the modern requirements of the labor market and companies in demand in various fields of activity in the context of the post-war recovery of the domestic economy. The concept of the induction form of acquiring competence in the field of higher education differs from the traditional strengthening of the training of practical specialists, which provides training in higher education institutions of highly qualified personnel by the needs of enterprises in various fields of activity and the requirements of the modern labor market. Keywords: education, world experience, dual form of education, student of higher education, competitive specialists, higher education.