In these challenging times, students are experiencing additional stressors exacerbating their anxiety and depression. As instructors who want students to succeed, how can we support our students with anxiety and depression in order to foster belonging and maximize learning? In this week's Resilient Teaching webinar, we talked with SOLS assistant professor Katey Cooper, Ph.D, who shared her research examining what worsens and alleviates anxiety and depression in biology undergraduates.
Dr. Cooper discussed two overarching research questions during the presentation that relate to creating inclusive biology learning environments:
- How does depression and anxiety impact students' affective learning experiences in biology learning environments?
- What strategies can be implemented to improve the cognitive and affective experiences of students with anxiety and depression in biology learning environments?
We began by discussing the percentages of undergraduates who have anxiety and depression, and the stigmatization of having anxiety and depression. Students (and instructors!) often are struggling silently because anxiety and depression are concealable stigmatized identities (CSIs). Dr. Cooper further explained how anxiety and depression disproportionately affect underrepresented and underserved students in science including women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, first generation college students, and individuals from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
Active Learning Environments
Due to the increase in college biology courses transitioning from lecture style into active learning environments, Dr. Cooper outlined the ways that anxiety and depression worsens or is alleviated in this type of environment. She has researched the specific aspects of large-enrollment active learning science classes and their impact on student anxiety and depression, through the use of clickers, group work, and cold or random calling. Findings included:
- Anxiety
- Active learning provides students with opportunities to compare their knowledge with others.
- Increase: Realize that they know less than others.
- Decrease: Realize other students struggle too.
- Students' relationships with others in their group.
- Increase: Student is uncomfortable with their group mate.
- Decrease: Student is comfortable with their group mate.
- Fear of negative evaluation inhibits students' ability to:
- think through a science problem
- articulate their thoughts about science
- Depression
- A feedback loop cycle is created, where student's depression affects how they participate, as well as the active learning environment affects their depression through increased feelings of sadness, embarrassment, or worthlessness when they cannot contribute quickly or enough.
Strategies to Reduce Anxiety and Depression in the Classroom
Giving us pauses to think during the webinar, Dr. Cooper engaged the participants in a fantastic discussion about strategies we could implement to reduce anxiety and depression in the classroom. Some of these included:
- Not show the clicker poll results where 99% of students answered correctly.
- Be explicit that it is OK to be wrong, and normalize failure.
- Don't assign groups (if possible let them choose a friend or someone they have begun to sit with in class), and minimize changing groups.
- Always allow students to pair before asking them to share, and allowing for enough time to discuss.
- Make sure there is an option for students to opt out of collaborations on days when they feel really bad.
- Structure group work so that all students have a chance to contribute.
- Foster a positive class environment.
- Respect, praise, and encourage students.
Undergraduate Research Experiences
Another research study that Dr. Cooper has conducted was with undergraduate research experiences, and how they affect students' feelings of depression. Her findings concluded the lab environment and social connections had the greatest impact through:
- Students struggled when they were alone in lab, leading them to focus on negative thoughts.
- Positive social interactions with others in the lab helped students' depression.
- Depression often worsened when science failed, especially if they felt like they could not ask for help.
- Helpful when their mentors praised them when they are doing a good job.
We are grateful for Dr. Katey Cooper's presentation, and look forward to her future research publications! Connect with her on Twitter or visit her lab's website for more information.
References
- Cooper KM, Downing V, Brownell SE. The influence of active learning practices on student anxiety in large-enrollment college science classrooms. International Journal of STEM Education. June 2018
- Cooper KM, Brownell SE. Student anxiety and fear of negative evaluation in active learning science classrooms. Chapter in book: Active learning in college science, the case for evidence-based practice. Springer Nature. Feb. 2020.
- Downing VR, Cooper KM, Cala JM, Gin LE, Brownell SE. Fear of negative evaluation and student anxiety in community college active learning science courses. CBE Life Sciences Education. May 2020.
- Cooper KM, Gin LE, Barnes ME, Brownell SE. An exploratory study of students with depression in undergraduate research experiences. CBE Life Sciences Education. May 2020.
- Cooper KM, Gin LE, Brownell SE. Depression as a concealable stigmatized identity: What influences whether students conceal or reveal their depression in undergraduate research experiences? International Journal of STEM Education. June 2020.
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