Teacher Development: Embedding Mental Health in the Curriculum Course - The Open University

Develop skills to design inclusive teaching, learning and assessment activities that enhance student mental health and wellbeing.

Develop your teaching strategies to promote student mental health and wellbeing

This microcredential offers educators from a variety of sectors and settings the opportunity to better understand the impact of mental health issues on learners.

Learn how to better support your students’ mental wellbeing

Growing numbers of students at schools and universities are experiencing mental health issues. The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened anxiety and stress for many learners of all ages – especially those facing a significant change to the way their education is delivered.

With guidance from global teaching experts with decades of experience in supporting learners with mental health problems, you’ll learn how to apply inclusive teaching strategies that support young people’s mental health and help them to develop resilience in the modern world.

While the act of learning can be extremely positive for student mental wellbeing, in other cases it can also exacerbate or even cause mental health difficulties.

This microcredential will give you the knowledge and tools to embed student mental health and wellbeing in the curriculum through the design of teaching, learning and assessment activities and the application of Universal Design for Learning.

You’ll develop a greater awareness of the triggers and issues that can lead to mental health difficulties and how to address these within your practice, whilst also exploring institution-wide approaches to mental wellbeing.

Understand the mental health implications of online learning

You’ll explore how the use of technology can affect student mental wellbeing and better understand the mental health implications associated with online learning.

As well as identifying the potential negative effects of digital learning, you’ll also explore ways of harnessing technology to enhance student mental wellbeing.

Is mental health training for teachers in demand?

Yes. The World Health Organisation reported that 10-20% of children globally experience mental disorders and half of all mental illnesses begin by age 14. Although 98% of surveyed teachers had come into contact with pupils experiencing mental health issues, only 46% received mental health training. This course offers the latest research and training in this vitally important area.

This microcredential meets the standards set by the Common Microcredential Framework.

When would you like to start?

We aim to run our microcredentials every few months. Join on the date that suits you or register to hear from an enrolment advisor about future runs and updates.

• 14 March 2022

What you will receive

15 UK credits at Postgraduate level from The Open University

You’ll receive an Open University certificate confirming that you have received 15 academic credits at postgraduate level 7. Credits are awarded on passing the final assessment.

Career-focused learning by

The Open University

The Open University (OU) is the largest academic institution in the UK and a world leader in flexible distance learning, with a mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas.

This microcredential is endorsed by the Mental Health Foundation

The Foundation has provided a comprehensive review of the course content, as well as providing supplementary learning materials and practical, realistic examples to enhance core learning content.

What is a microcredential?

Microcredentials are designed to upskill you for work in rapidly-growing industries, without the time and cost commitment of a full degree. Your microcredential can stand alone as an independent credential, and some also offer academic credit to use towards a degree.

Are you eligible for this microcredential?

To study for this postgraduate microcredential, you will ideally have:

• A Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent level qualification.
• Experience working in education or training.
• A strong interest in learner mental health and wellbeing.
• All teaching is in English. If English is not your first language we recommend you can achieve an IELTS score of at least seven.

The microcredential is part of a planned suite of courses addressing aspects of online education – including Online Teaching: Creating Courses for Adults Learners and Online Teaching: Evaluating and Improving Courses.

Is this microcredential right for you?

This microcredential has a global focus and the skills you’ll learn will be relevant for learners from countries around the world.

The course addresses some of the mental health issues that have arisen from the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is specifically intended for teachers, trainers, lecturers, learning designers, educational technologists, heads of department and institution leaders and managers in a variety of settings, including schools (particularly secondary education), colleges, universities, and workplace learning settings.

What skills will you learn?

• Inclusive curriculum design
• Designing inclusive assessment and group work
• Designing teaching strategies
• Designing online learning that supports learner wellbeing
• Evaluating teaching, learning and assessment activities for their potential impact on learner wellbeing
• Building learner communities and supporting positive relationships
• Selecting educational technologies that support mental health
• Identifying barriers to mental health and wellbeing
• Selecting teaching resources that reflect learners' interests and backgrounds
• Teaching mental health-related topics
• Mental wellbeing and online learning
• Designing assessment activities

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the different ways in which mental health is defined and discussed and of the relationship between mental health and learning in diverse global contexts.
• Design teaching, learning and assessment activities that promote mental wellbeing and are conducive to positive mental health.
• Identify some of the barriers to embedding mental health into the curriculum and the ways in which they might be managed.
• Evaluate existing curriculum content and identify potential impacts, positive and negative, on student mental health.