Online Microcredential in Teaching

Teacher Development: Embedding Mental Health in the Curriculum

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

Created by

The Open UniversityThe Open University

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Endorsed by

Mental Health FoundationMental Health Foundation

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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.

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

Learn how to better support your students’ mental wellbeing

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. According to the World Health Organisation, one in seven 10-19 year olds experience a mental health disorder. 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.

Throughout the course you’ll take part in weekly activities to support and consolidate your learning. At the end of the course, you’ll submit an assessment which is marked and graded by subject matter experts.

This course is part of a suite of Online Teaching microcredentials from The Open University: Creating Courses for Adult Learners; Evaluating and Improving Courses; Embedding Social, Race, and Gender-Related Equity; and Accessibility and Inclusive Learning.

Academic credits from this course can contribute to The Open University’s Masters in Online Teaching.

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 you will achieve

By the end of the microcredential, 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

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

The course material does not assume that learners are currently working. Past experiences will be just as relevant.

If you do not have a degree or equivalent level qualification you may find the postgraduate level assessment challenging.

Is this microcredential right for you?

This microcredential would benefit anyone currently working in, or looking to work in: universities, colleges and further education, schools (particularly secondary schools), adult education, and workplace learning and development settings. It will enhance the employability of roles including:

  • Teachers
  • Trainers
  • Lecturers
  • Learning designers
  • Education technologists and specialists
  • Heads of departments
  • Institution leaders and managers

The course has a global focus and delivers transferable skills for diverse sectors and organisations.

Syllabus

What happens before, during, and after your microcredential

  • Before learning

    You’ll have access to our online welcome area where you’ll be able to read any information relating to your microcredential.

  • Course

    From 24 Jun 2024

    Teacher Development: Embedding Mental Health in the Curriculum

    Develop your skills in embedding student mental health and wellbeing in teaching, learning, assessment and peer support activities

    12 weeks

    13 hours per week

  • After learning

    Your submitted assessment will be marked and graded by subject matter experts. You’ll continue to have ongoing access to the course materials.

What you will receive

15 UK credits at Postgraduate level from The Open University and a Certificate

Academic credits are awarded on passing the final assessment. These will be at postgraduate level 7 of the Framework for Higher Education (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) / level 11 of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.

Find out how credits work and where you can use them in our FAQs.

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.

Learn online with expert instructors

Complete online courses led by experts over multiple weeks with a dedicated group of professionals.

Complete project-based assessments

Test your understanding with online tutor-marked assessments and exercises.

Earn a professional credential

Finish your learning and pass your assessments to gain an accredited credential.

Advance further in your career

Use your microcredential as evidence of your specialised skills and progress further in your industry.

Career-focused learning by The Open University

As the UK’s largest university, The Open University (OU) supports thousands of students to achieve their goals and ambitions via supported distance learning, helping to fit learning around professional and personal life commitments.

  • Established

    1969
  • Location

    Milton Keynes, UK
  • World ranking

    Top 510Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020

This microcredential is endorsed by 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.

Delivered by experts

Dr Leigh-Anne Perryman leads The Open University's Masters in Online Teaching programme. Her research explores the relationship between equity, social justice, online teaching and open pedagogies.

Kate Lister is a lecturer in education at the Open University and is an expert associate at Advance HE. Her research focuses on disability, accessibility and mental wellbeing in learning.

Dr Simon Ball (he/him) is an Open University tutor and consultant researcher, specialising in inclusive online learning, educational technologies & accessibility, following a PhD in ecology.

Dr Tim Coughlan is a Senior Lecturer in Educational Technology at The Open University, researching the design and evaluation of technologies for inclusion, participation and accessibility in learning.

Senior Lecturer in Psychology at The Open University. My research spans several psychological domains, including: mental health & wellbeing, eHealth, neurotoxicology and applied cognitive psychology.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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FAQ

We can accept payments made by card (Visa, Mastercard and American Express) or PayPal via our online system.

You will have 14 days from the day the course starts to apply for a refund. If this Microcredential has any non-refundable costs they will be stated in the ‘Overview’ section above. You can find more information in our cancellation and refund policy.

Microcredentials are designed to fit around your life and timezone.

There may be live events as part of your studies, but these will be recorded and can be watched afterwards if you aren’t online for the live broadcast.

No, microcredentials are designed to be taken anywhere in the world. You won’t need the right to study in the country where the university offering the microcredential is based.

Microcredentials are stand-alone courses designed to meet specific learner and employer needs. Those awarded by The Open University have academic credit value at either undergraduate or postgraduate level, and, if appropriate, this may be used towards selected Open University qualifications. For more details, including eligible qualifications, visit The Open University’s Counting microcredentials towards OU qualifications page.

The credit awarded may potentially be used at another university, subject to the agreement of the receiving institution.

Want to know more? Read the microcredential FAQs, or contact us.