Possible benefits of regular, short, mind-calming exercises within undergraduate courses: A 10-year Synthesis and Retrospective analysis

Abstract

Objectives: 1) To determine student perceptions of the appeal, appropriateness, potential learning benefits, and life-skill value of regular, short, voluntary, in-class, mind-calming exercises within a range of undergraduate courses; 2) To retrospectively investigate if those perceptions reported immediately after each course change over the longer term.

Methods: Mind-calming exercises (generally 3-5 minutes) were conducted at the beginning of every lecture/seminar in fourteen different 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th -year biology courses from 2017-2026. Voluntary, anonymous, carefully-worded, ten-statement surveys were completed immediately after the courses (by 43-87% of the total class enrolments, which ranged from 15-335 students), and retrospectively (by 13-47% of enrolled students) for 7 courses that had been completed 1-4 years earlier.

Results: The data unequivocally demonstrate that the vast majority of respondents enjoyed and looked forward to the exercises, considered them appropriate within class-time, felt that they improved the quality and depth of their learning, and appreciated them as an introduction to a useful life-skill coping strategy. The retrospective surveys yielded almost identical results, indicating that perceptions of the benefits persisted for years afterwards.

Conclusions: Overall, although whether this practice actually enhanced learning remains uninvestigated, many students clearly believed that it did, suggesting that their ‘frame of mind’ for learning was improved at the beginning of each class. Together, the results strongly suggest that regularly experiencing such exercises has multiple benefits that may contribute to enhanced student attention, engagement, and well-being. Furthermore, for some, the experience of actually participating in mind-calming may be a very effective initial introduction to mindfulness.