The Possible Learning and Teaching Benefits of Short Mind-calming Exercises in Undergraduate Courses

Abstract

The potential benefits of meditation exercises to promote more focused student attention and engagement have only rarely been quantitatively investigated at the college/university level. Here, I report student perceptions on the impacts of regular short mind-calming exercises at the beginning of every class in second, third, and fourth-year biology undergraduate courses, using voluntary anonymous surveys that were completed by at least two-thirds of each class (total enrollments 326, 68, and 15 respectively). In the third year course, 93% of respondents indicated that the exercise was “enjoyable and relaxing”, 73% indicated that it was “a valuable use of lecture time because I feel it enhances deep learning”, 75% found it a useful perspective “to achieving balance/calm in my life”, and 76% rejected the suggestion that although “the exercises are useful, they are not course-related material and therefore are inappropriate within class time”. Responses to several other distinct survey statements were also strongly positive, and furthermore, very similar favourable results as above were obtained in the other two courses. Overall, although it is unclear whether these very short exercises actually enhanced learning, many students perceived that it did. Finally, my teaching performance in university-based student assessments of the third-year course was significantly elevated in the year with mind-calming exercises compared to each of the previous nine iterations in which I had been an instructor. Together, these quantitative results suggest that the regular use of such exercises has multiple direct and indirect benefits that may contribute to more effective undergraduate learning and teaching.