Positive psychology applies scientific principles to enable individuals to achieve the life skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours that lead to a sense of well-being and satisfaction in life. Increasingly, schools are embedding these principles into the curriculum, but to our knowledge very few universities have taken this step. Since 2018, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia has been offering a unique programme (EmPOWER) informed by the principles of Seligman’s Well-Being Theory. 

 

We have been conducting research over the past few years to evaluate the impact of this programme. In this presentation, a summary of our work to date will be presented. In 2020, the Covid-19 restrictions forced delivery of EmPOWER teaching from face-to-face, large-scale campus-based workshops to small-group web-based coaching and self-directed learning with parental feedback and reflections.  This gave the opportunity to test that proposition that this programme redesign had a positive effect on learning outcomes. Feedback from students and coaches was gathered using a web-based survey using statement ratings (7-point Likert scale) and semi-structured 30-minute interviews. Overall, 598 participated, with 511 survey respondents (85% response rate) and 20 interviewees.

 

A majority of students strongly agreed or agreed on achieving all seven learning outcomes, including self-confidence and sense of purpose. Students commented on how the coaches were motivating and supportive, created an environment that was interactive and got everyone involved in the discussions. For coaches, the personalised learning experience brought them closer to the students as individuals and strengthened the sense of community and connectedness to the university. We conclude that benefits of personalised online coaching extended beyond the expected learning outcomes, but further work is required to measure transformative impact over the longer term.