Survey to Inform the Development of an Online Support System for Higher Education Students <br>—Higher Education and Online Support

Abstract

An increasing number of higher education students face mental health difficulties, but the universities' student support services (SSS) struggle to meet demand with limited resources. Web-based alternatives hold promise as a novel medium through which students could access support. Online interventions appear to be effective and may therefore provide a cost-effective alternative, relieving some of the burden on struggling SSS. This paper presents results from an explorative survey of 61 students questioned about their opinion of online support systems. The majority of students indicated that they would use such a system and that it should be interactive and personalized, focusing on time and money management, relaxation exercises, and building social skills. Future directions towards the development of such a system are discussed.

Exploring the feasibility and acceptability of the contents, design, and functionalities of an online intervention promoting mental health, wellbeing, and study skills in Higher Education students

“…Upon the completion of the feasibility study, a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) will ensue, in order to systematically measure the effectiveness of the intervention. Of note, of the six online support systems recently identified as having been designed specifically for HE students [42], only MePlusMe has conducted development studies, such as the current one, as well as an initial survey of end-users [52] and a proof-of-concept study [53]. This way MePlusMe responds to the call for more research on such systems [42].…”

“…This step enabled researchers to gather an understanding of current support services, the challenges they are facing, and whether an online system could fit into the market. An online survey was subsequently conducted which helped to identify difficulties faced by students at university, opinions on online support systems and what features students may want the system to include, or what may look appealing on the site [52]. Findings demonstrated a demand and space in the market for an online system, and they further highlighted student needs and system requirements.…”

Supporting mental health, wellbeing and study skills in Higher Education: an online intervention system

“…The questions focused on students’ most common difficulties at university, current practices and challenges within institutions, and inquired about the need for and design of a potential online solution. At the same time, HE students ( n = 61) were surveyed, using an online survey tool (to better understand their needs at university, their potential engagement with an online system, and their preferences with regards to features, functions, and style of such a system [ 21 ].…”

“…The content, language, visuals, sounds and overall the feel, layout, and functionality of MePlusMe have been heavily influenced by students’ feedback following Goozée et al’s survey [ 21 ] and a proof-of-concept study [ 23 ]. Examples of this outcome are: the specific difficulties (symptoms of anxiety and depression) targeted to be addressed via the chosen techniques, the way questions were phrased in the questionnaire and the language used in the videos’ scripts, the colours and graphics throughout the system including the voiceover and the male and female character featured in the videos as well as features such as the blackout button that allows students to “escape” quickly to another website.…”

“…As described above, MePlusMe has been designed according to the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning [ 39 ], and aims to provide a more effective learning process for the end-user. MePlusMe is also the only system that has been influenced directly by students’ feedback and as such it has been developing hand-in-hand with the end-users [ 21 – 23 ]. Finally, and most importantly, whilst other systems offer the same pre-made packages or modules to all users for specific conditions, MePlusMe is the only system that after every use it offers students a tailored solution to their needs because it addresses symptoms as opposed to diagnosed conditions and links them with specific psychological techniques.…”