Keynote Session II

Skills of Engaging and Communicating with Persons with Suspected Mental Health Issues
Speaker: Dr Isaac YIP Pui-lam

Early identification and intervention is important for the recovery of various mental illnesses.  However, it is not uncommon for us to encounter difficulties in engaging and even persuading persons with suspected mental health issues to reveal their distress and to seek professional help.  Some possible reasons behind include a lack of awareness, misunderstandings about mental illness, concerns about stigma, and lack of insight into their mental health issues.  On the other hand, there are lots of common pitfalls when we try to offer them help and support.  In this speech, Dr Yip would cover some important mental health issues that are more common in post-secondary school education context, including Depression, Anxiety, Psychosis, and Substance (including alcohol) Abuse.  He would talk about the salient features of these illnesses, possible reasons for reluctance to treatment, specific skills and common pitfalls in engaging and communicating with them, and skills in persuading them to seek professional help.

Keynote Session I

Mindfulness Practices in Education
Speaker: Professor Shui-fong LAM

In recent years, mindfulness has been attracting a lot of attention from both researchers and educators because of its effectiveness in stress reduction.  The education system in Hong Kong is known for its high pressure on students.  The mental health of students is therefore always a public concern.  In Hong Kong's student population, students who have emotional and behavioral difficulties and cannot adjust to the demand of mainstream schools are the most vulnerable.  While Hong Kong students are under tremendous pressure, Hong Kong teachers are also susceptible to professional stress and its associated psychosomatic illnesses.  In this keynote speech, Professor Lam will give an overview of mindfulness and its application in education.  She will share how mindfulness-based preventive work can be done to promote the health of both students and teachers in Hong Kong.

Concurrent Session I : Workshop

Mindfulness and Self-care Workshop (和學生一起修習靜觀)
導師: 林瑞芳教授

林教授會示範如何和學生共同修習靜觀。全程約一個小時，已有準備好的簡報檔、教師講義、學生工作紙，以及四個靜觀修習的聲音檔案。參與的老師可以把整個小工作坊帶回自己的學校，和學生一同修習靜觀，以靜觀來滋養和照顧自己。示範完結後是答與問的環節，以便梳理和釐清有關的問題和疑慮。

Sharing Session I

Continuous Effort in Building a Positive Campus
Speaker: Ms Olivia JUNG

Continuous efforts are being put in enhancing the mental wellness of students, and in cultivating a caring and positive campus in CUHK.  A variety of measures are implemented to increase students' mental health literacy, to reduce the stigma of mental illness, and to encourage self-monitoring and help-seeking behaviours.  These initiatives include strengthening peer support network, promoting mental wellness through campus-wide events and the enhancement of the physical environment, and to set up a platform, Sunshine@CUHK, for students to access services and information.  Through these initiatives, we aim at fostering an atmosphere of warmth and mutual care.  The details, challenges and future directions of efforts in promoting mental wellness on campus will be discussed during the sharing session.

Sharing Session II

The Study Stress and Difficulties of College Students with SENs (有特殊教育需要大專生的學業壓力及困難)
講者：黃宇昆先生

近年有不少有特殊教育需要的學生陸續接受高等教育。他們在面對高等教育課程的課業要求時，往往會發現更多以往在中學時未曾面對過的學習困難，從而帶來不同程度的壓力和精神困擾。此講座將列出不同學生的案例，讓聽眾了解各類特殊教育需要學生的困難，及在各案例的處理方法。

Concurrent Session II : Workshop

Pastel Nagomi Art Experiential Workshop (和諧粉彩體驗工作坊)
導師：羅穎欣姑娘

日本和諧粉彩藝術由細谷先生 (Mr HOSOYA Norikatsu) 創辦，是以手指調和粉彩而 成的藝術畫作，創作手法簡單而獨特，讓參加者較容易進入「靜心」的狀態，有效減低日常壓力。

Paper Presentation I

The Effect and Potential of E-Learning in Catering to Post-secondary ESL Students’ Affective Needs – A Sharing by a Team of English Teachers

Authors: YEUNG Yuen Lam Melissa, KWOK Wing Yan Dorothy, CHENG Hiu Man Heidi & CHAN Tsz Wai Peter

             Li Ka Shing School of Professional and Continuing Education, The Open University of Hong Kong

The paper is a sharing and reflection of four ESL teachers discussing how e-learning, namely virtual lessons enabled by video conferencing technology and teacher-student interaction via social media, could better cater to ESL students’ affective needs, specifically by lowering their affective filter (Krashen, 1985) and language anxiety (Horwitz et al.,1986). Throughout the 10-week period of online learning, e-platforms such as Zoom Video Communications, Google Meet and WhatsApp were exploited to facilitate teaching for approximately 150 ESL students, among whom were a mix of local and non-Chinese students at Higher Diploma level at our institute. Given the lower level of formality of e-communication as compared to conventional classroom settings, students exhibited stronger initiative in communicating with their teachers and peers in English, leading to better emotional literacy and closer teacher-student relation beyond the classroom. Contrary to the relatively rigid textbook content, students were observed to be more motivated to engage themselves in discussions that came forth spontaneously during online sessions, i.e. natural discourses that were produced in a genuine setting and used to perform a variety of speech acts (Searle, 1983). Our paper, however, does not negate the essentiality of face-to-face teaching and learning. It concludes by suggesting ways to enhance task design and meaningfulness for ESL learners as the challenge of sustaining their motivation and self-direction is present in both online and face-to-face instruction.

Keywords
ESL; language anxiety; e-learning; e-communication; student engagement

Paper Presentation I

Associate Degree Students’ Growth Mindset, Sense of Well-being and Academic Engagement: An Exploratory Study

Authors: LEE Wing Sze Wincy MAN Ka Yin Sandy

             The Education University of Hong Kong

             MAN Ka Yin Sandy

             College of Professional and Continuing Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Quality learning environment goes beyond only focusing on students’ academic achievement. Lately, mindsets and well-being of students come to the fore of research agenda and attract burgeoning interests. Growth mindset (Dweck, 2016) and well-being (2014) of students were measured in the latest PISA alongside other aptitude tests and other items concerning learning environments (OECD, 2018). Growth mindset is important, as it was found to predict better learning strategies used, better self-efficacy, less fear towards failure, and better value of school.

PISA focused on measuring students of 15 years old, yet, charting their mindset and well-being beyond that was less systematic and sparse. Furthermore, from previous studies, it has been shown that associate degree students were more prone to self-deprecation upon the head-on failing experience from the public examination (Lee, 2019; Wong, 2018). The objective of the present study was to examine the relationships of students’ mindset (growth vs. fixed), their level of grit (interest and effort), their sense of well-being (environmental mastery, personal growth, self-acceptance); and academic engagements (including also positive and negative emotions) in a group of associate degree students in Hong Kong. A total of 169 students aged between 17 to 19, from a community college in Hong Kong, participated the study voluntarily. Instruments was compiled to measure mindset, well-being and academic engagement correspondingly and administered during the lesson of an elective psychology course. All scales demonstrated satisfactory reliability, and correlational analysis showed that growth mindset yielded a more consistent pattern of positive associations with well-being and academic engagement than fixed mindset. Implication of instilling growth mindset both at class-level and institute-level will be discussed. Specific recommendations will also be made in context of self-financed two-year curriculum spaced program.

Paper Presentation I

Stressors and Psychological Distress under Covid-19 Pandemic: The Use of Music as a Coping Strategy

Authors: WONG Wik Ki & KONG Siu Hang

             Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, Vocational Training Council

Given the worldwide spread of COVID-19, the resulting natural and growing feelings of stress are negatively impacting present-day life. Music has often been seen as a universal stress coping strategy. With our way of living more restricted under the current lockdown status, listening to music can play a prominent role in soothing our emotions and tensions. The present study thus investigates music as a coping strategy for mitigating the psychological distress related to social factors and musical meaning for pre-service kindergarten teachers in Hong Kong. Specifically, the stressors of teaching, psychological distress, and the coping strategies of a sample of 198 Hong Kong pre-service kindergarten teachers were assessed. Three psychometric questionnaires were used: The Inventory of College Students’ Recent Life Experiences (ICSRLE), Music Listening Regulation Scales (MLRS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Multiple regressions supported the linear composite of the predictor variables of stressors. In particular, time pressure, general social mistreatment, academic alienation, and developmental challenge, were significant predictors of anxiety (F(4,197) =35.842, p<.0001, R²=.426) and depression (F(4,197)=35.842, p<.0001, R²=.403). Moderation analysis showed that the use of music was a significant moderator of the predictive relationship between the stressors for anxiety (β=-0.3048, SE=0.661, p<0.001) and depression (β=-0.2628, SE=0.566, p<0.001). Further still, consistent with the ‘integration’ hypothesis of a song, positive lyrics may produce subtle changes on the positive effect of that music on distress and anxiety, and particularly, the lyrics may lessen the moderation effect of a musical element. This study thus suggests that listening to music has a prominent moderating effect on psychological distress; while the implicit or explicit musical meaning of music, in terms of social factors, and as perceived by the audience can play a role in determining that moderating effects of that music.

Keywords
Pressure; mental health; stress; adolescents; music listening

Paper Presentation II

Vocational Identity, Career Support and Subsequent Psychological Adjustment among Sub-degree Students in Hong Kong

Authors: Raysen CHEUNG & LAU Hin Long

             Hong Kong Shue Yan University

             Qiuping JIN

             Renmin University of China

Career development is more than getting a job, and inseparable from the development of the whole person (e.g., Richardson, 1993). For tertiary students, identification with a career choice is likely associated with a sense of direction and better psychological adjustment. However, research about this relationship is lacking, limited to a cross sectional designs in the West (e.g., Lannegrand-Willems et al., 2016). Moreover, in the process of career development, students tend to build supportive relationships, which might also facilitate personal adjustment, thought such proposition yet to be confirmed by research. This is a first initiative to examine the respective impacts of vocational identity and career support on subsequent psychological adjustment via longitudinal data in Hong Kong. It also addresses a current issue in Hong Kong about facilitating career development and psychological adjustment of sub-degree students in a changing environment with career uncertainties.

The longitudinal sample of this study consisted about 360 final year sub-degree students from 6 self-financing institutions in Hong Kong, covering different disciplines of study. The participants responded to an online survey in the winter semester in 2019 and again in the Spring semester in 2020, with an interval about four months. The Time 1 questionnaire was about vocational identity (Holland, Daiger & Power, 1980), career support (Cheung & Arnold, 2014) and demographic information, and Time 2 questionnaire about different indicators psychological adjustment, inclusive of life satisfaction (Diener et al., 1985), hope (Snyder et al., 1991), depression and anxiety (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995).

With regression models built for each aspect of psychological adjustment controlling for demographic factors, we established vocational identity and career support respectively as significant predictors on subsequent psychological adjustment. The two predictors together accounted for about 23 % of the variance of agency hope and 18% of life satisfaction, and they were negatively related to both depression and anxiety. The results demonstrated the role of the career variables on subsequent psychological adjustment as relating to higher levels of hope, life satisfaction and lower levels of depression and anxiety. We infer about the impact of the career variables in enhancing agency and building resources to cope with uncertainties and challenges. Implications in student services in tertiary education, especially in promoting student whole person development, are discussed.

Paper Presentation II

Does Self-help Intervention Help Undergraduate Students in Hong Kong to Increase Psychological Well-being and Reduce Depression Symptoms

Authors: Hotinpo KANAGAWA & LAU Hi Po, Bobo

             Hong Kong Shue Yan University

An increasing number of studies indicates that positive psychological interventions may enhance mental wellness for both clinical and non-clinical populations. The current work compared the efficacy of Self-Help Interpersonal Gratitude Letter Intervention (Gratitude) and Self-Help Goal-Setting and Planning Intervention (GAP) in decreasing depressive symptoms and increasing multidimensional well-being of Hong Kong undergraduates. Seventy-nine students participated in a four-week randomized control trial with three arms (Gratitude vs GAP vs control). Participants were randomly allocated to either the Interpersonal Gratitude Letter Group (gratitude group), Goal-Setting and Planning Group (GAP group) or Food Diary Group (wait-list control group). All groups were asked to complete a set of well-being ( The Body-Mind-Spirit Well-Being Inventory (BMSWBS) Chinese Version) and depression (The Chinese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)) measures, and demographic questionnaire before the intervention (Time 1/Pre). Both the intervention and control group finished this study within three weeks. During the intervention, participants received WhatsApp reminders throughout the three weeks about their assignment and were required to complete their task through google surveys. Post-intervention (Time 2/Post), post-questionnaire has been completed within one week of the completion of the intervention. 3 (group) x 2 (time) repeated measures ANOVAs were used to explore the interaction effects between time and group. Upon obtaining significant interaction effects, pair-sample t-tests were conducted to scrutinize the change of scores across time in each group. Cohen’s d was used to denote the magnitude of intra-group changes in scores. Results show that participants in both positive psychological interventions experienced significant decreases in depressive symptoms. Despite the ongoing social unrest and the global pandemic, the result from the research shows that the participants in the Gratitude condition also had significantly decreased physical distress (p<0.016), and increased total affect (p<0.05) and positive affect(p<0.05), while daily functioning in participants in GAP significantly increased (p<0.016). The findings corroborate those of previous studies such that self-help intervention might have reduced depressive symptoms and enhanced functioning, despite the unstable social environment during the period of data collection. Implications on supporting mental wellness of undergraduates with low-dose, self-help interventions are discussed.

Paper Presentation II

The Role of Perceived Stress and Resilience in Occupational Identity Formation among Hong Kong Post-secondary Students

Authors: Sam S S LAU & Kelvin WA

             School of Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University

Purpose of the study
In the last few decades, there has been a tremendous surge of interest in the relationship between student academic success, adult career success, and personal resilience in the development field. Resilience has been widely examined for explaining outcomes in different developmental milestones. However, little research has been done on the effects of resilience during students’ stressful academic transition as well as the difficulties in making career decisions in Hong Kong. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of students’ resilience on their occupational identity formation subject to a multi-level of stress. Occupational identity formation is one of the ideas proposed by Marcia’s identity status theory. There are four unique developmental identities. They are identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, identity moratorium, and identity achievement. Each stage contains different values, belief and life-goal toward one’s career exploration and commitment.

Method
The current study adopted an observational study design. 853 freshmen completed a survey at the orientation days at a university in Hong Kong on their perceived stress, resilience, and career identity. The freshmen were classified into 3 groups, namely High Resilience with Low Stress (HRLS, N= 209), Low Resilience with High Stress (LRHS, N= 206), and High Resilience with High Stress (HRHS, N= 438) using cluster analysis.

Results
Analysis of variance indicated significant differences in identity achievement, F (2, 402.04) = 6.78, p = .001), identity moratorium, F (2, 850) = 25.99, p = .000, and identity diffusion, F (2, 399.82) = 3.10, p = .046). Although the HRLS group yielded the best effect and the LRHS group the worst in all pairs, no significant difference was found between LRHS and HRHS groups in identity diffusion. In summary, the findings revealed that: 1.) the stress levels only affect the identity achievement when an individual having similar resilience level; 2.) the stress levels might somewhat reflect the distress feelings of students when they were experiencing the moratorium and diffusion stages; 3.) no variances were found when the students are experiencing in the foreclosure stage with a multi-level of stress and resilience.

Conclusions & Implications
This study enhances the previous studies’ findings by providing a more detailed examination of the effect of resilience and stress levels on students’ career awareness. It contributes to the explanation of the dynamic relationship between resilience and perceived stress in the examination of occupational identity among youth learners. Enhancing students’ resilience may be a respectable way to foster students’ career identity especially when the students are both not making commitment and exploration to their career. However, the neglect of identifying students’ stressors might alter the development of identity construction among youth learners.

Keywords
Occupational identity formation, resilience, perceived stress, freshmen, higher education

Paper Presentation III

A Holistic Curriculum: Integrating Mindfulness Practices in Teacher Education

Authors: Samman, Hang-lai LEE, Ruoyu WEN & Yan CHAN

             Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education

Mindfulness, as a psychological construct, is characterized by an increased level of attention and awareness to unfolding experience, with a non-judgemental attitude (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). This contemplative practice has been developed into therapeutic interventions in treating depression and anxiety (Grossman & Van Dam, 2011). Neuroscience research further illustrates powerful clinical evidence of mindfulness practices on the human body, with biological specimen’s readings and visual images of the brain structure under MRI; mindfulness-based interventions are empirically evidenced to be effective in reducing stress, depression, anxiety disorder, improving health, and social emotional skills, such as resilient, compassion (Didonna, 2009; Hölzel et. al., 2011; Wielgosz et. al., 2019).

There is an increasing interest to apply mindfulness-based practices in an educational setting (Davidson et. al., 2012). A meta-study conducted by Lomas et. al. (2017) analysed 19 quantitative research to explore the impacts of mindfulness-based intervention on educators; it was found to be positively correlated to desirable socio-emotional qualities, empathy and compassion, emotional intelligence and regulation, well-being and satisfaction, to name a few. Hence, it is worth looking at integrating mindfulness practices in teacher education.

This presentation shares an attempt to integrate mindfulness-based practices in teaching and learning of a teacher education College, with a view to cultivating wellbeing and holistic development of early-childhood-educators-to-be. It also shares how students have been supported by regular wellbeing tips during the pandemic threat.

Paper Presentation III

Addressing the Affective Outcomes in Nursing Higher Education: The Association between Resilience, Perceived Stress and Career Awareness

Authors: Sam S S LAU & Kelvin WAN

             School of Continuing Education,Hong Kong Baptist University

Purpose of the study
Evidence from previous studies demonstrated the effects of affective outcomes such as resilience, and professional identity are beneficial to improve job burnout rate and reduce the likelihood of medical malpractice among healthcare professionals. While the institutions nowadays keep refining their clinical training for students, there are also strong wishes to offer psychological supervision for professional-in-training before they enter the labor market particularly during the pandemic of COVID-19. This study aims to investigate the early relationship between perceived stress, career anxiety, resilience, and occupational identity among freshmen in nursing education field.

Method
This study adopted a cross-sectional observational design. A total of 131 nursing freshmen from the intakes of 2019/20 and 2020/21 was invited to complete a questionnaire to report their Perceived Stress, Resilience, Career Anxiety, and Occupational Identity at the orientation days at a university in Hong Kong. A path model was built for examining the associations.

Results
The path model revealed an excellent fit (χ2 = 10.503, df = 10, p = .398, GFI = .979, AGFI = .941, CFI = .998, IFI = .998, RMSEA = 0.020, SRMR = 0.041). The effects of Resilience (γ = -.291, t = -3.119, p < .01), and the effects of Perceived Stress (γ = .267, t = 2.865, p < .01) significantly predicted Career Anxiety. Career Anxiety contributed significant direct effects on Identity Achievement (β = -.447, t = -5.413, p < .0001), Identity Moratorium (β = .479, t = 6.619, p < .0001) and Identity Diffusion (β = .304, t = 3.822, p < .0001). Resilience and Perceived Stress also contributed to small indirect effects on Identity Achievement and Identity Moratorium.

Conclusions & Implications
The findings revealed that Career anxiety, Perceived Stress, and Resilience are the influences to articulate students’ occupational identities. Apart from educating students with the necessary clinical skills, practitioners should consider enhancing students’ resilience, as well as reducing their career anxiety for fostering a positive professional identity. It is expected that a nurse equipping with professional identity could therefore build up a positive work-engagement and intrapersonal development for maintaining high-quality care to patients with positive values and life goals. Future study investigating how early education on resilience, stress management, and professional identity formation affect students’ burnout rate and performance during clinical practicum is warranted.

Keywords
Occupational identity, perceived stress, resilience, career anxiety, nursing education

Paper Presentation III

Enhancing Holistic Well-being of Students in an Institute of Tertiary Education: Effectiveness of Body-mind-spirit Workshops

Authors: NG Hoi Nga & Kam Weng BOEY

             Caritas Institute of Higher Education

Body-mind-spirit (BMS) model of intervention proposes that an equilibrium of body (physical states), mind (emotion and social relationships), and spirit (life values and philosophies) is essential for holistic well-being. The intervention integrates clinical practices from the East and West, with an emphasis on the balance of body, mind, and spirit. Previous studies indicated that BMS model of intervention was efficacious in enhancing resilience and mental health status of patients in clinical settings. It was also effective in reducing stress experienced by divorced women, infertile couples, trauma survivors, and children with post-traumatic stress disorder.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of BMS model of intervention in promoting holistic well-being of tertiary education students. Participants were students of an institute of self-funded tertiary education in Hong Kong. Evaluation of outcome was assessed by Holistic Well-being Scale which consisted of 30 items measuring equanimity (i.e., nonattachment, general vitality, mindful awareness, and spiritual self-care) and affliction (i.e., emotional vulnerability, bodily irritability, and spiritual disorientation). Five workshops were organized, with each workshop lasted for two days. The workshop involved bodily exercises, meditation, relaxation, singing, drawing, letter writing, sharing of experience, etc. These activities were structured in 4 sessions: Session 1 (Awareness of self and others) aimed to foster mindful awareness and spiritual self-care; Session 2 (Discovering inner self) was organized to enhance general vitality and spiritual orientation; Session 3 (Love, care, and forgiveness) aimed to cultivate nonattachment and resolve emotional afflictions; and Session 4 (Transformation and preparation for the future) was arranged for self-affirmation and body-mind-spirit integration.

The intervention group consisted of 67 students (age = 21.4±2.0, 34.3% males), with 12 to 15 students participated in each workshop. Another 64 students (age = 22.1±3.7, 40.3% males) served as a comparison group. Results indicated that students participated in the workshop showed significant enhancement of equanimity in nonattachment, general vitality, mindful awareness, and spiritual self-care. They also experienced a lessening of affliction, with significant decline in emotional vulnerability, bodily irritability, and spiritual disorientation. No significant improvement was observed in the comparison group. Effectiveness of BMS workshop in promoting holistic well-being of tertiary education students was empirically demonstrated.

Keywords
Body-mind-spirit intervention; holistic well-being; tertiary education students

Paper Presentation IV

How Hackathon and Industrial Attachment Program Build-up Confidence Level for Technical Students?

Authors: Peter Chun Yu YAU

             School of Continuing and Professional Education, City University of Hong Kong

             Kar Ho Ejoe TSO

             Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, Vocational Training Council

             Ho Wing KAN

             Clixells Research

Studies revealed that confidence level is one of the critical elements to building up a person’s career professional, it is found that more extra-curricular activities related to career achievement are getting popular in the school education. Under the trend of global innovations, the hackathon activity is becoming popular around the world: it is a team-building computer science event with a particular problem-solving theme, which allows participants to brainstorm together and work out a solution in a limited time agenda. The educational experts named these kinds of activities to be creative, innovative, group collaboration, and problem-solving training based nature. Such activities are believed to successfully build up the confidence level for students to create a positive emotional status, towards their personal life and career goal.

From the works of literature, we found that similar researches were done in the past, especially in the field of the medical area, to examine how the training programs in the school can facilitate students create their emotional and mental wellbeing, as a part of the whole person development in a lifetime. Factors such as positive self-esteem and good communication skills are essential to the student when building their confidence level in the science training program, preliminary results match findings from other scholars.



In this research, the authors investigated how such an event can be built up the confidence level for a group of higher diploma students, by doing surveys and in-depth interviews by using structural equation modelling (SEM) and the Trust, Confidence and Cooperation (TCC) model: 30 students took part in the “You can code - SDG Asia Innotech Challenge 2020”, was invited to participate in the research survey; two students were invited for an in-depth 40 minutes interview, who joined in a year-long industrial attachment program for academia-research collaboration in their final year study, to better understand how such activity build up their confidence level in the further study and future career prospects. This study suggested a positive influence behavior can be impacted to those students who joined similar kinds of activities, 84% of the interviewees responded to have an increase in their confidence level for their future career, which compared to around 42% increase in the confidence level for those who never joined participated in the similar events.

Paper Presentation IV

Enhancing Psychological Well-being of Students via Positive Psychology – The Implementation and Evaluation of a Newly-developed Course for Associate Degree Students in Hong Kong

Authors: Danny LAM & Josephine YAU

             College of International Education, Hong Kong Baptist University

In the past, counselling centers at universities adopted the pathological model and the service therefore focused on providing remedial help such as psychotherapy which aimed at attenuating symptoms. In a landmark paper published in 2000, Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentimihalyi argued that “the exclusive focus on pathology that has dominated so much of our discipline results in a model of the human being lacking the positive features that make life worth living.”

In this presentation, a recently developed course entitled “Psychology of Happiness” based on empirical findings on Positive Psychology will be introduced and some preliminary findings will be presented. This course is a credit-bearing course lasts for 13 weeks and it covers topics such as the neuroscience of happiness, flow, money, religion, gratitude and mindfulness, to name a few. The purpose of this course is not only to introduce students to topics in Positive Psychology, but also to show them how empirical evidence from research can advise our lifestyle and life choices, and in the end enhance their well-being. A mindfulness training is also embedded in this course and the immediate effect of mindfulness was measured and some initial findings will be shown in this presentation. Previous studies have shown that participation in a positive psychology course could enhance happiness, life satisfaction, life purpose and reduce stress (Goodman et al., 2016; Maybury, 2013). To investigate whether the course has similar effects on Hong Kong students, well-established research instruments in Positive Psychology including Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and Positive and Negative Affectivity Scale (PANAS) were administered in the beginning and in the end of the semester for a few cohorts of Psychology students taking this course, using a quasi-experimental single-group pretest-posttest design. In addition, qualitative feedback was collected in the last lesson to provide a fuller picture of the effectiveness of the course. The initial results indicate that the happiness level of students in this course increased significantly in semester end, providing an empirical justification for tertiary institutions to develop similar courses in Positive Psychology to benefit their own students in the future.

Paper Presentation IV

Understanding the Text Emotion of Students Using Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Authors: Thomas Wai-kee YUEN & Winnie Wan-ling CHU

             Hong Kong Shue Yan University

To improve student’s wellbeing, it is essential to understand the emotion of the students. Psychologists have developed a lot of scientific method to identify emotions such as eye tracking, skin conductance, brain activity, heart rate monitor and facial expressions. However, most of the teachers are not psychologists. Teachers can only detect the emotions of students with their own experience by observing students’ behavior in the class. With online (ZOOM) class, it is difficult for teachers to detect any emotion issue of students, especially when teachers are busy doing their teaching and operating the computer. In this paper, I would like to share my experience of using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect the text emotion of my students in a class of 30 students. I developed a python programme using three Natural language processing (NLP) packages to detect the text emotions. Natural language processing (NLP) is a branch of Artificial intelligence (AI), NLP makes it possible for the use of computers to extract keywords and phrases, understand the intent of language, which allows the computer to calculate the emotion of the texts. The three python packages used are TEXT2EMOTION, TEXTBLOB and VADER. Text2emotion provides 5 emotional information of happy, angry, surprise, sad and fear. Textblob returns polarity of positive or negative of the statement. In addition, textblob also provides the information about the subjectivity of the statement. VADER is a rule base sentiment analysis generating the percentage of negative, neutral, and positive sentiment.

The AI reported that students are positive and happy even most of the classes are carrying online. However, the AI also identified a few percentages of negative sentiment, emotion of fear, and sad. Year one students were worrying about the new university life. For year two students, they felt sad because, they only had 3 months of university life in the last year and they were worrying about the possibility of not able to resume normal university life for next few years. Additionally, it is found that the relative change of the reported AI sentiment tends to be more useful than the absolute value, since the text structure for every student is different from each other.

The world is progressing too fast, our experience is getting outdated and turns out to be a misleading subjective perception. Teachers need a tool to give them a second opinion to help them to identify the sentiment of students. AI seems to be the useful tool.