Kooloobong Village:Positive Education for the Tertiary Sector

A/Prof Lindsay G. OadesCentre for Positive Psychology, MGSE

University of Melbourne

Consultancy started back here

Overview

AIM: To provide a rich organisational case study to understand the application of positive

psychology and positive education within a positive institution.

• Introduction to Kooloobong Village (KBV)• The idea of a “positive residence”• The “five enablers” underpinning the Live Out

Loud Program• The evaluation process

KBV is a 553-bed student residential community located on the main campus of University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia.

After undergoing an expansion from 200 beds in 2013, the name ‘Kooloobong Village’ was adopted and a commitment made to run the facility as a “positive residence”.

A further 350 bed expansion is being planned.

Resident student leaders are employed to assist other student residents.

High levels of student involvement in operations

Over 30 nations represented

A sense of student living

Positive Residence

Positive Psychology

Positive Organisation

Positive Education

What is Positive Education? (Learning Well)Positive Education is the development of educational environments that enable the learner to engage in established curricula in addition to knowledge and skills to develop their own and others' wellbeing.

What is a Positive Organisation? (Managing Well)A Positive Organisation is one who's leadership and management seek to enhance the use of strengths, positive communication, positive emotions and positive relationships of all those associated with the organisation. Positive institutions facilitate the development and display of positive traits, which in turn facilitate positive subjective experience (Stansbury & Soneshein, 2012).

What is Positive Psychology? (Being Well)Positive psychology is the science of optimal human functioning. It seeks to examine what is right rather than what is wrong. The applications of this science seek to improve people's wellbeing, both feeling good and functioning well.

Key influences

The “Live Out Loud”Program

Kookaburra as the Patron bird

Kookaburra podium

“To provide an integrated framework to promote wellbeing in multiple contexts, based on evidence”.

The Wheel of Wellbeing

BodyMindSpiritPeoplePlacePlanet

www.wheelofwellbeing.org

Wheel of Wellbeing

Tree banding

Implicit and Explicit

“To create a growth based coaching culture”

Training in coaching at KBV• Cascade model- i.e. Managers and student leaders trained in coaching,

with view to ultimately develop a “coaching culture”• Principles of Positive Psychology Coaching and Strengths Coaching• Training includes

• Boundaries and the fundamental perspectives of coaching• Listening skills and questioning skills• GROW• Roles of Reflection in Coaching:

• For the coachee• For the coach

• Supervision / Problem Solving• Positive Psychology and Coaching• Kooloobong Village Context – Challenges for Coaching• Intercultural Context

Adapted to develop

Wellbeing Effectiveness

Indicator Questionnaire

for all activity planning

“To provide wellbeing promoting social activities”

“To enable all to use and spot strengths”

Know, Use and Spot Strengths in Others

• Having a positive view of oneself (& others) is a cornerstone of wellbeing

• The identification and use of strengths is one way to cultivate this (in oneself & others)

• Residential life offers a unique opportunity to enhance strengths (e.g. via “strengths spotting” exercises)

• KBV offers all new residents the opportunity to complete the Realise2 and be debriefed by an accredited practitioner

• Strengths spotting is built into the student leader and resident activities

• All student leader applicants complete a Realise2 as part of their application and discuss it during interview

• Interpretation of university discipline protocols are done within a strengths framework

BeIntentPiloted for tertiary sector and smartphone use at KBV

“Assisted self regulation”

“To enable people to regulate themselves”

International Advisory Committee

• Dr Afroze Anjum (Canada) - visited 2013

• Tony Coggins (UK) - visited January 2014 + February 2015.

• Dr Aaron Jarden (NZ) - to visit 2015• Ms Sue Langley (Aus)- visited

November 2013.• Dr Christopher Niemiec (USA) –

visited March 2013 + June 2014• Dr Christian van Nieuwerburgh

(UK) - visited 2013• Dr Tayyab Rashid (Canada) - visited

2013• Dr Steve Zollezzi (Australia) -

visited 2013

International Program Advisory Team

KBV program logic

• A program logic sets out what a project will do and how it will do it• For KBV this is akin to the residence’s theory of change• Organised around the goal of creating “a comprehensive and

sustainable program which promotes and enables lifelong wellbeing for all people connected to KBV”

• Considers inputs, outputs (activities & participants), & desired outcomes (across 3 years)

What is the most significant personal change that has happened for you while at KBV?

Forthcoming Publication

Forthcoming Publication

Oades, L.G. & Spence, G.B. (in press). Kooloobong Village: Positive Tertiary Education. In Slade M, Oades L, Jarden A (eds) Wellbeing,

recovery and mental health, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

For Further Information on KBV detailsContact Jodie Lawer on jlawer@uow.edu.au