As part of the Innovation and Development Seminar within the Computer Science Department, Nicoleta PFEFFER-BARBELA , MSc., founder of citySTILLE Mindfulness Center Vienna, http://www.citystille.com/founder/, will speak on 10.05.2023 / 12:30-13:30 p.m., room C335 a Mindfulness Workshop entitled: Mindful Connections – The Neuroscience & Practice of Mindfulness in Higher Education Context.

In a world where everything moves at an ever-increasing speed, connection with ourselves and those around us is essential. Neuroscientific studies and research in recent years point to the practice of Mindfulness as a valuable tool for anchoring the state of centeredness and conscious presence – the basis of an authentic relationship with oneself and with others, in various contexts. A regular practice leads to the perception of a reduced stress level and the development of the social-emotional skills necessary for connection.

The workshop is composed of a short introduction to the neuroscientific aspects of Mindfulness, forms of use in an academic context followed by practices from the experiential suite Mind & Body Awareness and Mindful Self-Compassion.

INNODES-WORKSHOP Mindful Connections

Some scientific milestones

• The study [1] shows that mindfulness benefits students’ academic performance and can help mitigate the negative effects of anxiety during assessments.
• Study [2] investigates the relationships between mindfulness, self-esteem and academic performance of students. The results obtained show that there are moderate correlations between the studied variables, the use of mindfulness at the academic level can bring substantial benefits to the actors in education: students and teachers.
• The study [3], analyzing the impact of participating in a mindfulness course on the student’s thoughts and emotions, highlighted an increase in the degree of attention that can help the student cope better with stress, improving academic performance and quality of life.
• Article [4] presents a literature study on the use of mindfulness, this practice becoming an effective intervention to alleviate the stress level of educators/teachers, among the effects reported in the studies being the teachers’ general well-being and physical health, respectively emotional regulation and increasing the level of self-compassion.

[1] David B. Bellinger, Marci S. DeCaro, Patricia A.S. Ralston, Mindfulness, anxiety, and high-stakes mathematics performance in the laboratory and classroom, Consciousness and Cognition, Volume 37, 2015, Pages 123-132, ISSN 1053-8100, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2015.09.001.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281684113_Mindfulness_anxiety_and_high-stakes_mathematics_performance_in_the_laboratory_and_classroom

[2] Daniela Popa, Daniela Porumbu, Mindfulness in Higher Education, Journal Plus Education, ISSN: 1842-077X, E-ISSN (online) 2068-1151 Vol XXI (2018), Special Issue. pp. 314-320

[3] de Bruin, E.I., Meppelink, R. & Bögels, S.M. Mindfulness in Higher Education: Awareness and Attention in University Students Increase During and After Participation in a Mindfulness Curriculum Course. Mindfulness 6, 1137–1142 (2015).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-014-0364-5
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282939188_Mindfulness_in_Higher_Education_Awareness_and_Attention_in_University_Students_Increase_During_and_After_Participation_in_a_Mindfulness_Curriculum_Course<

[4] Sleilaty, J. (2022). The Impact of a Regular Mindfulness Practice on Teachers: A Critical Review. Emerging Perspectives: Interdisciplinary Graduate Research in Education and Psychology, 6(1), 33–49. Retrieved from https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/ep/article/view/74938