Enhancing student wellbeing and goal setting with cechat
John Therry Catholic College (JTCC) was the first secondary school in Australia where students actively engaged with cechat, an innovative AI solution for Catholic schools. At JTCC, cechat has been implemented in unique ways to address specific challenges within the college environment, moving beyond direct academic support. A key application developed to foster holistic student support is the JT Pride Coach, a specialised cechat agent designed to facilitate thoughtful and helpful conversations with students, focusing on their wellbeing and goal-setting beyond just academic learning.
The challenge: Supporting holistic student wellbeing beyond academics
A significant challenge identified for schools was to envision how Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be utilised to support students beyond purely academic learning. The primary focus was on fostering thoughtful and helpful conversations with students and exploring how AI could assist with setting student goals.
The cechat solution: The JT Pride Coach
Hamish Jefferys, Leader of Library and Educational Technology at JTCC, introduced the JT Pride Coach as a cechat solution for student wellbeing. This agent is designed to facilitate thoughtful and helpful conversations with students, extending beyond academic learning. It provides strategies to minimise phone distractions and suggests ways to create a better study environment. Additionally, the JT Pride Coach engages students in reflecting on their wellbeing, posing questions about their current focus, how they are feeling, and assisting them in identifying strategies to overcome stress.
Impact and benefits
The implementation of the JT Pride Coach at John Therry Catholic College has resulted in several positive impacts and benefits:
Proactive student wellbeing support: The JT Pride Coach provides a new avenue for supporting student wellbeing. It offers actionable strategies for students to manage distractions and improve their study environment, contributing to a more holistic approach to student support.
Fostering self-reflection and practical advice: By engaging students in self-reflection and offering practical advice, cechat helps to foster thoughtful conversations about personal goals and challenges.
Increased efficiency and support for staff: Leveraging cechat for wellbeing guidance can potentially save staff time, allowing them to direct their focus to more complex or individualised needs.
The creative use cases of cechat at JTCC, and within Catholic education more broadly, represent an ongoing journey as schools continue to refine and discover new ways the tool can support learning and teaching.
Let’s chat cechat with Hamish Jefferys