Mixed Reality Simulations

Author(s):  
Kristin M. Murphy ◽  
Amy L. Cook

Implementing a curriculum that supports students' social-emotional development alongside academics is essential. Social-emotional learning (SEL) promotes positive outcomes across social and emotional skills, attitudes towards self and others, positive social behavior, conduct problems, emotional distress, and academic performance. In spite of what research tells us and what we as educators know intuitively through our practice, social and emotional development has long been known to many as a missing link in U.S. public schools. Teachers' concerns include whether they have the time, resources, and access to professional learning necessary to implement high quality SEL instruction, particularly in light of academic content instruction pressures. This chapter discusses the application of mixed reality simulations as a next generation digital tool that offers active learning opportunities in social-emotional learning in conjunction with dialogic reading sessions to foster social-emotional competencies and literacy.

Recent polls report a trend that school violence is steadily continuing in middle and high schools. Concurrently, schools are filled with students who cannot function academically and socially due to challenging home lives. Recognizing that social and emotional development in young adolescents is essential to academic success, educators are learning how to address these issues through social-emotional learning (SEL). The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, or CASEL, outlines components of SEL that children and youth need to understand and manage their own emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy toward others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible life decisions. Findings note that schools that employ SEL have better academic performance as well as fewer disciplinary incidents.


2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (14) ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
Julie A. Marsh ◽  
Kate Kennedy

Background/Context Researchers have amassed considerable evidence on the use of student performance data (e.g., benchmark and standardized state tests) to inform educational improvement, but few have examined the use of nonacademic indicators (e.g., indicators of social and emotional well-being) available to educators, and whether the factors shaping academic data use remain true for these newer types of data. While the field continues to advocate for greater attention to the social–emotional development of students, there remains little guidance on conditions supporting the use of data on these important mindsets, dispositions, beliefs, and behaviors. Purpose/Focus of the Study In this article, we use sensemaking theory, prior research on academic data use, and research from a study of “early adopter” California districts to develop a framework for understanding conditions likely to shape educators’ use of social–emotional learning (SEL) indicators to inform practice. Research Design We develop our findings and framework by drawing on prior research and theory, as well as data from a multiyear research–practice partnership with a consortium of California districts that began measuring SEL as part of the No Child Left Behind waiver they received from the U.S. Department of Education. We draw on more than 125 interviews with consortium leaders, central office administrators, leaders, teachers, and staff in 25 schools and six districts to understand how they made sense of SEL and SEL survey data, as well as the practices employed to support SEL. Findings We find that five categories of conditions appear to shape how educators interpret and respond to SEL indicators: policy context, organizational conditions, interpersonal relationships and interactions, data user characteristics, and data properties. Much like academic data use, we find: (1) the accountability policy context can convey a sense of importance, but may also lead to distortive responses; (2) district and school leaders are critical for allocating time and staff, and cultivating a data culture; (3) collaboration facilitates sensemaking; (4) individual-level knowledge and beliefs can shape interpretation; and (5) timeliness and perceived relevance of data matter. Some of these conditions, however, are uniquely relevant to the use of SEL data, which brings greater ambiguity, uncertainty, and a decoupling from the traditional academic role of educators. We find that including SEL indicators in multiple measure systems can lead to uncertainty and interpretive complexity, and divide educators’ attention. Deficit conceptions may also shape sensemaking and are especially germane in the SEL context given documented gaps by race/ethnicity on measures of SEL. Another condition especially relevant to SEL indicator usage is the lack of coherence or clarity around SEL. The frequent misunderstandings of and disagreement about SEL—sometimes shaped by disciplinary background—could lead to different interpretations and responses. All of these conditions suggest that sensemaking and response to SEL data indicators are complex processes that require multiple enabling factors. Conclusions and Implications Given the significant investments in supporting and measuring student social-emotional development, it behooves policymakers, education leaders and practitioners to better understand the conditions facilitating and inhibiting productive use of SEL indicators. The framework provided herein presents a set of concepts and conditions that may be useful in supporting this process. The findings also raise a cautionary flag that while sometimes consistent with the process of using academic data, the use of SEL indicators may present added challenges worthy of attention. We conclude with implications for policy, practice, and research. Notably, education leaders and practitioners may want to invest in building common understanding of SEL and capacity to interpret and act on these indicators, and consider how equity orientations shape understanding and usage of SEL indicators. Policymakers may want to consider more formative uses of SEL data that are provided to educators earlier in the year, and attend to the human capital needs that accompany SEL data usage. Finally, researchers might build on this work by further examining the relationship between SEL and culture/climate and the ways in which educators respond to data on both, and also investigate the outcomes of SEL data usage, such as actions that lead to meaningful improvements in SEL.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geok Har Yong ◽  
Mei-Hua Lin ◽  
Teck Hock Toh ◽  
Nigel V. Marsh

Abstract Background: There has been growing interest in the social-emotional development of children. However, the social-emotional development of children in Asia remains a knowledge gap. This systematic review identifies and summarises existing studies on the social-emotional development of children in Asia. Method: We conducted a systematic review using the Guidelines for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA). This review included primary social-emotional development studies conducted in Asia and published in English. The study findings were entered into Microsoft Excel, and data were summarized quantitatively and thematically. Results: We reviewed 45 studies that met the inclusion criteria, and they were from 12 Asian countries, mostly the East Asia region (China and Hong Kong). Most of the studies were cross-sectional in design (n = 23, 51.1%). The majority of the studies focused on overall social-emotional development (n = 24, 53.3%), followed by social competence (n = 7, 15.6%), emotional development (n = 5, 11.1%), social-emotional learning (n = 3, 6.7%), problem behaviour (n = 3, 6.7%), self-regulation (n = 2, 4.4%), and 1 study (2.2%) focused on both social-emotional learning and problem behaviour. We did not perform the meta-analysis as the study findings were of heterogeneity.Conclusions: Studies on children’s social-emotional development in Asia are limited and mainly from the East Asia region. More diverse cultural studies on the social-emotional functioning of children in Asia are needed to understand children’s social-emotional development in Asia. Finally, parent and teacher knowledge on children’s social-emotional development should also be examined more closely. Systematic review registration: The protocol for this review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021238826).


2021 ◽  
pp. 153450842098452
Author(s):  
Christopher L. Thomas ◽  
Staci M. Zolkoski ◽  
Sarah M. Sass

Educators and educational support staff are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of systematic efforts to support students’ social and emotional growth. Logically, the success of social-emotional learning programs depends upon the ability of educators to assess student’s ability to process and utilize social-emotional information and use data to guide programmatic revisions. Therefore, the purpose of the current examination was to provide evidence of the structural validity of the Social-Emotional Learning Scale (SELS), a freely available measure of social-emotional learning, within Grades 6 to 12. Students ( N = 289, 48% female, 43.35% male, 61% Caucasian) completed the SELS and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analyses of the SELS failed to support a multidimensional factor structure identified in prior investigations. The results of an exploratory factor analysis suggest a reduced 16-item version of the SELS captures a unidimensional social-emotional construct. Furthermore, our results provide evidence of the internal consistency and concurrent validity of the reduced-length version of the instrument. Our discussion highlights the implications of the findings to social and emotional learning educational efforts and promoting evidence-based practice.


2021 ◽  
pp. 45-47
Author(s):  
Jayashree Das ◽  
Soumitra Ghosh

Adolescence is a challenging and dynamic period due to hormonal, physical, emotional, cognitive and social changes. Aggression in any form, if present or its manifestations is linked to various psychosocial maladjustments or mental disorders and is negatively associated with pro social behavior and adaptive social functioning, especially during adolescence. It may also be a red ag sign for development of mental disorders. It has been reported in many studies throughout the world that, aggressive behaviors are common in schools. One factor that buffers against aggression during adolescence is empathy. Emotional intelligence and empathy are considered key components of emotional education by developing young people's capacity to successfully cope with the pressures of life and demands of their stressful environment. Social-emotional learning (SEL) is one such interventional program that focuses on these issues and helps in improving empathy and decreasing aggression in adolescents. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL, 2012) denes SEL as the process of acquiring the skills to recognize and manage emotions, develop caring and concern for others, make responsible decisions, establish positive relationships, and handle challenging situations effectively. Effective SEL programming begins in preschool and continues through high school. SEL improves student attitudes and beliefs about self, others, school and community. There is a growing awareness in the U.S. and European countries among educators and policymakers about the importance of social and emotional development for successful student performance. Also many studies and research on SELintervention in school curriculum has reported that that SELintervention has decreased anger, aggression and has improved empathy. In a way to sum up SELhelps in the holistic development of a student and prepares them to become responsible adults.


Author(s):  
Valeria Cavioni ◽  
Maria Assunta Zanetti

The transition from kindergarten to primary school is a critical period in the development of children. Children who start primary school with good emotional and social skills have more friends, can easily establish new social relationships with peers and adults, and adjust better and achieve more at school. Although in the last couple of decades social-emotional learning programs have received considerable scientific attention in various countries, little is known about the implementation of such programs in the Italian context. This chapter describes a quasi-experimental study on the effectiveness of the implementation of a social-emotional program with Italian kindergarten children. Children's assessment by the researcher and reports from teachers and parents indicated that the program called “By Your Hand” had a positive impact on the social and emotional competence of children over time as they moved from kindergarten to primary school, with indications of enhanced emotional competence and reduced behaviour problems.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
Anna Marie Dinallo

<p>A Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) framework was used in this study to gather and analyze the perceptions of mothers involved in a critical family literacy program designed to foster social and emotional development. Through narrative inquiry, participants discussed perceptions of their children’s social-emotional development and the expanded use of existing parenting tools. Even though parents are primary agents of change, the cultural backgrounds of families has too often been a missing ingredient in both the curriculum development and participation phases of and social and emotional learning within school-based programs. Family engagement programs are particularly important for Latino parents who are recent immigrants, as they have the additional burden of contending with such stressors in school settings as race, language barriers, and stereotypes afflicting educators. All participants in this study had existing knowledge in the area of emotional development and were able to discuss the value of self-care and self-regulation with respect to parenting their children. This research contributes to studies in the fields of family engagement and popular education pedagogy besides providing the reader with an examination of the implications of effective socio-emotional curriculum in elementary school settings.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 100 (5) ◽  
pp. 59-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madora Soutter

A mixed-methods study of a large social-emotional learning (SEL) program revealed notable disparities in the ways that teachers and students perceived the program’s impact. Teachers believed the initiative empowered students, while the students themselves described the program as one that emphasized compliance. Madora Soutter summarizes her findings and offers three recommendations for teachers and administrators implementing social and emotional learning initiatives: Evaluate the intention behind SEL programming to avoid a deficit mindset; anticipate implementation roadblocks, such as the tension between some SEL programs and the inherent power dynamics in schools; and actively, authentically listen to students.


Author(s):  
Ana B Araúz Ledezma ◽  
Karlijn Massar ◽  
Gerjo Kok

Summary Adolescents in Panama face multiple barriers that affect their health, such as high rates of teenage pregnancy, increased human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections and sexual violence. Equal relationships between women and men are likely to reduce such risks. Here, we suggest that the school-based enhancement of Social and Emotional Learning core competencies—awareness of self and others, positive attitudes and values, responsible decision-making, and social interaction skills—could foster positive changes in behaviors between boys and girls, specifically through a focus on equal roles, equal rights in relationships and nonviolent problem solving. This paper, using the Intervention Mapping Protocol, describes the process of development of, and planning surrounding the implementation and evaluation of the program ‘Me and My new World’, a Social Emotional Learning intervention for middle school students (12–15 years old) in Panama. Program development was based on a needs assessment (Araúz Ledezma et al. (2020) Behavioural and environmental influences on adolescent decision making in personal relationships: a qualitative multi–stakeholder exploration in Panama. Health Education Research, 35, 1–14.) and a literature review of theory- and evidence-based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)-programs. Intervention outcomes, performance objectives and change objectives of the intervention were identified. The practical applications of different theory-based methods allowed for contextual considerations that could potentially influence the expected behavioral outcomes of the intervention. Teachers were the implementers of the program, and during development, implementation, and evaluation, the roles, opinions, and teaching methods of all stakeholders were recognized. We conclude that Intervention Mapping allows for the analysis of multiple factors influencing the development and implementation of Social Emotional Learning programs promoting equal relationships among adolescents in a developing country, with a special consideration of culture, educational systems, and policies, from a capability development perspective.


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