Improve education through social-emotional learning

Created by Committee for Children

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is an educational approach that aims to cultivate social and emotional competencies within school curricula. SEL helps students develop skills such as coping with emotions and setting goals, as well as interpersonal skills like teamwork and conflict resolution. Individuals who possess strong social-emotional skills are better equipped to manage everyday challenges and can reap academic, professional, and social benefits.

Social-emotional learning is a particularly relevant topic today because it helps students develop the skills they need to succeed in school, work, and life. In the current climate, with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on mental health, social-emotional learning is more important than ever. 

SEL focuses on a set of life skills students need to understand themselves and communicate with others. Research has shown that participating in SEL programs improves students’ performances in their classes and has a lasting impact on students and school communities. By teaching social-emotional skills, schools can help students build their mental health and resilience so that they can adapt and handle what comes at them.

Educators & SEL

Many educators are familiar with CASEL (The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) and the five core competencies of SEL: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Educators can leverage digital tools that students are interested in using to enhance social and emotional learning efforts. 

For instance, technology can help students feel more comfortable sharing their experiences. Students can create video diaries to chronicle their daily activities and reflect on their emotions and reactions to situations. Digital tools such as Kahoot, Quizizz, and Google Forms can be used to create student self-assessment quizzes.  These tools enable students to self-evaluate their knowledge, skills, and attitudes and receive authentic, meaningful, and timely feedback on their performance.

In conclusion, social-emotional learning is an important aspect of education that helps students develop the skills they need to succeed in school, work, and life. Digital tools can be used to support the development of these skills in a variety of ways. At Processim Labs, we believe that educational simulation games can be a powerful tool for promoting social-emotional learning by providing students with engaging and interactive experiences that help them develop these important skills.