Abstract
Traditional course design assumes a synchronous, in-person learning environment and relies on a skilled instructor to observe nonverbal communication and guide interactions between learners. However, the nature of online learning has changed instructor-student connections so that providing real-time, guided interactions and feedback are not always practical. The loss of these interactions has particularly affected social and emotional learning (SEL), or how people recognize and manage emotions, empathize with, and relate to others, and make responsible decisions. SEL—popularly known as emotional intelligence, EI, or EQ—has gained recognition as the foundation of vital “soft skills” that contribute to improved job satisfaction, performance, and productivity. When institutions simply convert in-person curricula to digital, the resulting online courses often do not account for the loss of real-time SEL and metacognitive guidance from an instructor. This chapter provides guidance on how to integrate SEL into the design of online courses.
TopIntroduction
Traditional course design assumes a synchronous, in-person learning environment and relies on a skilled instructor to observe nonverbal communication and guide interactions between learners (Alam & Ahmad, 2018). However, the nature of online learning has changed instructor–student connections so that real-time, guided interactions and feedback are not always practical and, at the very least, must be reimagined for the online learning environment (Adnan, Kalelioglu, & Gulbahar, 2017; Baran, Correia, & Thompson, 2011; Metz & Bezuidenhout, 2018; Trammell & LaForge, 2017). To illustrate the differences between traditional and online learning environments, consider the following hypothetical user narratives.
User Narrative One: In-Person Learning Environment
Kulpana sits at her desk; it’s the first day of class, and she feels nervous. She can see that the other students feel nervous, too. She strikes up a conversation with Michael, the student sitting next to her. They discuss the weather and joke about their shared new-class anxiety. The instructor, Ms. Chandler, walks into the room, smiles at the class, and introduces herself. Ms. Chandler seems warm and approachable, which sets Kulpana at ease. While they are all reading from the first chapter of the textbook, Michael starts to fidget—he looks confused. Ms. Chandler stops reading and acknowledges him, asking if he’s doing OK. Tentatively, he explains his confusion and asks a clarifying question. Ms. Chandler smiles and says, “That’s a great question. Can anyone help him out?” The students start to discuss his question and, after several minutes, collaboratively create an explanation that resolves Michael’s question. The class checks in with Michael to confirm his understanding. He looks much more relaxed and responds with an enthusiastic, “Yes, I get it now. Thanks, everyone!” This classroom interaction sets a precedent for collaborative help that grows over the semester. Students watch out for each other, and if they see signs of struggle in their peers, they intervene to offer help, explain a concept, or bring questions to the class to discuss together until everyone reaches understanding.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Self-Management: The ability to choose how we think and how we feel, and to take appropriate actions.
Metacognition: Awareness of one’s own cognitive processes and the ability to control and modify those processes in order to achieve goals.
Active Learning: A collection of teaching strategies that engage students as active participants and owners of their own learning process and outcomes.
Relationship Skills: The ability to communicate with others and resolve interpersonal differences.
Social Awareness: The ability to recognize and respond to the emotions of others.
Metacognitive Regulation: A learner’s ability to modify cognitive processes and strategies to remain in control of their learning conflicts.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL): How people recognize and manage emotions, empathize with and relate to others, and make responsible decisions.
Self-Awareness: The ability to observe and recognize emotions within oneself.
Metacognitive Knowledge: What learners know about themselves, their strategies to solve problems, and the requirements to implement those strategies.