Roxanna Medeiros presented at the Quality Matters (QM) research meeting on social emotional learning (SEL). The title of the session was “Beyond Content: Embedding SEL in Quality Course Design and Teaching Practices.” Medeiros spoke about student stress levels and why SEL matters! They noted that the five core competencies of SEL are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and decision-making skills. Medeiros connected SEL to QM standards 1.9, 4.2, and 5.3:
- Specific Review Standard 1.9: Student Support
- Specific Review Standard 4.2: Instructional Materials & Engagement
- Specific Review Standard: 5.3: Active Learning Activities
Medeiros shared that instructors can support students by adding questions to check in as part of quizzes. Attendees shared ways they supported students. Some provided space at the beginning of the semester to share needs and potential barriers. Others encouraged reflections and discussions that are community-building. Medeiros explained that prompts can be created by students or ask them what challenged them. Madeiros spoke about communicating concerns and support elements to students. Weekly check-ins, campus resources available, and ways to encourage self-care were mentioned. One attendee shared that their instructor sent a message sharing that many missed a question and that they could have done a better job explaining. Therefore, they shared additional resources and provided points for summaries. Medeiros said that at their institution they designed prompts for SEL and they noted more engagement. Takeaways shared by Medeiros included:
- Audit a course and reflect: does this experience consider student SEL?
- Try one SEL-focused interaction such as a well-being check-in, a reflective prompt, or a growth mindset shift in grading.
- Keep SEL on the table when designing, teahcing, and assessing.
