Prospectus

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is a field in which great interest has been taken in
recent decades as a means of increasing outcomes across a number of areas in the field of
education. Studies have shown that the development of SEL has positive effects on self-
regulation, self-awareness, relationship development, problem solving and academic success
(Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011). With the increased interest in this
area comes an increase in programs targeting SEL in schools; however, this is the 21st century
and digital resources should be a focus if we are truly preparing 21st century learners for the
future. It is difficult to ignore the fact that technology has become such a presence in society
with many relying on it for communication and information retrieval. This project aims to
demonstrate how technology can enhance the delivery of SEL programming in elementary
schools. The critical challenge question being addressed is, how can BC elementary school
teachers integrate SEL strategies using the Personal and Social Core Competencies by engaging
technology-based resources to support student success?

This project aims to create an online resource in the form of a website for BC educators
that provides technology based SEL programming geared towards elementary school students.
My goal is to provide a space with digital programs and resources that target the three areas of
the Personal and Social Core Competencies that will allow BC teachers to more easily integrate
SEL in their classrooms. My intent is to find online resources that have been tested, are
effective and are varied in nature. Some areas of SEL currently have more digital resources
available, whereas others have little evidence of inclusion or success to date. The goal is to
provide resources that are comprehensive and target all of the social and emotional
competencies within the BC curriculum. I plan to incorporate existing classroom programs as
well online and mobile programs such as apps or games. I will provide an organized set of
technology-based resources that teachers can easily refer to and integrate into their practices
to support the development of SEL in elementary school students. Within the bank of
resources, I intend to include information on the Core Competencies, and the various aspects of
SEL to enhance the users understanding. Additionally, I intend to create units that include each
competency so to demonstrate how each can successfully be integrated into the current
curriculum. As a result, I expect to find that technology-based resources, when combined with
the correct implementation methods will aid in supporting student success in the area of SEL.

To support this project, I will examine and draw upon a number of reports and studies
from the field of SEL including a large scale meta-analysis by Durlak et al. (2011), a longitudinal
study focusing on SEL in Kindergarten (Jones, Greenberg, & Crowley, 2015) and a review of
findings from three major studies presented by (Payton et al., 2008). I will refer to CASEL (2003)
for specific information regarding the field of SEL and program selection. I will be using the BC
Ministry of Education Core Competencies (B.C. Ministry of Education, 2017) and the BC
Education Plan (B.C. Ministry of Education, 2015) to support the requirements of the
curriculum. Literature supporting the inclusion of digital resources in SEL programming is sparse
as of yet; however I will refer to literature provided by Craig, Brown, Upright, & DeRosier,
(2016) and Enz et al. (2007) to start.
B.C. Ministry of Education. (2015). BCs education plan: Focus on learning. Retrieved May 11,
2017, from http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/kindergarten-to-grade-
12/support/bcedplan/bcs_education_plan.pdf

B.C. Ministry of Education. (2017). Core competencies | Building student success - BCs new
curriculum. Retrieved May 11, 2017, from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/competencies

Collaborative for Academic Social, and E. L. (CASEL). (2003). Safe and sound: An educational
leaders guide to evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs. Retrieved
May 11, 2017, from http://www.casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/PDF-16-safe-and-
sound.pdf

Craig, A. B., Brown, E. R., Upright, J., & DeRosier, M. E. (2016). Enhancing childrens social
emotional functioning through virtual game-based delivery of social skills training. Journal
of Child and Family Studies, 25(3), 959968. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-015-0274-8

Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The
impact of enhancing students social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-
based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405432.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x

Enz, S., Zoll, C., Vannini, N., Schneider, W., Hall, L., Paiva, A., & Aylett, R. (2007). E-motional
learning in primary schools: Fearnot! an anti-bullying intervention based on virtual role-
play with intelligent synthetic characters. ECEL 2007: 6th European Conference on E-
Learning, 6(2), 217224. Retrieved from
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84896284195&partnerID=tZOtx3y1

Jones, D. E., Greenberg, M., & Crowley, M. (2015). Early social-emotional functioning and public
health: The relationship between kindergarten social competence and future wellness.
American Journal of Public Health, 105(11), 22832290.
https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302630

Payton, J., Weissberg, R. P., Durlak, J. A., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., Schellinger, K. B., &
Pachan, M. (2008). Findings from three scientific reviews collaborative for academic,
social, and emotional learning (CASEL) the positive impact of social and emotional learning
for kindergarten to eighth-grade students. Retrieved from
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED505370.pdf