SBIR-STTR Award

Considerable evidence demonstrates how children's social emotional (SE) development plays a significant role in their academic achievement, behavior, and emotional wellbeing. As the scientific base has grown supporting the positive impact of social and emotional learning (SEL) instructional practices, efforts to integrate SEL into academic settings has gained momentum, with teachers increasingly called upon to provide SEL instruction and foster the SE competencies of their students. Unfortunately, however, teacher education programs typically provide little, if any, instruction and training specifically in SEL. This SBIR project will address this gap by developing an innovative and effective technology-driven professional development (PD) product for educators. In Phase 1, we will develop a software prototype of the e-learning platform, test its feasibility and usability with elementary grade teachers, and conduct focus groups with administrative stakeholders to determine acceptability and value of the planned full product. The proposed product will increase educators' understanding of SE competencies and SEL instructional practices, and thereby increase the quality and quantity of SEL instruction delivered to students.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
Narrative Social emotional learning (SEL) instruction in classroom settings has been shown to improve academic, social, and behavioral outcomes for children. However, educators often do not receive professional development specific to the planning, implementation, and assessment of SEL competencies. The proposed SBIR project will address this gap by developing an interactive e-learning professional development platform to increase educators' knowledge of SEL instructional practices, thus improving the quality and quantity of SEL instruction delivered to students.

Project Terms:
Awareness; Behavior; Child; 0-11 years old; Child Youth; Children (0-21); kids; youngster; E-learning; computer-assisted instruction; computer-based education; computer-based instruction; computer-based learning; computer-based training; digital education; digital learning; eLearning; electronic learning; internet-assisted education; internet-based training; multimedia learning; on-line education; on-line learning; online education; online learning; technology-enhanced learning; virtual learning; web-based instruction; web-based training; Educational Curriculum; Curriculum; lesson plans; Feedback; Focus Groups; Foundations; Goals; Learning; Marketing; Play; Random Allocation; Random Selection; Recommendation; Research; Resources; Research Resources; Role; social role; Schools; Computer software; Software; Students; Teaching Method; instructional practice; instructional strategy; teaching methodology; Technology; Testing; Work; Administrator; Competence; Self Management; bases; base; dosage; improved; Area; Solid; Phase; Series; Training; teacher; Fostering; Collaborations; Letters; tool; Knowledge; programs; Well in self; Emotional well being; Feels well; Normal mental condition; Normal mental state; Normal psyche; Psychological Well Being; Sense of well-being; emotional wellbeing; emotional wellness; mental well-being; mental wellbeing; mental wellness; psychological wellbeing; psychological wellness; self wellness; sense of wellbeing; innovative technologies; experience; success; Self Efficacy; skills; expectation; novel; social skills; interpersonal competence; interpersonal competency; social competence; social competency; Academic achievement; social; Emotional; Sampling; behavioral health; software development; develop software; developing computer software; Address; Data; Resource Development; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; SBIR; Small Business Innovation Research; Text; Development; developmental; Instruction; virtual; Outcome; aged; innovate; innovative; innovation; usability; commercial application; prototype; commercialization; product development; Secure; Faculty Education; Faculty Training; Teacher Education; Teacher Educator; Teacher Preparation; Teacher Training; faculty development; faculty professional development; instructor training; teacher development; Teacher Professional Development; learning achievement; learning competence; learning ability; Elementary School Faculty; Elementary School Teachers; Elementary Teachers; Primary School Teachers; Primary School Faculty; Education Module; Educational Module; Teaching Module; Learning Module; behavior outcome; behavioral outcome; school district; informal education; informal instruction; informal learning; recruit; Social outcome; pilot test; social emotional learning; socioemotional learning